The Tender Unlasting

When the massage ended, she set down the massage oil, picked up her car keys, and got ready to leave.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. "Heading to the office this early?"

She hesitated for a moment, her eyes darting away guiltily. "I should head out early. There's an important meeting today."

I nodded, my eyes lingering on her retreating figure as the warmth in my smile faded into a chill.

True to form, it was not two minutes before my phone buzzed with another anonymous text.

[Ever wonder how Ms. Henderson likes it in the morning? If you're curious, come and see.]

Driven by some inexplicable urge, I trailed after her.

She did not head to the office but instead steered her car toward a secluded seaside getaway.

I tried to get in, only to be stopped by the stern-faced security guard.

"Sorry, sir. The resort is closed to visitors today."

I gestured to the car that had just passed through.

"That just went in."

"That was our guest who had booked the entire place for herself."

I stood at the gate for a solid hour, but Macie's car never reappeared.

Before long, my phone delivered another anonymous bombshell: a single video.

The footage was clearly shot in secret, the audio filled with nothing but heavy breathing.

I felt a wave of nausea hit me, but I swallowed it down with a bitter laugh.

Macie and I, back when we were dreaming up our business, had often talked about unwinding at a beach resort.

She had always brushed it off, saying we were too busy for such luxuries.

I never brought it up again, feeling a bit foolish.

However, there she was, having booked the entire place for a private affair.

The irony was not lost on me.

A sudden thought struck, and I pulled up the social media feed of Franklin Wallace, the new intern at our company.

He had just posted something.

[Got to meet up first thing in the morning. She said she's been thinking about me all night and can't wait any longer, and says she's about to burst. What can I say? I'm helpless with this woman.]

It was him all along.

After a three-hour wait, Macie finally walked through the door.

She caught sight of me still sprawled out and worry creased her brow. "Feeling under the weather? You've got to rest up more, take it slow and steady."

I offered her a wry smile. "Doesn't make a bit of difference."

"Of course it does. Stick with it, and you'll bounce back."

I let the topic drop and just mentioned I would not be heading into the office today.

Macie picked up on my sour mood, her frown deepening. "What's bothering you, Raymond? You seem down. I know I've been swamped and getting home late. You're not mad, are you?"

The thought of her with another man churned my stomach.

I forced out a response. "No, I'm not some kid to hold grudges over something so trivial."

While she was out for an afternoon client meeting, I took a chance and logged onto her computer.

The password was still our anniversary.

I opened the chat with Franklin and felt a jolt at the sight of his latest message.

A hotel room number and that smug, winking emoticon.

Macie's reply was a single word.

[Sure.]

Their exchange was too curt and too flirty. There was no hint of a professional relationship, just a secret lurking between the lines.

I could not let it go. I dove into Franklin's social media and lurked in his private album.

There were photos with telltale signs in the background: Macie's signature limited edition watch, the unique trinket from her desk.

One even had a glimpse of her in the corner, her profile blurred but unmistakable to me.

I should have been wary of Franklin from the start.

He was the spitting image of my younger self: charming, handsome, with that same wild streak.

Ever since he started working at the company, he shot up the ladder, landing right by Macie's side as her assistant.

I had always trusted Macie's love for me, never once suspecting she would turn her back on us.

However, then, it looks like my trust was just her free pass to do as she pleased.