Emily didn’t think anything strange would happen when she ordered pizza while her fiancé was away. Things changed when she got a message. That pizza delivery saved her from a bad marriage, but she didn’t know it at the time. It was comfortable and dull to live with Jake. With all of its soft blankets and pillows, our small flat seemed like a safe place to be. It’s been three years since Jake and I have loved doing simple things together. What’s your name? When we had free time at home, we often ordered pizza from the same place. It was something we always did. While I called our favourite pizza place, Jake would look for films to watch.
The mailman, Tom, always knew who we were. He always came by on time and asked, “How are you?” as he walked into our small hallway. But it was just me there tonight.
Jake had to go to work, so the silence was even more present than normal. Pepperoni pizza with extra cheese is what I usually get.
It was always Tom at the door when the bell rang, but tonight he seemed different. When he gave me the pizza box, his smile didn’t seem real, and his hands were shaking a little.
“Hi, Emily.” Jake isn’t here tonight?” Tom asked, but his voice was a little rough.
I tried to sound happy as I said, “No, just me tonight.” Tom said “yes” and quickly, maybe too quickly, left. I couldn’t get rid of the feeling that something was wrong as I shut the door. Was Tom all right? Putting my fears aside, I went to the kitchen with the warm pizza box.
The smell of tomato sauce and garlic always made me feel warm and cosy, like a hug. But my heart beat fast when I opened the box. A message read, “He is not who you think,” was written in black chalk inside the box. “Check the camera on your door.” All of a sudden, I didn’t want to eat because I was scared.
I put the box down because I was scared, and all of a sudden, the flat was very quiet. What would the camera show me? When I tried to use the tablet that ran our door camera, my hands got shaking. I was really scared by the message on the pizza box, and the time before I opened the app felt like it did not end. Then I saw it when I looked at the camera’s records.
There was a woman at our door, and I saw my Jake greet her. She wasn’t any woman; she laughed and gave him a bottle of wine. I was very sad. I kept scrolling. There were other women there other days.
It looked like Jake had someone over every time I was gone. He put up a camera to keep us safe, and it clearly showed all of these women. I was stuck and couldn’t move, and the tablet kept slipping out of my hands.
It made no sense to me. When did this start to happen in our relationship? Every movie on the camera made me cry, and it hurt like a knife to the heart.
He had my faith and love, but was it just me? Did he agree with you? It felt like the walls were closing in on me every time I saw another woman with him or when they were together. This place and our life together used to make me feel loved, but now it hurt me.
It was like there was a big weight in my stomach. There was no mistake or confusion here. Over and over, it was an act of betrayal. I was sad and angry, and tears were running down my face. And I knew I had to talk to him to find out what was going on, but first I had to calm down. I couldn’t show him that I was sad. I had to stand up for myself. The love I thought we had was gone, and anger had taken its place. I was going to make sure I heard everything Jake had to say.
The flat was quiet and tense when Jake got back. I watched the video and thought about what I saw at the kitchen table. I smiled at him, but he didn’t know how I felt. I didn’t smile back, though.
When I said, “Let’s talk,” Jake’s smile went away. He asked, “What’s wrong?” I showed him the tablet. There was a picture of him and one of the women on the screen. “Could you explain this?” Jake took a quick look at it, shrugged, and looked calm. “Emily, you’re being too dramatic.” They’re just friends. “Friends?” I lost it. “Different women every time I’m not there? “Really, Jake?” He let out a sigh and ran his hand through his hair. “Look, Em, you’re going crazy.” “These women don’t mean anything.” “What do you mean?” I yelled because I was angry and losing my temper. “How do you say that?” Jake’s voice got meaner. “I bring a lot to this relationship.” You really want to end it because you’re scared?” That was it. The way he was rude and dismissive made everything clear. “It’s not fear when I have proof, Jake. This is not possible for me. I’m not going to marry someone who doesn’t value me. Jake’s face got tight, and his pride was replaced by shock. “Are you sure?” Over such a small thing?” I replied with a firm “Yes.” “Enough.” “That’s it.” He looked at me, then got up and left without saying anything else. He grabbed his coat as he went.
He was caught by a loud door that shut behind him. That was it. I called the pizza place after some time to think. Tom picked up. “Emily, this is Tom.” I’d like to thank you. Jake was what you said he was. There was a pause. “I am truly sorry, Emily. I believed you should know. Sincerely, I said, “Thank you.” “Maybe I could take you out for coffee sometime?” To talk?” “That sounds good to me,” Tom said, putting my hurt heart at ease.
When I saw Tom at the café the next day, I didn’t feel scared about facing Jake. I felt understood for the first time in a long time because Tom really cared about me. “Tom, thanks for telling me the truth.” “It must have been hard to choose to tell me,” I said as we sipped our coffees. He said yes. “Yes it was, Emily.” I tried not to tell you, but I couldn’t. The truth should be told to everyone.
I learned how much of myself I had tied to Jake as we talked. I felt free and hopeful as I sat across from Tom. Being honest made him feel good. Things got lighter in our talk, and soon we were laughing. I didn’t think I’d feel so good after going through such a hard time. It made me think that bad things can sometimes lead to good chances.
It felt good to sit with Tom and laugh. It was like a weight was taken off my shoulders. It felt good to get some fresh air after being inside for a long time. I laughed at Tom and said, “I never thought a pizza delivery could change my life.” His smile showed that he got it. I think life is weird, Emily. “Help can come from places you least expect it,” he said in a kind way. As I left the café, I felt hopeful. I was ready to move on. I didn’t know what the future held, but I was sure that one step at a time, I was going to be happy again.
Okay, Matilda here. Let me tell you about the time I learned that the world knows when to step in. My boyfriend Jake was asked to be the “man of honour” at the wedding of his best friend Lisa, a woman. I wasn’t excited, but he was. Lisa planned a trip to a house by a lake for her bachelorette party.
I was let down that Jake was the only guy invited. “Babe, it’s just a fun trip!” “You know I love you,” he told me. While I watched, he said this as he happily packed his bags ahead of time in the flat he shared with three other guys. The ideas and events in this work come from real life, but they have been changed for artistic reasons. To protect privacy and make the story better, names, characters, and circumstances have been changed. Any resemblance to real people or events is just a coincidence. The author and distributor don’t promise that the events or characters are true, and they’re not responsible for any confusion that may arise. This story is given “as is,” and any views shown are those of the characters, not the author or publisher.
