The house was quiet when Maya asked Daniel to join her in the study. She had been holding back her emotions all day, but now it was too much.
Daniel followed her in, not suspecting anything. He closed the door behind them and sat across from her.
Maya took a deep breath and looked straight into his eyes. "I need to talk to you about what happened today."
Daniel frowned slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I went to the jewelry store," Maya said slowly. "I saw Lena there… with Jamie."
Daniel's expression froze.
Maya continued, her voice trembling a little. "The staff there called her your wife. And Jamie… he called her Mommy."
Daniel blinked. "You saw them?"
"Yes," Maya said, her voice shaking now. "And Jamie looked so happy with her. Like she's the only mother he knows."
Daniel leaned back in his chair, rubbing his forehead. "Maya, I didn't mean to hide anything. I had a meeting. I asked Lena to pick Jamie up from school because I couldn't go. That's all."
"That's not all," Maya snapped. "Jamie looked so comfortable with her. Like they've been going out like that for a long time. Why didn't you tell me?"
"She's been helping a lot," Daniel said quietly. "Jamie likes her. I didn't think it was something I had to report every time."
Maya's heart ached. "You don't have to 'report' to me. But I'm his mother, Daniel. You should have told me."
"I'm sorry," Daniel said, reaching for her hand.
But just then, his phone buzzed on the table.
The screen lit up with a message notification from a group chat.
Group Name: Happy Family
Message: Lena sent a photo
Maya stared at the phone, stunned.
"What's that?" she asked.
Daniel reached for the phone quickly, but she was faster. She snatched it and opened the chat.
Her breath caught in her throat as she scrolled through it.
Photos. So many photos.
Lena, Daniel, and Jamie at the zoo.
At the amusement park.
At a café, laughing and holding milkshakes.
Videos too.
One showed Lena kissing Jamie on the forehead as he giggled.
Another had Daniel lifting Jamie into the air while Lena clapped and cheered.
Each post had happy captions.
"Family day!"
"Jamie's silly dance!"
"My two favorite people!"
Maya's hands began to shake. "What is this? Why am I not part of this 'Happy Family'?"
Daniel looked away, guilt in his eyes. "Jamie made the group. He said he wanted a space to share happy memories. I didn't think it would hurt you."
"It does hurt," Maya whispered. "You've built a whole world behind my back. With Lena. With my son."
"Maya, I'm sorry," Daniel said. "If it bothers you, I'll delete it. Right now."
She watched as he opened the settings and pressed "Leave and Delete Group."
But it didn't make her feel any better. The damage was done.
⸻
Two days later, it was their wedding anniversary.
Maya had been thinking about it for weeks. She prepared a special dinner—his favorite pasta, roasted chicken, and chocolate cake. The dining table was set with candles and fresh roses.
She even put on a deep blue dress—the same one she wore on their third anniversary. She curled her hair and added a little makeup, wanting to look her best. It had been a long time since she'd felt beautiful.
For a while now, Jamie had refused to let her pick him up from school. He always said, "Dad will come. You wear old-fashioned clothes."
It hurt every time, but she stayed silent.
Today, she wanted to surprise him. To remind him that she was still his mom. That she cared.
She arrived early at the school gate and waited.
But when the bell rang and children started pouring out, Jamie didn't come.
Worried, she asked one of the teachers.
"Excuse me, I'm Jamie's mother. Do you know where he is?"
The teacher smiled. "Oh! Jamie's already left. A woman picked him up about fifteen minutes ago."
Maya's smile faded. "What woman?"
"I'm not sure. She said she was sent by the father. She had short brown hair and wore a red scarf."
Maya's heart dropped. That was Lena.
She quickly pulled out her phone and called Daniel.
He picked up after a few rings. "Hey, Maya."
"Where's Jamie?"
There was a long pause. "Lena picked him up. I had a meeting I couldn't miss."
"You didn't even tell me," Maya said, her voice rising. "You knew I was planning something today."
"I'm sorry. It was last minute," Daniel replied.
Maya hung up.
⸻
She drove home, her hands tight on the wheel. The whole house was dark when she entered.
No Lena.
No Jamie.
No Daniel.
She sat down on the couch, her chest aching. She had spent the whole day preparing for this moment—and now she was sitting alone.
She looked around and spotted an old photo album sticking out of the bookshelf. She pulled it out, hoping to distract herself.
Inside were photos from years ago—her wedding day, Jamie's first birthday, family trips. Her eyes filled with tears.
Then, tucked between the pages, she found a single photo she didn't remember seeing before.
It was of Daniel and Lena.
They were standing close together. Lena had her head on his shoulder. He was smiling at her like she was the only person in the world.
Maya turned the photo over. On the back, written in Daniel's handwriting, were two words:
"My Love."
Her breath caught.
She stared at those words for a long time.
Tears fell onto the photo, smudging the ink.
Could this be the reason he always trusted Lena? Why he let her get so close to Jamie? Why he never once defended Maya, but always had something kind to say about Lena?
Had this "friendship" been more than friendship from the start?
Maya sat in silence, broken.
Outside, the wind rustled the trees. Inside, the candles on the dinner table flickered and slowly burned out—unnoticed.
The beautiful meal was left untouched.
And Maya, with the photo still in her hand, realized something she didn't want to believe.
Maybe she had been alone for a long, long time.