Doing laundry was a mundane task I performed every week, but on this particular evening, it led to a discovery that would change my life forever. As I sorted through my husband’s clothes, a letter slipped out and fell to the floor.
The elegantly folded letter was written in my husband’s handwriting, but the words were not meant for me. “Happy anniversary, babe! These 7 years have been the best of my life! Meet me at Obélix on Wednesday night, 8 p.m. Be in red.” The problem was that my husband, David, and I had been married for eighteen years.
My mind was racing with thoughts of him having another woman in his life. I remembered all the late nights, the occasional hotel stays for work, and the believable excuses. I had never suspected that he could be cheating on me. I trusted him with all my heart.
The next day, I checked to see if the letter was still there, but it was gone. Not knowing what to do, I confided in my mother, who advised me to confront him. But I had a different plan.
That evening, I hired a nanny, put on a red dress that David had bought me years ago, and headed to the fancy restaurant where he was supposed to meet his other woman. When I arrived, I saw a woman in red, assuming she was the recipient of the letter.
I sat at the next table, my back to her. When David arrived, he had a huge smile on his face, happy to see the woman he had written the letter to. It took some time before I stood up and said “hi” to my husband. His face went pale.
The woman had no idea I was his wife. David had told her they were separated but getting along for the sake of their children. She was confused, and so was I. What I couldn’t understand was how she never asked to meet me or David’s children if they had been dating for so long. Nothing about their relationship made sense to me.
Before David could say a word, I left the restaurant, telling him he had some explaining to do to his two daughters. Our marriage was over, shattered by the letter he had written to another woman. At first, I was bitter, but later, I felt relieved.
