I Illustrated My Husband’s Affair For His Mistress

It was just a fleeting moment before he returned to his usual demeanor, as if everything I had seen was merely a figment of my imagination. The atmosphere in the room felt heavy, almost suffocating, and I found it hard to breathe. I turned and headed for the door.

Outside, a light drizzle was falling, and a chilly breeze cut through the damp air, amplifying the coldness I felt in my heart. I shivered involuntarily. Elijah quickly caught up with me, jogging to close the distance, and placed a jacket over my shoulders.

In that blurred moment, I remembered the first time we met. It was another rainy day. He had held an umbrella over me in front of the library. Back then, my mother was gravely ill, and I was constantly moving between school, the hospital, and my part-time job. The hospital bills and tuition pressed down on me like a ton of bricks. That rainy day without an umbrella was the last straw that broke my resolve. Elijah had pulled me back from the brink of despair, making me feel like the universe hadn’t abandoned me after all. Someone was there to stand by me and lend a helping hand.

But now, the very person who once lifted me up had pushed me back to the edge.

"Raelyn, are you upset because I got home late?" Elijah asked, eyes filled with sincerity so reminiscent of the past. But I could no longer meet his gaze. Truths and lies blurred together, and suddenly I couldn't tell them apart. Eight years of being together, and it struck me how little I truly understood the man before me.

Elijah continued to apologize, "I’m sorry, Raelyn, it’s my fault. If you don’t want to eat there, I can get us something else."

As we talked, we reached the entrance of a diner. I gave a quick glance inside, and Elijah immediately understood what I wanted. He ushered me in, expertly ordering all my favorite dishes from the owner.

I listened quietly as he ordered, noting his attention to detail. He even reminded the owner, "Go easy on the sauce, please. We prefer lighter flavors." Then, he turned to me with a smile, "Hey, Raelyn, why don’t you go sit down for a bit? I’ll wait here."

Elijah picked up his phone, responding to messages with a slight smile. His usual reserved and distant demeanor had transformed into that of a young man experiencing first love, unable to hide his joy from receiving a message from someone special.

I suddenly realized that I hadn’t been attuned to Elijah’s emotions for a long time. Or perhaps I had stopped observing him altogether. Maybe I had subconsciously assumed that his love for me was unchanging, that he would always be by my side and treat me well. That blind trust had led me to never question him, causing me to miss the warning signs of his changing behavior.

As the skewers turned on the grill, the fat sizzled and dripped onto the charcoal below. Torn inside, I came to a decision. I couldn’t accept any betrayal.

I needed a divorce.

I opened my mouth to speak, but before I could get a word out, Elijah's phone suddenly rang.