Chapter 0005: Weight of Unspoken Truths

An uneasy feeling washed over me, heavy as a storm cloud pressing against my chest. I hesitated, every nerve screaming that I shouldn’t but temptation won. Slowly, I picked up his phone. The screen lit up instantly. No lock screen. No passwords. Wide open.

My pulse quickened. What man in this century leaves his phone unguarded unless he has something to prove or something to hide?

Then the soft creak of the door behind me. My breath snagged. I panicked, dropping the phone back on the nightstand with a small thud.

He walked in, peeling his shirt from his body, acting as if nothing was wrong. “Thank you for the dinner,” he said, his voice cutting through the silence like glass.

“You’re welcome,” I replied, forcing a smile that trembled on my lips. But the moment I turned from him, the smile dissolved, leaving only the raw truth etched across my face.

“I will go and wash first,” he said, heading for the bathroom.

“Okay,” I murmured, eyes following him until the door closed behind his retreating figure.

The air in the room shifted. I glanced at the bathroom door, listening for the sound of running water, making sure I was alone. My hands shook as I reached for his phone again. Swipe. Unlock. Wide open.

My heart drummed like a warning bell. I started with the call logs, nothing unusual. Messages—ordinary. Too ordinary. My instincts screamed louder. Fifteen seconds passed as my mind raced for the next step. Then it struck me. The gallery.

I tapped, bracing myself. Family pictures filled the screen- William, him, me. Carefully curated memories. I almost believed them… until the sharp ping of a new notification froze me in place.

A message.

My chest tightened as I opened it. “We hope to see you again on another beautiful night.”

The words mocked me. Short, casual, intimate. And I knew I had never gone out with him that night.

My stomach dropped. My head spun with questions. How long? With whom? The betrayal sliced deeper than I had braced for. Tears blurred the screen. I put the phone down slowly, almost reverently, as if it were poison.

I sat at the edge of the bed, numb. The evidence was there. Subtle, but undeniable. My suspicions had grown teeth.

***

“And you went through his clothes and cell phone? Just because of that hair?” Amara’s incredulous voice jolted me back. We sat across from each other inside the break room.

“Why did he hide the fact that he got a new secretary for an entire year?” I placed my coffee down harder than I meant to. My voice quivered but stayed steady enough to hold her eyes. “Isn’t it weird?”

“I don’t think he meant to hide it. He probably just didn’t tell you. Or maybe he told you, but you just forgot.” She sipped her coffee like it was nothing.

I pressed my hands to my temples, leaning back into the couch. “I’m bothered by the fact that she’s a divorcee.”

Amara sighed, shaking her head. “Not all divorcees have affairs with married men.”

“I heard he always gets off work at 5 p.m.,” I said, leaning forward, my voice hushed but sharp. “But he told me he gets off work at 7 p.m.”

Amara shifted uncomfortably, subtly creating distance between us. Her reaction cut deeper than her words.

“He lied to me, Amara. Those missing hours… what is he doing during them?”

She reached for my knee, her touch light, rehearsed. “Then that means the secretary is innocent. You told me she goes straight to school to pick up her kid.”

I nodded slowly, but the unease wouldn’t let go. “I’m bothered by Mia as well.” My nails scratched lightly at my scalp.

“My goodness.” Amara exhaled, her expression twisting. “I can’t believe you’re even suspicious of Henry’s wife.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Isn’t it strange that he doesn’t lock his phone? It’s like he wants me to find something. Do you think he noticed I’m watching him?”

“Oh, my gosh. What you’re doing right now isn’t normal. You know that, right?”

Her words stung. I leaned back, voice small. “Is that how it seems?”

“Did you get some sleep? I think you’re being oversensitive,” she softened, sipping again.

“I really hope you’re right.”

She stood, concern flashing briefly across her features. “You should get some sleep. Don’t work too hard. I’m seriously worried. But then again, it must be hard living with such a handsome husband. We’re all in our 40s, but Noah is the only one who still looks like he’s in his 30s.”

Her words left a bitter taste in my mouth. As the door closed behind her, I let my coffee slip from my hands, forgotten. My mind swirled. The suspicion no longer gnawed—it devoured.

I dragged myself into my office to face my patient, but I was already somewhere else. My pen scratched across notes, my lips murmured responses, but my eyes… my eyes kept darting to the clock. Each tick was torture, dragging me closer to the truth I both craved and feared.

By 4:30, my heart was hammering. I couldn’t sit still. The patient’s voice blurred until his question broke through sharply.

“Doctor, are you refusing to treat me?”

I blinked, forcing a smile. “No, that's not it. I don’t feel so well today.” I rushed the consultation, my words clipped, handing him a prescription I barely read. The moment he left, I ripped off my white coat, hanging it like a shed skin.

5:00.

I bolted, my bag clutched against me, nearly colliding with the receptionist.

“You’re done for the day, but you need to sign—”

“I’ll do it at home. Tell the director something urgent came up.” My voice cracked with impatience.

Amara appeared, her eyes narrowing. She called after me, but I didn’t hear. My feet carried me straight to the exit.

“Where are you going?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. Her gaze followed me like a warning shadow, but I walked past her, faster, harder.

Outside, the air hit me like a slap. I ran to my car, adrenaline roaring through my veins. The drive was a blur, my mind racing as fast as the wheels beneath me.

I parked under a tree near his office, my hands trembling on the steering wheel. The building loomed like a fortress hiding the truth.

“Mia, I'm sorry. I still have some work left; can you look after William after he's done with his piano lesson?” I spotted him coming out of the building, and I quickly put on my seat belt.

“Yes, feel free to take your time. Don't worry and do what you need to do,” she said plainly.

“Thank you. I'll see you later.” I hung up the call. The line went dead.

But my heart screamed. Tonight, the truth would finally show itself.