The husband died suddenly on the day of his date with his mistress

I suspected my husband was cheating on me. Over the past couple of weeks, he'd been making excuses about working late, turning off his phone, and staying out all night.

Erich had always been wonderful to me throughout our seven years of dating and three years of marriage, but lately, something had changed.

"Hey, babe, tonight I..."

"Working late again. Don't bother making dinner for me," he cut me off, his back already turned as he headed for the door without so much as a glance back.

My breath caught in my throat, and the smile I had plastered on my face fell away. I sank into the couch, murmuring to myself, "But today's our anniversary…"

Every year, Erich would start planning surprises for our anniversary weeks in advance. I could never remember the date, but his endless creativity made me look forward to it.

Maybe this time, it is one of those setups where he plays it cool before hitting me with something amazing? Surely, he has something planned for tonight.

Hope flickered back to life, and I decided to glam myself up for the evening. I called my best friend, Lindsay Crane, and we headed out together.

I felt a spark of hope ignite within me, so I decided to pamper myself with a beautiful outfit and headed out with my best friend, Lindsay Crane.

But as the dinner hour approached, Erich hadn't sent any messages my way. Noticing my dwindling spirits, Lindsay took charge, inviting me to the city's finest restaurant for a gourmet meal.

That only made me feel worse. So many of our anniversaries had been celebrated right there.

"Lindsay, what am I going to do? I feel like my husband is losing interest in me…"

Lindsay was more worked up than I was, letting out a loud gasp that turned heads in the restaurant. She quickly lowered her voice. "No way! You two are so in love. If he's cheating, I'd lose all faith in love!"

I barely registered her words, my eyes glued to the entrance.

There they were—Erich and a woman walking in together!

He actually forgot our anniversary and went out to dinner with another girl!

Anger surged through me, and I fumbled for my phone to call him, but it went straight to voicemail.

If I had any doubt before, it was gone now.

I was certain that it was Erich. He always kept his phone on during work hours, only turning it off when we were supposed to be spending time together.

It seemed that whenever he had a date—regardless of who it was—his phone went silent.

He must be cheating…

At around 2 a.m., I heard the sound of the door unlocking.

I quickly wiped my tears away, but I heard the guest room door creak open and then shut again.

I froze for a moment, realizing I had been fooling myself.

He wouldn't even notice the tear stains on my face because he didn't care anymore.

I spent the night tossing and turning, determined to confront him.

"Didn't sleep well?" Erich asked as he stepped out of the guest room, still buttoning his shirt.

He paused when he saw me on the couch, a smile flickering across his face.

"Yesterday was our anniversary," I said, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace.

I hadn't looked in the mirror, but I knew my face must be a mess.

For a brief moment, I saw a flicker of discomfort cross Erich's face.

He approached and squeezed my shoulder. "Work has been crazy lately. I was tied up with a project last night. Don't be mad, okay?"

I scoffed, shaking his hand off. I wasn't in the mood to play games. "So you took a woman to dinner to discuss work? Erich, are you cheating on me?"

His expression turned icy, the warmth and tenderness evaporating in an instant.

"Seriously? I just forgot our anniversary, and you're throwing around accusations? I don't have to listen to this," he shot back, looking wounded as he quickly threw on his blazer and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

A whirlwind of emotions surged inside me—hurt, anger, betrayal… I felt like I was going to explode.

Then, everything went dark as I fainted from the overwhelming pressure in my chest.