The evening had started like so many others in Mark’s life—quiet, predictable, and almost painfully ordinary. He came home from work, loosened his tie, dropped his briefcase by the door, and kissed his wife, Linda, lightly on the cheek as she stood in the kitchen stirring a pot of soup. On the surface, everything looked normal. The house was clean, the television murmured softly in the living room, and the smell of dinner filled the air. But beneath that calm exterior, Mark’s mind had been racing for weeks. Small things had begun to bother him. Linda had been texting more often, smiling at her phone and quickly locking the screen when he walked by. She had started staying late at work more frequently. Sometimes she seemed distracted, distant, as if part of her attention was somewhere else entirely. At first, he told himself he was being paranoid. After all, they had been married for fifteen years. They had weathered job losses, financial struggles, and family drama together. Why would she betray him now? Still, doubt has a way of growing when it is fed by silence. One night, unable to hold it in any longer, Mark finally confronted her. His voice trembled as he asked, “Linda… are you seeing someone else?” She didn’t hesitate.