“So you’re saying it’s Adrian’s?”
“I can’t say for certain. All I know is that they were sleeping together. That doesn’t mean that there weren’t others. Lucia has always craved attention, and she’d do whatever it takes to get what she wants.”
Hope presses her fingers to her temples, rubbing at the tension, as if the motion might offer some relief from the pain coursing through her.
“How… How could this be?” she murmurs, more to herself than to me.
“I really am sorry.”
“What are you sorry about? You’re not the one who cheated.”
I drop my gaze to my hands clasped on the table, guilt and shame striking me like a punch to the stomach at the mention of my fidelity. Little does she know how far from the truth that claim is—how I was no better than her selfish, lying prick of a husband.
The sound of her phone ringing slices through my thoughts, and I quickly shake it off, determined not to undo the progress I’ve made in therapy these past two months.
I look over at Hope and see her phone in her hand, Adrian’s name lighting up the screen. She winces, staring down at it for a moment before hitting decline, the sound cutting off immediately.
“I have to go,” she says, already standing and reaching for her coat draped over the back of her chair. “Zac’s soccer game will be over soon, and Adrian’s going to be wondering where I am.”
“Yes, of course,” I reply, rising to my feet. “Thank you for agreeing to meet with me today. I know you may think I have nothing to apologise for, but I’ve just delivered some pretty heartbreaking news, and I can’t help but feel guilty for what might happen next.”
“You don’t need to worry about that, Kaden. That’s for me to deal with. And I’m sorry too. I never imagined Adrian could be capable of something like this. I’m still in a state of shock, and I probably will be for a while. I just need to get home and think through everything you’ve shown me, and I guess go from there.”
I give her a small nod, then gather the file in my hands, offering it to her. “You can hold onto this, if you like, just in case he ever tries to deny it all.”
She takes it without hesitation and slips it into her tote bag. “Thank you. It will definitely come in handy.”
“Please drive safely, Hope. Stop if you need to, and if any more questions come up, you can contact me any time.”
She nods, gripping the strap of her bag so tightly, it’s turning her knuckles white. “Thank you, Kaden. You take care now.”
“You too.”
With nothing more to say, Hope turns on her heels and walks away, disappearing completely from sight, perhaps never to cross my path again.
I sink back into my seat, watching the people around me, yet my thoughts stay with her.
I remain seated for another fifteen minutes, partly in case she comes back with more questions, and partly because I can’t stop wondering whether I did the right thing by telling her everything… or if I’ve just shattered the only life she knew.
Chapter 12
Hope
I watch absentmindedly as the kettle hisses to a boil, steam curling from the spout and drifting into the open air. My fingers circle the rim of the cup in front of me while my mind spirals around everything I’ve just learned today about my husband’s infidelity.
My husband—my Adrian. The father of my child. The man who has loved me since we were teenagers, has done the unthinkable, the most unforgivable thing I could ever imagine.
There’s no denying what I saw in that folder, it was clear as a hot summer’s day. Adrian was involved in a full-blown affair with another man’s girlfriend, his teaching assistant of all people. And judging by the photographs and text messages I’ve seen, it’s as though he never felt an ounce of guilt for betraying me, or our family.
To anyone who didn’t know better, they looked like a normal loving, affectionate couple, brazenly out in the open, as if no one mattered, or even noticed, that they were bothentangled with other people.And that last photo, the one taken in the backseat of his car, the same seat our son sits in, even now as they drive home from his soccer practice—I’ll never be able to erase it from my mind. Just thinking about it makes me feel sick to my stomach.
I pour the boiling water into my cup, letting it steep and saturate the tea bag. I chose ginger tea specifically because it’s known for settling nausea. And that’s exactly what I need right now, something to help ease the sickness that welled up the moment I sat down across from Kaden.
I still can’t believe I went through with our arrangement and met him, not knowing if he was a dangerous, psychotic pervert, luring married women by claiming he had dirt on their husbands. Yet when I saw him across the food court, deep in thought, a hint of nervousness in his gaze as he watched the crowd, I realised he was anything but. His face held a mix of curiosity, worry, and something deeper—hurt, sadness, the look of a man who had been through hell and back.
He stood out like a sore thumb. And it wasn’t the tattoos that covered his body or that he looked like one of those firefighters you’d see on a calendar where they’re covered in fake sweat and ash, holding a cute puppy. No, Kaden was a city boy, through and through.
His designer clothes and perfectly styled hair set him apart from any of the men in this small coastal town. He sat with impeccable posture, never slouching, and the way he held your gaze without breaking eye contact showed the confidence and attentiveness of someone a little more refined.
