CHAPTER TWO

This must be a twisted joke. It didn’t make sense. We were together for almost a decade. We’d been through everything together. The ups, downs, and struggles that you could think of that should have torn us apart somehow made us stronger. At least, that’s what I thought.

 Jack and I had met during our first year of college, a whirlwind romance that turned into a love I thought would last forever.

We fell for each other fast. Too fast, some might have said, but we didn’t give a fuck what other people thought. He was my person. We navigated every stage of life side by side from graduating, getting our first jobs, moving in together, and finally, getting married. We went from being carefree young adults to responsible, mature people, taking on the world together.

I loved him more than anything. More than anyone. I thought he felt the same.

So how? How could this happen? Where had it gone wrong?

There were no signs, no arguments, no distance between us. If anything, I thought we were closer than ever. Sure, we had a few rough patches, but which marriage didn’t? We were partners in every sense of the word. There was no indication that he was unhappy, no hint that he was struggling.

This was too much of a surprise.

I still couldn’t move. My body felt disconnected from my mind, which was racing in a thousand directions, trying to grasp some sort of explanation or something that made sense. But nothing did. Nothing added up.

My hands tremble as I reach for my phone again, thinking I might have missed something. Maybe a message, an email, or something to explain what was happening. But as I scroll through, the only thing waiting for me is the note from Amy earlier: *Have the best birthday, babe! You deserve it!*

I put the phone down and stare at the empty room, my chest tightening with each breath. Jack wouldn’t just leave. He wouldn’t just disappear like this, not without saying something. But the note... it was his handwriting. The closet was empty. His number was disconnected.

A sob builds in my throat, but I swallow it down. Tears blur my vision, but I fight them. I couldn’t cry. Not yet. I had to get to the bottom of this.  How had we gone from being in love to this? I always considered myself very intuitive, always aware of what was happening around me; therefore, this came as a shock.

There was no warning. No gradual drift apart. No fights about bills or kids we couldn’t have. Nothing that pointed to this moment.

My hands were shaking as I send the text. “Please come to the apartment as soon as you can.” I stare at the screen briefly before pressing send, hoping Amy will get here quickly. I couldn’t process this alone. I didn’t even know where to start.

The silence of the apartment was suffocating. Every second that passed seemed to stretch on forever, and the only sound was my shallow breathing. I stand in the middle of the living room, my eyes darting around. I need answers. Somewhere in this house, there had to be something that explained why my husband had vanished, why he’d left me with nothing but a note on my birthday.

With shaky steps, I gather whatever strength I could muster and start going through the apartment. Drawers. Cushions. Closets. I tear through every inch of our life, searching for anything, anything at all that could explain why Jack had done this to me.

I find myself rummaging through the trash bag, desperate now. It was disgusting, but I didn’t care. All I wanted was answers. As I sifted through crumpled receipts, empty takeout containers, and bits of discarded paper, something caught my eye, a receipt from a jewelry store.

I freeze, as I stare at it.  If he was planning to leave me, why would he buy me a gift? A new wave of confusion washes over me. It didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense. I turn the receipt over in my hands, my mind clouding with more questions.

Before I could spiral any further, I hear a knock on the door. I nearly ran to answer it, my heart pounding in my chest I open the door and there was Amy  standing on the other side, her face filled with concern.

“Are you okay, Rachael?” she asks, stepping inside. “Your text seemed urgent.”

“I think Jack has left me,” I whisper, my voice breaking as I try to hold back the tears.

“I came home and found all his clothes gone. I’ve looked everywhere for clues, and the only thing I could find was this.” I hand her the receipt, my fingers trembling as I do.

 “He bought me a gift and then left?”

Amy stares at the receipt, her brows furrowing as she takes it all in. She sits down on the couch, too stunned to speak for a moment. The silence stretches between us, thick with uncertainty and disbelief. I sit next to her, my stomach in knots, waiting for her to say something, anything that might help me understand.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally speaks.

 “What do you mean Jack left?” she asks, her voice barely above a whisper. “I thought you guys were happy.”

“Well, Amy, I thought so too,” I reply, shaking my head in disbelief.

“I don’t understand. What am I going to do?” My voice cracks, and a sob catches in my throat again.

Amy looks at me with wide eyes, then glances down at the receipt in her hand.

“Rachael could Jack be having an affair?” she asks slowly, as if testing the waters with each word.

“Maybe he bought the jewelry for her... and he left you for her?”

Her words hitting me like a punch in the gut.

An affair? My Jack? The Jack I’d loved for nearly ten years? My mind recoils at the thought, but at the same time, the possibility sneaks its way into my consciousness. Could it be true? Could I have missed the signs?

I stare at Amy, my mouth dry, unable to answer. My mind still spinning. Everything felt like it was crashing down around me.

"How can you say that to me, Amy?" I snap, the words sharper than I intended. "I think if he was having an affair, I would have known. No one is that good. He always came home, always answered my calls. He never did anything that would make me suspect something like that."

Amy bit her lip, looking like she regrets bringing it up.