The next morning, as early as 7:00 am, Jack was already up and ready to go home.
He walked up carefully to Stella and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.
He left some bundles of money on the table, and a necklace box he purchased to gift her and a note that read, "I should be home by the time you are awake. I hope you enjoyed your time with me. I love you."
Jack rushed into his car and glanced at his phone. "Fuck, I didn't even notice all these calls and text messages from my wife. I didn't put my phone on silent or vibrate. This should be Stella's doing."
The feeling of guilt swept across his face, and his expression darkened. He knew he had to face her and the consequences of his actions.
As he made his way back home, Jack's mind raced with different excuses to justify his actions.
He had been caught up in the moment with Stella, swept with passion, desires, and lust, and had totally forgotten about his wife. Now, reality was crashing down around him.
When Jack finally arrived home, Elizabeth was waiting for him. Her expression showed anger and frustration.
"Where have you been, Jack?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion.
Jack hesitated for a moment, trying to come up with a suitable excuse.
"Where have you been, Jack?" she asked again, more insistent this time.
"I... I was working late at the office," he lied, his voice cracking slightly. "I must have fallen asleep at my desk and only just woke up this morning but I already pre-informed you that I might be home late, you should get some sleep"
Elizabeth looked at him strangely, her intuition telling her something wasn't right. "Working late again, huh? But I called your office and no one answered. If you were actually in your office as you said, why didn't you pick up my calls or at least your mobile phone?"
"I just said I slept off. Why are you still questioning me, huh?" he snapped.
"And what about the new perfume you're wearing? This isn't yours."
Jack's heart raced as he struggled to come up with another excuse. "Oh, that? It's... It's a new scent I bought for the office yesterday. Thought it would be nice to try something different. It really changed my mood entirely."
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, her suspicion growing with each passing moment. Before she could question him further, Jack excused himself and headed into the bathroom, leaving her to ponder their conversation.
Elizabeth sat on the couch, lost in thought. "I know Jack is hiding something from me, but what could it be?" When she noticed his phone lying on the table, screen faced down, a sense of unease washed over her.
"Something is off about Jack, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I have to check to clear my head about this trust issue. Whatever the result, let it be."
With trembling hands, Elizabeth picked up his phone, removed it from airplane mode, and reduced the volume.
Just as the messages began to flood in, her heart sank at each one, but it was the last message that caught her eye: "I hope you know I love you. I enjoyed every bit of you. Love, yours." It was from an unknown and unsaved number.
Elizabeth froze, her breath caught in her throat as she read the messages, her mind reeling with shock and disbelief. "Did he just lie to me about sleeping at the office? But then, who is this message from? And why is he receiving love messages from someone else? Is he really cheating on me?"
Just then, Elizabeth felt something in Jack's pocket and reached inside to find a small slip of paper. It was a proof of purchase for a necklace, dated two days ago. Her heart pounded in her chest as she realized that Jack had never given her a necklace. So where had this one come from?
As Jack came out of the bathroom, Elizabeth's face had turned sour and pale, filled with pain and curiosity. She knew she couldn't confront him directly, not without more evidence. She couldn't ignore the truth anymore and die in silence. His infidelity was choking her to the brim, and she couldn't contain it anymore.
"Probably, he still has the necklace and would surprise me later. Let me wait," she muttered.
With a heavy heart, she grabbed her jacket and headed for the door. Ignoring Jack's bewildered attitude and protests to stop her, she left without saying a word. She needed time and space to clear her head and figure out what to do next.
"Elizabeth, where are you going?" he asked.
"Like you care?" she replied and stormed out of the house.
Meanwhile, Jack stood and watched helplessly as Elizabeth stormed out of the house. He knew something was off and decided to check around. Unfortunately, he saw that a text message had earlier been received on his phone and was marked read, and a slip of the purchase he made earlier was on the table as well.
"Fu...fuck!" he exclaimed.
He tried calling his wife, but to no avail; she wouldn't pick up. His stomach churned with guilt and regrets. He knew he had messed up. He had betrayed Elizabeth's trust in the worst possible way, and as much as he wanted to make things right, the deed was already done and couldn't be undone.
Elizabeth had vowed to uncover the truth and find out who was texting him all this while. She decided to feign ignorance about the whole drama and still move on. He drove to the nearest florist to buy roses. He noticed the bouquet of red roses, knowing it was Elizabeth's favorite. He hoped it would help soften her mood and heart towards him. He paid for the flowers and made his way back home.
A few minutes after he returned, Elizabeth came back. He walked up to her, asking for forgiveness. "It was the work of the devil," he said, his voice shaky with emotion. "I'm sorry I did something that hurt you. I regret it, and I know that you can't forgive me right away. It was a mistake, and I promise it will never happen again."
"It's fine, Jack," she answered and picked up the roses he got. "Thank you for the roses."
"Thank you too. I love you, Elizabeth. Allow me to make things right, please." His tears glistened in the dim light.
Unfortunately, he never meant a word he said. All he said wasn't from his heart; they were all camouflaged. As she gazed at the bouquet of roses, she knew quite well who she was married to and knew that things could never be the way they were with him at first.
"He is a sly!" she murmured under her breath.