What are you on about? Weve been married ten years! What mistress? Youre all I need!
Margaret couldnt shake the feeling. It gnawed at her, this certainty that her husband was unfaithful. The uncertainty tormented her. One evening, she gathered the courage to confront him outright.
She asked him plainlywas it true or not?but he only laughed.
What are you on about? Weve been married ten years! What mistress? Youre all I need!
Edward spoke with such sincerity. She searched his smile, his words, his eyesnothing seemed amiss. Yet still, something unsettled her.
Margaret wasnt one to leave things to chance. She resolved to uncover the truth, but how?
After scouring advice online, she decided to check Edwards phone first. Nothing stood outjust idle chatter with a few old schoolmates. Harmless, surely.
He never even bothered with a passcode. Nothing to hide, he always said. No secret messages, no deleted conversations. A bloody saint, he was.
Sometimes she wondered if shed imagined it all. But every time he came home late from work, that unease returned.
Her friend Emily always chided her. Youre being ridiculous! Edward adores youhed never stray! Youll ruin everything with these suspicions!
Margaret didnt listen. Her gut told her otherwise, and she refused to share her husband with another woman.
Once, she even followed himrushed to his office to see if he was really working or gallivanting about. When he spotted her, he was livid. Embarrassing me in front of my colleagues! She spent days apologising, though Edward, ever forgiving, soon softened.
By all appearances, their life was perfect. A lovely home in Surrey. Two children. Everything to be grateful for. Yet Margaret couldnt stop digging for trouble.
As they sayseek and ye shall find. But so far, shed come up empty.
At thirty, with two little ones, the fear of being left with nothing ate at her. Outwardly calm, inside she boiled.
There were no signs. No lipstick on his collar. No foreign perfume. No sudden changes in habit. Yet she *knew* something was wrong.
Had it not been for sheer chance, Margaret might never have learned the truth. Imagined or real? Time would tell.
When their youngest started primary school, Margaret decided to learn to drive. Evening lessons after work. Three months later, she passed her test.
Edward was so proud he bought her a carsmall, but perfect for her slight frame. Easy to park, too.
Not that hed admit it, but hed bought it partly to keep her from borrowing his Audi. You need more experience first, hed say.
One weekend, she woke early, deciding to surprise the family with a chicken and aubergine pietheir favourite. But there was no flour.
A frost clung to the ground, but shed grown confident driving in winter. Shed just pop to the shops.
Her car wouldnt start. Back inside, the house slept on. She tiptoed, not wanting to wake anyone.
Walking in the cold didnt appeal, so she took Edwards keys instead. Just a quick triphed never know.
While the engine warmed, she wiped the windows. Reaching into the glovebox for a cloth, her fingers brushed against something. It clattered to the floor.
A phone. But whose?
Certainly not Edwards. Hers was familiar, but this oneunknown. At first, she thought hed accidentally taken someone elses. But curiosity won. She pressed the button.
The first thing she saw was a message from a woman named Sarah.
*My love, I miss you terribly! Come to me soonIm waiting!*
Margaret blinked. No passcode. She scrolled through the messages. The car idled as she read.
The exchanges were endless. A lifetime of deceit.
Turns out, Edward finished work at five but didnt come home till seven. Margaret had never thought to check.
Nearly every day, he stopped by Sarahs flat for an hour before returning as if nothing had happened. The words he wrote herMargaret had never heard such tenderness from him.
The photos showed a woman in her forties. What on earth did he see in her?
Rage burned through her.
She was about to leave when she spotted Edward stepping out of their building. Shed left a note saying shed gone to the shopshed seized the chance to message Sarah.
Now it made sensehis nightly trips to the car. Forgot my wallet, hed say. Just a moment. Shed never suspected a thing.
Edward froze when he saw her behind the wheel.
Who said you could take it? We never agreed to this!
Margarets fury flared. She buckled up, slammed into reverse, and hit the gas. The Audi screeched into the fence behind her. A small relief.
She stepped out, glaring at his stunned face.
Go to her, then! Lets see how much she wants you without your house, without your car! Go! I never want to see you again!
For good measure, she hurled his keys into a snowdrift and stormed inside.
The boys were awake now, bewildered. Minutes later, Edward tried to follow, but Margaret bolted the door.
Go to her! Forget this house! she shouted.
Edward had no choice. In slippers, a dressing gown, and a thin jacket, he trudged to Sarahs. Surely shed take him in.
But when she opened the door, a mans voice called from inside.
Darling, are you coming back? Ive been waiting!
Edward only visited Sarah on weekdays. Weekends, apparently, were for her *other* gentleman caller.
She gave him an apologetic look and shut the door in his face.
Defeated, he trudged to his mothers house two streets over.
Marjorie took one look at him and understood. She fed him, listened to his tale of a cruel wife whod thrown him out over nothing, and patted his hand.
Dont fret, love. Who knew Margaret would turn out like this? Your luck will changeyoure only thirty-five! Youll find love again, mark my words.
So Edward stayed with his mother, determined to start anew. He even felt a flicker of relieffreedom at last.
Until Margaret filed for child support. Then he realised fresh starts werent so simple. At least his mother hadnt abandoned him. Without her, hed have been truly lost.
