No More Room for Me in Your Dreams

Through the narrow crack in the closet door, I watched Hailey Miller drape her arms around Barney Hayes's shoulders and laugh.

"I can't believe you're doing this to your wife," she teased. "Whatever happened to your sense of chivalry?"

Barney shrugged. "If I didn't make it convincing, how would she ever believe me?"

Hailey began unbuttoning his shirt. "What if she finds out?"

His answer came without hesitation. "Then we make sure she never has a reason to suspect anything. I'll never give her the chance."

I curled up inside the closet, too stunned to move.

Biting down on my lip, I tried to keep myself from making a sound. For a moment, I'd almost forgotten why I'd come here in the first place.

The anniversary cake rested in my lap, its carefully piped "Happy 6th Anniversary" already smeared beyond recognition. The whipped cream had collapsed, melting over the frosting and onto my palm.

I'd spent the entire day making it for Barney, and now I could barely make out the words through my tears. Still, I didn't open the closet door or rush out to confront them.

Just staying quiet took everything I had.

All I could do was sit in the darkness and listen as their voices mingled with the sounds coming from the bedroom. My stomach twisted, and each laugh and moan drove home the truth I could hardly bear to accept.

I'd never seen Barney so uninhibited in bed. The last time his eyes had been so fiery was three years ago, when he'd stayed by my side through a high fever.

I'd been sick for three days and nights, and he'd refused to close his eyes for even a moment. Worried about how exhausted he looked, I'd begged him to get some rest.

"I'm afraid I'll hurt you if I sleepwalk," he'd said.

I'd believed him without question.

Back then, marrying Barney had felt like the happiest thing that could ever happen to me. Now, reality had slapped me hard enough to wake me from that dream.

Everything had been a lie; he had been betraying me all this time.

Shifting in the cramped space, I reached behind me and felt a row of dresses and evening gowns hanging against the wall. A few pieces of edible lingerie lay scattered among them.

That was when I realized just how thoroughly she'd settled into his life. Behind my back, he had built a second home with another woman.

The irony was almost unbearable.

Just three hours ago, I'd slipped into this closet, excited at the thought of surprising him on our sixth anniversary, having no idea what was waiting for me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, but there was no escaping the sounds from the bedroom. With nowhere to go and nothing left to do, I endured them until exhaustion finally overcame me.

When I woke up, sunlight was streaming through the windows.

The room was empty. I had no idea when they'd left, but the stale smell of sex lingered in the air, along with the disheveled sheets and scattered clothes they'd left behind.

I stepped out of the closet, and the ruined anniversary cake went straight into the trash. After taking a deep breath, I took out my phone and called my lawyer.

"Draft a divorce agreement as soon as possible."