Regulars here for weeks now.

Always cozying up like that, it’s kinda sweet, isn’t it?” The waitress smiled knowingly. I felt like the ground had opened beneath me. My best friend squeezed my arm gently, her eyes telling me to hold back. But the rage and hurt were overwhelming. The waitress continued, oblivious to my turmoil. “They come in almost every evening. He always orders her favorite wine, and they chat for hours.” My mind raced. Weeks of late nights at work, the phone calls he took outside, the distance between us—it all suddenly made sense. My husband wasn’t just working late; he was spending his evenings with another woman. “Ma’am, are you alright?” The waitress’s concerned voice brought me back to the present. I nodded weakly, my throat constricted with emotion. My friend leaned in, her voice low but firm. “Let’s go, darling. We don’t need to see any more of this.” As we left the restaurant, my mind was a whirlwind of disbelief and betrayal. How could he do this to me? We had been married for ten years, through thick and thin, and now this. In the car, my friend broke the silence. “Listen, I know you’re hurting, but trust me, making a scene in there wouldn’t have helped. It would have only embarrassed you.” Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to process everything. “What do I do now?” My friend’s voice was steady. “First, you confront him. You deserve to hear the truth from him directly. Then, you decide what’s best for you.” When we reached home, I found the courage to confront my husband. He was startled to see me, his face a mix of guilt and surprise. I demanded answers, and slowly, painfully, he admitted to the affair. He claimed it was a mistake, a moment of weakness. But the damage was done. I couldn’t look at him the same way anymore. The betrayal cut deep, leaving wounds that would take time to heal. In the following weeks, I leaned on my friend for support. She helped me navigate the painful process of separation and divorce, urging me to prioritize my own well-being and that of our children. Life moved forward, albeit slowly. I found strength in my friendships and in rediscovering myself outside of the marriage. It wasn’t easy, but with each passing day, the pain lessened, replaced by a sense of resilience and determination. As for my husband and the other woman, their relationship fizzled out soon after I confronted him. I never saw her again, but the memory of that night in the restaurant lingered—a painful reminder of betrayal and the strength it took to rebuild my life from the ground up.