Chapter 4 Clues

Chapter 4 Clues

In the days that followed, Olivia made several excuses about having fought with her ex-husband and being in a bad mood, asking me to go drinking with her. Every time we went, we’d “coincidentally” run into James Taylor.

Even though we’d been in a relationship back in high school, it was just a naive puppy love—we were so shy we’d blush even holding hands, and our feelings hadn’t been that deep. Looking back on that young romance was nice every once in a while, but meeting up too often made it boring. After all, my heart was still with my husband and kids.

During that time, however, my husband Michael started going on more business trips, and he came home later and later every night. At first, I didn’t think much of it, assuming he was just swamped with work.

That changed when I was doing his laundry and found a lipstick stain on his collar. He also started taking more phone calls away from me, and even when it came to our intimate moments as a couple, he always made excuses about being tired. I began to feel alert—no matter how oblivious a woman is, she can sense when something’s wrong.

I was so angry that I confronted my husband, but he avoided the topic, acting like I was just picking a fight. He refused to admit anything and even said sarcastically, “You should worry about yourself first.” His words left me stunned, standing there, confused.

Filled with frustration, I turned to my best friend Olivia for advice. After all, she’d been through a divorce herself—surely she’d have ways to help me find the “other woman” hiding in the shadows.

“All men are the same—they like pretty women,” Olivia said. “Look in the mirror. You’ve put on weight, haven’t you? If you don’t start improving yourself, how can you keep your husband’s heart?”

I looked in the mirror at my slightly overweight body and my dull, tired face—after days of anxiety, I hadn’t been sleeping well. I sighed deeply. Maybe Olivia was right. Maybe I was just being paranoid. My husband’s words—“You should worry about yourself first”—must have meant he thought I wasn’t attractive anymore. The problem was with me.

“Only by improving myself can I win my husband back,” I thought. Once again, my attention was diverted. Acting on impulse, I bought a gym membership and a beauty salon card. I also bought a lot of new clothes and jewelry. I thought if I spruced myself up, my husband would be happy, and naturally, he’d cut ties with that other woman. The “enemy” would disappear without me having to fight.

But in the end, I’d been too naive.