“How was your day?” I asked Justin excitedly as I lay on the bed resting my head on his chest as usual.
“I'm going to eat at the restaurant today: the salmon there is delicious.” We always shared details of our day before going to bed. But this time I did not understand what he was talking about because Justin didn't even eat all this. I raised my head from his chest and turned to look at his face with my face squeezed.
“When did you start eating these things?” I found it really odd because Justin disliked raw food since our college days.
He looked quite surprised when he heard the question I asked. My suspicions ran wild when I saw the look on his face.
“I met a partner who introduced me to it.” The issue of eating raw foods wasn't that serious but I noticed that he had been adopting some new habits which were totally unlike him, he had changed his perfume. He was now eating raw foods and he didn't even get intimate with me anymore.
I was beginning to feel distant from him which was a feeling I hated. I didn't know, maybe I was just being too sensitive or my suspicions were actually true because so many things were happening at the same time and it was creating a divide between us.
I rested my head back on his chest and rubbed it softly. “You know I've been thinking. It's better I return to the gallery. I have rested enough being a housewife.” Justin sat up as soon as he heard what I said.
“Why are you thinking of returning to the gallery? The gallery is doing well without your presence, just keep doing your thing here in the house as my wife.” I felt disrespected when I heard what Justin said to me about remaining in the house as his housewife.
Ever since we got married I had done everything to please him. I sacrificed my position in the gallery just to make him happy and here he is still insisting that I remain an ordinary housewife?
“Is there something going on in the gallery that you are hiding from me?” All of a sudden my suspicions were getting the best of me and I was getting uncontrollable.
“Kayla, please stop. I had a long day at work so I do not want to start this with you tonight.”
“Are you trying to call me a nagging wife? Justin, all I want is to return to the gallery. Why are you making it a big deal?”
“Kayla, you can't just walk into the gallery anytime you want; this is a business, not your playground.” Silence fell in between both of us as I was too hurt to say anything at the moment.
Justin looked at my face for a little while and held my hand lovingly, “I know that both of us did everything to make that company what it is today but that doesn't give us the right to walk into the company anytime we choose. When the time comes I will find a position in the gallery that fits you,” Justin said and pecked me before going to bed.
I was emotionally drained, seated on the bed all by myself with a husband that didn't even care about how I felt anymore. Justin wasn't always like this which was why I had this feeling that he was cheating on me and my intuition was never wrong.
His phone was right beside me and I was tempted to go pick it up but I stopped myself because going through his phone would only mean doing extra. “Justin would never cheat on me.” I tried convincing myself before going to bed.
********
“Justin,” I said a little on top of my voice the moment I woke up from a horrible nightmare. I stretched my hand and noticed that Justin was no longer on the bed.
When I was about to start panicking I heard a sound coming from the bathroom which meant Justin was having his morning bath. I was about to go to bed when his phone lit up on the bed displaying a WhatsApp message.
I was so tempted to check who the message was from but I didn't want to go the extra mile just because I suspected he was cheating on me, at the same time as his wife I was so curious to know what was going on in his life right now so I picked up the phone immediately to see who the message was from.
“How was the salmon tonight? Did it change your stubborn taste?”
“Yes, you always bring me new experiences.” My heart dropped the moment I read his response.
“This is just the beginning.”
“Couldn't be more excited.” I looked at the bathroom door still in disbelief that Justin was truly having an affair. I clicked on the lady's profile and realized her name was Ella but her picture wasn't on display.
There were dozens of messages exchanged, often daily.
I dropped the phone back on the bed with a heavy heart, while pretending to be asleep so that he didn't suspect I read his messages. My heart ached so much that I couldn't sleep all night thinking about the messages that I read on his phone.
******
The next morning.
Justin was ready to leave for work while I was still lying on the bed acting unwell so I didn't cook anything for breakfast. Justin, always caring, offered to take me to the hospital if need be, but I was too upset to do anything that he wanted.
“Are you sure you'll be fine all by yourself?”
“Stop acting like you care, Justin.” I didn't mean to speak to him that way but my emotions at this moment were totally uncontrollable.
“Make sure you call me if it gets worse than this.” I couldn't respond to what he said because he was making me feel stupid thinking he actually cared while he was cheating on me.
“Watch your back Justin,” I said to him angrily before he walked out of the room. I was sure that word would keep lingering in his head which was why I said it.
The moment Justin stepped out of the room I sat up on the bed and tears rolled down my cheeks.
My phone beeped and I picked it up immediately to see who the messages were from.
“I'm sure you feel irritated because it's that time of the month so I'm not upset.” I covered my mouth with my hand and started crying uncontrollably, how is this perfect man cheating on me?