"All this time I've been in the house taking care of our son, while you're out here sleeping with random woman!" Mary said as she threw the envelope of pictures on David's study table.
David looked up at her confused as he grabbed the envelope, "what are you talking about?"
He opened the envelope and there was pictures of him with different women, and in every picture the angle was taken to make it seem that he was doing something with the woman.
"These pictures are nothing, the woman in here are just business partners." He explained.
Mary scoffed, "I worked for you for three years, you were never involved with any business women. So why now?"
David signed running his fingers through his hair, "are you really going to let some pictures corrupt your mind!"
"I just need to understand why you never told me you had business involving multiple women." She replied.
"I don't need to tell you who I'm working with or who my business partners are, my work is my business I don't need to report you every time."
Mary's face hardened as she crossed her arms. "You don't need to report to me? David, I'm your wife, not some random stranger! How can I not question this when it's right in front of me? Pictures don't lie."
David slammed the envelope down on the table, his patience wearing thin. "Pictures can be manipulated, Mary! This is clearly someone trying to create problems between us. Do you think I would ever betray you like that?"
Mary took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Who knows, I never really was anything to you until I had your child."
With one last word she headed out of his study
David stared at the door as it closed behind her, the echo of her words lingering in the room. He sank into his chair, running a hand through his hair. The frustration and hurt in her voice cut deeper than he'd anticipated.
He picked up the envelope again, staring at the photos. The angles, the timing—it was all too perfect, too deliberate. Someone was behind this, and they knew exactly how to strike at the heart of his marriage.
David grabbed his phone and dialed a number. After a few rings, Lee, his assistant, answered.
"Lee, I need you to find out where these pictures came from. Who took them, when, and why. I want answers by morning," David said, his tone sharp and commanding.
"Yes, sir. I'll get on it immediately," Lee replied.
David ended the call and leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply. His mind raced, torn between his anger at whoever orchestrated this and the pain of Mary's doubt.
Upstairs, Mary sat on the edge of the bed, her head in her hands. She hated the way her emotions had gotten the better of her, but the images in those photos haunted her.
————————
Later that evening as Mary sat in the living room Brest feeding Soren the door bell rang, "looks like you're nana is here!"
Mary adjusted Soren in her arms as she stood to answer the door. She opened it to see her mother, a warm smile on her face and a large gift bag in hand.
"There's my favorite grandson!" her mother exclaimed, stepping inside.
Mary chuckled softly, shifting Soren to her shoulder. "Hi, Mom. You're spoiling him already."
"Of course, I am," her mother replied, setting the bag down on the coffee table. "It's my job as a nana." She turned to Mary, her smile fading slightly. "You look tired, sweetheart. Is everything okay?"
Mary hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Just a long day, that's all."
Her mother frowned but didn't push. Instead, she reached for Soren. "Come here, my little prince. Let Nana hold you for a while."
Mary handed Soren over, watching as he settled comfortably in his grandmother's arms. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of her mother doting on him.
As they sat on the couch, her mother glanced at her. "Looks like motherhood is beating you down, huh?"
"You can say that again, dealing with everything plus post partum depression is just so hard." She sighed.
"But I've been going to therapy, and I'm getting back on track." She added.
"Thats great sweetheart, but you don't have to stress anymore because I'm here for 2 weeks."
Mary's eyes widened in surprise. "Two weeks? Mom, that's… wow. Are you sure?"
Her mother chuckled, adjusting Soren in her arms. "Of course, I'm sure. After all your father didn't want his precious daughter to be under so much stress."
Mary let out a small laugh, "Dad is dramatic, now that Liam moved out who's going to take care of him?"
"His not old yet, his still strong and kicking." Her mom teased.
As they continued to talk, her mom looked around in hope to see David but he wasn't in sight. "Where's my son-in-law, is he working late again?"
"No, he just stepped out for a while. He might be back a little later, so you don't have to wait up for him." Mary told her.
"Okay." She nodded.
"Care for anything, you can't sleep on an empty stomach?"
Her mom smiled warmly. "A little something wouldn't hurt. Do you have any of that soup you used to make for me when I visited?"
Mary chuckled as she stood up. "Of course, I do. I'll heat some up for you." She headed into the kitchen, grateful for the distraction of preparing food.
———————
After eating her mom took a warm shower and headed to sleep, while Mary gave Soren a bath and laid him down to sleep.
She then headed downstairs and started tidying the kitchen and living room
As Mary wiped down the kitchen counter, her thoughts wandered. The house was quiet now, with Soren and her mom asleep. For the first time in what felt like days, she had a moment to herself.
She stacked the dishes neatly in the dishwasher and moved to the living room, picking up stray toys and folding the blanket draped over the couch. Her gaze lingered on a framed photo of her and David on their wedding day. She sighed, brushing a finger over the glass.
