Valentine's Day: My Wife's "Work Trip" With Another Man

Dawn came, and Nancy still hadn't come back.

The pain was getting worse, and I couldn't take it anymore, so I called an ambulance.

While I was waiting for the ambulance to arrive, I scrolled through Facebook for a bit. I happened to see a new post from Derek.

The gist of his post was that he'd bravely stepped in at the bar to protect a girl who was being harassed by some thugs. He got hurt in the process, but Nancy arrived just in time and took him to the hospital. He also said he was really touched that she came so late at night.

Beneath the post was a photo of Nancy, tears glistening in her eyes as she applied ointment to Derek's wound. The caption read, "Love can overcome any hardship and face any challenge."

One person commented, "A woman that beautiful is standing right in front of you, yet you can hold back? Dude, are you sure you're straight?"

Another commenter chimed in. "Yeah! If someone like her was willing to come keep me company in the middle of the night, it wouldn't end with just her putting ointment on me."

Derek replied with a smug emoji and said, "What's the rush? She'll be mine sooner or later!"

…

When the ambulance arrived, the medical staff lifted me onto a stretcher.

While I was getting an IV in the emergency room, I messaged my close friend, Jayden York.

"Jayden, I want a divorce."

After I came back from the hospital, I rested at home for a few days. I thought things would be calm for a while, but then my phone started ringing nonstop, jolting me awake.

I picked up the phone weakly.

Nancy's voice on the other end was cold as she said, "I'm coming to pick you up for dinner."

Before I could even answer, she hung up.

I figured I should try to get along peacefully with her until the divorce, so I changed clothes and went out.

When Nancy saw me come out looking so haggard, she suddenly remembered she had forgotten to buy me the ointment.

"We'll be passing by the hospital on the way to the restaurant anyway. I'll take you there first," she said.

"It's okay. It's already been days. The pain stopped a long time ago."

Nancy let out a long sigh of relief. "That's what I figured. It's been seven years, after all—if it still hurts, it's probably just in your head."

I chuckled bitterly. "Yeah. It's been seven years."

At the time, I used all my strength to push Nancy out, and I ended up trapped under a falling beam in the raging fire. As a result, three ribs were broken, and my tailbone was fractured. Even after all these years, the slightest bump could cause me unbearable pain.

I was afraid Nancy would feel guilty if she knew, so I never told her that the accident left me with lasting damage—not the "paranoia" she thought I had.

Still, we'd been together for seven years. If she truly loved and cared for me, how could she not have noticed my pain?

As Nancy drove, she told me all about what happened that night.

"I took Derek to the hospital. His cuts were pretty bad, and I was worried he might be in pain during the night, so I stayed with him a while longer. Don't overthink it."

I looked coldly out of the car window. "I didn't overthink anything. He's your secretary, so it makes sense that you'd spend a few extra days with him."

Nancy seemed unhappy with my answer. She slammed on the brakes, making my earbuds fall under the seat. When I bent down to get them, I found a pair of men's swim trunks hidden under the seat.

If this had happened two weeks ago, I'd have lost it and started screaming at her with these swim trunks in hand.

But now, I just smiled. I picked them up and put them in the back seat.

Nancy looked uneasy as she rambled, "Oh, those? It's probably when Derek finished his swim lesson and accidentally left them in the car."

I nodded and kept looking out the window.

…

At the restaurant, a couple at the next table kept staring at Nancy and me. Seeing that I had noticed their stares, the woman came over.

"Are you that CEO from Derek Jones' Facebook? You're so pretty in person!" she said to Nancy.

Nancy looked up at her. "Can I help you?"

The woman sounded a little gossipy as she asked, "So… are you and Derek dating?"

Nancy glanced over at me, focused on my meal. She smiled at the woman and replied, "Yes. Derek and I are dating."

I smiled at the woman as well. Right then, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach.

The woman looked at me, confused. "Then who is he?"

Without hesitation, Nancy responded, "A security guard."