When Love Requires Letting Go

Only our family possessed the key to that house.

William, an only child, had no siblings, and I, too, was a solitary bud.

My parents were away on a trip.

Who else could it be?

After that fateful day, William iced me out for several days.

He accused me of disrespecting his parents and of being domineering in our home.

How ridiculous that I hadn't even blamed them for their shameless actions, but here they were, calling me arrogant.

However, I noticed a shift. Jack and Cathy seemed to look down on William.

On the contrary, they treated me, who had criticized them, better than before.

I couldn't quite grasp the reason behind this.

But whenever I thought of their actions, a wave of sadness washed over me, dimming any chance of happiness.

To be fair, I had held them in high regard before this incident.

Jack and Cathy were a harmonious couple, and their family atmosphere was warm and inviting.

They treated me and William well, as if I were their own daughter.

Even my best friend, Judy Black, envied me, often saying she would need a miracle to find such a perfect family to marry into.

William's coldness left me with a well of grievances.

So, I sought solace in Judy to vent my frustrations.

She was visibly shocked by my tale.

"Did you actually see the bottle of lube?"

"Of course. How else would I know they're so disgusting?"

Her shock gave way to a hint of schadenfreude.

"So, the model couple, Jack and Cathy, has flaws, too.

"I've always envied you, but now it seems unnecessary.

"But how can you be sure it belongs to William's parents?"

Annoyed, I didn't pay close attention to her words.

After confronting Jack and Cathy, they became more reserved.

Their public displays of their affection at home disappeared.

I never saw them enter my room again.

I tried to forget the incident.

After all, aside from that one event, Jack and Cathy were exemplary.

William was kind to me, and we had a delightful daughter.

In every way, we were a happy, perfect family.

Life gradually slipped back into its familiar rhythm.

Yet, what I didn't anticipate was what happened next.

A few days later, while tidying the new house, I stumbled upon another bottle of the same lubricant in the bedside drawer.

Beside it lay a pair of tattered black stockings.

I was confused.

It was inconceivable for Jack and Cathy to be involved.

Now, only William and I hold the keys.

I had a guess.

Is it possible that my husband is cheating on me?