The sound of the front door opening broke her reverie. She turned to see David walking in, his tie loosened and his shoulders sagging with exhaustion.
"You're back," she said softly, straightening up.
David nodded, setting his briefcase down by the door. "Yeah. Sorry, it got late." He glanced at her, noticing the weariness in her eyes. He walked over to her and hugged her back.
"I'm sorry I talked to you that way earlier, please forgive me."
Mary stiffened in his embrace, her arms remaining at her sides. "David," she said, her voice flat, "don't think an apology erases everything."
He pulled back slightly, searching her face for any sign of warmth, but her expression was unreadable. "I know I messed up, Mary. I wasn't thinking clearly—"
She cut him off, her tone sharp. "You weren't thinking at all. You brushed off my concerns like they didn't matter. And now you want me to forgive you just because you said 'sorry'? It's not that simple."
David sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't want us to keep fighting. I'll do whatever it takes to fix this."
Mary scoffed, stepping away from him and crossing her arms. "You say that, but do you even understand what you're trying to fix? This isn't just about some pictures, David. It's about trust, about you keeping things from me. I can't keep pretending everything's fine when it's not."
He took a step closer, his voice pleading. "I never meant to hurt you, Mary. I just thought I was protecting you."
She turned her back to him, picking up a stray toy from the couch. "Protecting me? Or just avoiding having to explain yourself? Either way, it doesn't matter. I'm tired, David. Tired of feeling like I'm the only one holding this family together."
David stood there, his hands falling to his sides. "Mary, I—"
"Enough," she interrupted, turning to face him with a hard stare. "We can talk tomorrow. Right now, I need space."
Without waiting for a response, she walked past him, heading upstairs and leaving David alone in the silence of the living room.
———————
The next morning Mary woke up earlier than usual to prepare breakfast, when David woke up and didn't find her on her side of the bed he was confused.
David rubbed his eyes, glancing at the empty space beside him. He reached out, touching the cold sheets. Mary had been up for a while. He sighed heavily and got out of bed, heading downstairs.
The smell of fresh coffee and sizzling eggs greeted him as he entered the kitchen. Mary was at the stove, her back to him, while her mother sat at the table with Soren in her lap, cooing at him.
"Good morning," he said cautiously, his voice soft.
Mary glanced over her shoulder but didn't respond. Her mother, however, offered a warm smile. "Good morning, David. How was your night?"
David nodded, his gaze fixed on Mary.
"It was great, thank you for asking."
Mary remained silent, plating the eggs and setting them on the table. She poured herself a cup of coffee and took a seat across from her mother, deliberately avoiding David's gaze.
He cleared his throat, sitting down as well. "When did you get here mom?" He asked addressing Mary's mom.
"Last night, Mary said you were out." She replied though her eyes flicked between him and Mary. The tension in the room was palpable, and she could sense something was wrong.
"Yeah I was taking care of some business, sorry for not being here to welcome you probably." He replied.
"It's fine sweetheart." She smiled.
The rest of the morning went by with Mary keeping her interactions with David minimal. She focused on helping her mother settle in and tending to Soren, who babbled happily in his high chair. David watched her carefully, noting the way she avoided looking at him directly.
Mary's mother tried to lighten the mood, chatting about her plans to spend quality time with her grandson and help around the house. "I can't wait to take Soren to the park later. He's growing so fast! He'll be running around in no time," she said with a laugh.
Mary smiled softly, brushing a crumb off Soren's cheek. "He loves being outside. It'll be good for him."
"I'll be heading out now." David said coming down the stairs ready for work, "have a grate day at work." Mary's mom said.
David stood their looking at Mary but she didn't know even bat an eye at him, with a sigh David smiled at her mother and headed out.
As the door closed behind David, Mary's mother glanced at her daughter with a raised eyebrow. "You didn't even say goodbye. What's going on between you two?"
Mary hesitated, her hands busy cleaning Soren's high chair. "It's nothing, Mom. Just… work stress for him, and I've been tired with everything going on here."
Her mother wasn't convinced. "Mary, I know you. Something's bothering you. You don't have to tell me if you're not ready, but don't bottle it up. It's not good for you or Soren."
Mary paused, her shoulders sagging slightly. She looked over at her mom, who was now holding Soren and bouncing him gently. "It's complicated, Mom. Things haven't been great between us lately."
Her mother's expression softened. "Marriage isn't always easy, sweetheart. But whatever it is, remember you're not alone. I'm here, and I'm sure David wants to work through it too."
Mary forced a small smile, appreciating her mother's support but unsure how to respond. "Thanks, Mom. I'll figure it out."
Her mother nodded, sensing that Mary didn't want to talk further. "Alright, let's focus on this little one for now," she said, nuzzling Soren and making him giggle.
Mary smiled genuinely at the sound of her son's laughter. For now, that was enough to get her through the day.
TBC