She called the sitter again.
“Hey, Lillian. Are you free this afternoon? I know its last minute, but I just need to run a quick errand. Nothing too long.”
Lillian was sweet, always eager for extra hours. “Of course! I can be there in twenty.”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
By the time she hung up, Kylee was already halfway to her closet. She didn’t dress up just a sweater, jeans, and boots. Simple makeup. A spritz of perfume. She didn’t want to look suspicious. She didn't want to raise questions.
She just needed to see. To know that she was overthinking. That everything was fine. To know she could come home, laugh at herself, and let the unease finally fade. The knot in her stomach told her the truth. She just didn’t want to believe it yet.
The sky was pale and overcast, the kind of muted gray that pressed against the windshield like fog. Kylee drove in silence, the radio low, and her fingers tapping the steering wheel in a nervous rhythm.
She didn’t know what she was expecting or what she was even looking for. But stopping by the clinic with no warning felt suspicious. She didn’t want to be that wife. The one who didn’t have trust.
Still, her gut kept twisting. You’re being dramatic,she told herself for the fifth time. He’s working. That’s all.
As she passed the small café on Pine and River, she turned in without thinking. If she showed up with coffee, it wouldn’t look strange. It would look sweet and thoughtful. Like she just wanted to say hello. Like any wife would.
The warm scent of espresso and vanilla filled the tiny shop. She ordered his usual dark roast, extra oat milk, 7 raw sugars and a tea for herself.
By the time she stepped back into the cold air, cups in hand, her heart was hammering.
She hoped he’d be surprised. She hoped he’d be happy. Mostly, she hoped this would calm whatever fear was screaming just beneath her skin.
The clinic was just ten minutes away now. A straight shot down the road. Kylee had never felt less sure of where she was going.
She sat in the parking lot for a moment, the two coffees warming her hands, her eyes fixed on the door. Her heart beat faster than she wanted to admit.
You’re just dropping something off, she told herself again. You’re his wife. This is normal. And it should’ve been. But something didn’t feel normal.
She glanced at herself in the rearview mirror, hair freshly done, a bit of gloss on her lips, cheeks still holding a soft flush. She looked good. She wanted to believe that would matter.
Taking a deep breath, Kylee stepped out of the car, clutching the drink tray carefully. The air was brisk, her boots tapping softly as she made her way to the side entrance. She had the door code of course she did and punched it in without hesitation.
The hallway smelled faintly of antiseptic. The walls were calm, painted a muted gray with framed before-and-after photos lining the corridor. Everything was quiet. Too quiet for early afternoon.
The reception desk was empty.
No Rachel.
No patients in the waiting room.
She heard voices that weren't professional.
One of them was Jake’s.
The other…..
She didn’t want to name it yet.
The coffee cups trembled slightly in her hand.
She took a step closer. And then another.
Down the hall. Past the supply closet. Around the corner toward his private office the door was cracked open.
Kylee reached out with her free hand, fingers brushing the wood grain.
