Chapter 3 – Shadows of the Past

Sophia could not forget those three words on the screen — you still make me laugh. They kept echoing in her head. The next morning, Henry acted normal, drinking coffee, checking his phone, and leaving for work. But for Sophia, nothing was normal anymore. She had crossed the line between trust and doubt. She now needed answers.

She tried to stay calm. She didn’t want to shout or cry. She wanted to understand what was really happening. That day, she decided to go to Henry’s office without telling him. She thought maybe she could meet him for lunch and see the truth in his eyes. But when she called his office, the receptionist said, “He left early for a client meeting.” Her heart sank. He had told her the same thing before — meetings that never ended.

Sophia sat in her car for a while and whispered, “If he’s not at work, where is he?” Her hands shook as she drove toward the side of the city where his company often held events. She didn’t plan anything; her heart just guided her. At a small café near the main street, she saw him. Henry was sitting with a woman. The woman’s back faced her, but Sophia could see Henry’s smile — a smile she hadn’t seen in months. The woman touched his hand while talking. Sophia froze.

She didn’t go inside. She couldn’t. She just sat in the car and watched from a distance. After a few minutes, Henry stood up and helped the woman with her coat. When she turned, Sophia’s world stopped. She recognized her. It was Emily — Henry’s college friend from old photos. The same woman who used to call sometimes before their marriage, but had disappeared years ago.

Sophia drove away quickly, her eyes full of tears. At home, she sat on the floor, hugging her knees. Her voice broke as she whispered, “Why, Henry? After all these years?” Her mind began connecting everything — the new perfume, the locked phone, the name A.M. It all made sense now. A.M. was Amily — Emily.

The next few days felt like a blur. She watched him closely without showing it. Every night, he said he was busy. Every morning, he smiled at his phone before leaving. She checked his tablet again when he was asleep. There were deleted messages, but one was left — “You looked perfect today. Same smile I fell for in college.” Sophia covered her mouth as tears fell. The pain was not just betrayal; it was the feeling of becoming invisible to someone she had given everything to.

She remembered their college stories. Henry had once told her that Emily was his first crush, but he said it was over long before he met Sophia. She had believed him. She never asked again because she trusted him completely. Now that same woman was back in his life, stealing the same love Sophia had built for years.

One night, Henry came home late again. Sophia sat quietly, pretending to read a book. He said, “I had to help a colleague with her car.” She replied softly, “Oh, that’s kind of you.” Her tone was calm, but her heart was breaking inside. When he went to shower, she looked at his shirt. The same perfume smell — the same rosewood scent. She pressed the shirt to her face and whispered, “This is how betrayal smells.”

Days passed, and Sophia decided she could no longer live in half-truths. She wanted to be sure. One Friday evening, Henry said he would be working late again. After he left, she followed him. Her heart beat fast as she drove behind his car. He stopped near the same café. Emily was already there. They sat close, talking like lovers. He gave her a small box. Emily opened it and smiled brightly. It looked like a gift.

Sophia felt her throat tighten. She wanted to scream but couldn’t. She just sat silently in her car and cried until her hands stopped trembling. When she returned home, she looked at their wedding photo on the wall. She whispered, “I gave you my best years, and this is what I got back.”

That night, she couldn’t close her eyes. The next morning, she decided to confirm everything once and for all. She called one of Henry’s old college friends, Daniel, pretending to ask about a reunion. During the talk, Daniel mentioned something that froze her blood. He said, “Oh, Henry and Emily met again at the reunion a few months ago. Everyone joked they still looked like the perfect pair.”

Sophia hung up the call quietly. She now knew where it had all started. A reunion had reopened a chapter that should have stayed closed. She sat by the window, holding her heart like it was breaking into pieces. Her mind whispered, He met her again, and he forgot me.

When Henry came home that night, she smiled as if nothing was wrong. He said, “You look tired.” She replied softly, “Yes, just didn’t sleep well.” He walked away without noticing the pain behind her eyes. She thought, He can’t see my pain anymore because he doesn’t look at me the way he once did.

Sophia had found the truth, but she said nothing. She didn’t want to lose her dignity by begging for honesty. She decided to watch how far he would go, how long he would lie. She wanted him to realize on his own what he was destroying. Her silence became her shield.

That night, she sat on the edge of the bed and whispered, “I know everything, Henry. But I’ll wait until you confess.” The words stayed in her heart, unspoken but strong. She turned off the light and lay beside him, pretending to sleep. Her tears were quiet, but her heart screamed.