Three

Blake's reaction was immediate and protective. He reached up and seized hold of my wrist, halting my movement with surprising strength.

“Have you lost your mind! Treasure, I told you to go home. I will talk to you later.” He said firmly, his lips bawled up.

“Let me go!” I snatched my wrist from his grip. I knew I was upset as my eyes began to water. I had to restrain myself. I almost forgot that physically, I’m in no condition to be in an altercation and win.

So, with a final glance of disappointment at Blake, I turned and walked toward the exit. The valet signaled me to a taxi.

Upon arriving home, I was engulfed by a sense of feeling overwhelmed. The burdens of the world seemed to weigh even heavier today. I trudged through the doorway, feeling my heart sink deeper with every step I took. As I rounded the corner, I accidentally collided with Jake, my brother-in-law. His friendly smile sharply contrasted with the chaos within me.

“Hey, Treasure! Wow! Look at you! I almost didn't recognize you. You look wonderful tonight, no, beautiful,” he remarked, studying me with pure admiration. Although I appreciated his compliment, I felt anything but beautiful. Before I could reply, he inquired about the reason for my new look. Tears welled in my eyes, and I could no longer contain myself. In front of Jake, I broke down in tears, allowing my pain to flow freely.

Jake's expression shifted instantly. Concern etched into his features, he stepped closer, with our faces only inches apart. I pulled my watery eyes away from him to stare at the floor. He hadn’t meant to make eye contact at that moment, but I could tell he couldn’t help himself as he stared into my face, with wet tear drops hanging from my lashes.

Moved with pity, he wrapped me in his embrace to comfort me. He could see the pain in my eyes that I could not hide, and he wanted to help. Speaking softly, he said, "Please, Treasure, tell me what happened to make you feel this way?" I shook my head, trying to rein in my runaway emotions and tears. "Not now, Jake. I can't talk about it right now."

But I barely had a moment to appreciate his kindness before the reality of who he was had hit me like a slap. I wasn’t just hurting; I was vulnerable in front of Blake's brother. Panic set in, and I needed to escape the situation. "I just need a minute," I stammered, making an excuse to move toward my bedroom. "I'm tired. Good night, Jake." I could feel his worried eyes on me as I left, but I had to get away

Once in my room, I thought to myself, "Why did I have to break down in front of Jake of all people? Oh my, why did he hug me that way?" I knew we had a warm relationship, so it was no surprise that he was concerned to see me like this. I felt I had no right to pull him into my sorrow, but I was too far gone. I had been so careful not to let my guard down all these years and to keep our marital problems private, but now I was falling apart. From our previous conversations, I knew Jake saw the fine cracks in our marriage and was upset with his brother for how he treated me, and now I had only added to his anger. I should have done a better job at holding myself together.

That's when I heard a soft knock on my door. When I looked around, I noticed the door was slightly ajar. I was caught in a vulnerable moment as I hastily searched for my robe. I hadn’t anticipated him following me to my bedroom, but I saw him standing there as soon as I looked over. I was momentarily stunned, feeling a rush of embarrassment, but I couldn’t ignore how my body responded to the curiosity in his gaze.

I quickly wrapped myself in a robe, clearing my throat to mask the chaos within me. Jake's concern filled the space between us when I opened the door. "Are you okay?" he asked softly, a flicker of worry still evident in his eyes. I forced a smile, but it felt like I was lying to both him and myself.

"Yeah, I'm fine, really. Don't worry about me." His gaze lingered, and he knew I was hiding the truth. But at that moment, I wanted to convince myself that I could be fine, even when I clearly wasn’t.

That night I sat in my dark bedroom pacing back and forth feeling a heavy sense of tension while waiting for Blake to come home. For months, I had sensed something different about him. And what happened tonight, I know Claire was behind it. She clearly wanted me to find out about their relationship. After all, why would she throw a celebration at the same restaurant where I was supposed to meet Blake? The pain and disappointment were almost too much to handle; my worst fears seemed to be coming true. Despite my efforts to nurture our love, it felt like it was slipping away from me. As I wrapped my arms around my stomach, I wasn’t feeling well. I realized that this sense of comfort felt out of reach, especially after witnessing what felt like a betrayal.

I stumbled over to the chair next to our bed taking a seat, is this truly what our marriage has become? I’ve given up so much for him: my career, my dreams, my precious time. Does Blake genuinely believe I’m too naïve to uncover the truth? And the connection he shares with her is clear. How long has this been going on, and how far have they taken it? Had it gone far beyond kissing? What I was imagining was making me feel dizzy.

Blake finally walked into the bedroom. He looked surprised when he opened the door and saw me sitting there.

“Why are you sitting in the dark?” he said, clicking on the bright lights.

“You’ve made it impossible for me to sleep in peace anymore. How could you disregard, and humiliate me this way in front of her?”

“I didn’t disregard you; I told you we would talk about it at home.”

“Blake! You put a work celebration before meeting your wife for dinner!”

“To be honest I forgot about our date. Look, it's no big deal.”

I yelled at him, "No big deal! Do you see what is going on? Claire is trying to ruin our marriage!”

Blake burst into laughter. “Now I know you must be joking. What does she have to do with this marriage?”

“Did you tell her you were meeting me for dinner tonight?”

“Yeah, maybe, I don’t know. What’s that got to do with anything?”

“I’m going out of my mind, trying to figure out what’s going on here! Please Blake, put my mind at ease and tell me the truth. Are you sleeping with your assistant Claire?