The Cat, the Lover, and the Lie

It was the best vet clinic in the area, and the most expensive. I handed the receptionist the cat care handbook.

"My sister, Marie, asked me to check when Daisy's due."

The receptionist pulled up Daisy's records. Marie and Tyler Carey were listed as her owners.

Last year, I made an exception and hired Tyler as an intern in our logistics department.

He didn't have much education, came from a poor family, and was painfully shy. I felt sorry for him and decided to give him a shot.

Apparently, he found a way to make himself indispensable to my wife.

I clenched my jaw, took back the handbook, and drove straight to the office.

I stepped back from running the company to support Marie's career and stay home with our twin daughters, Esther and Karen Lynch. It was a long time since I last set foot in the building.

Marie wasn't in the CEO's office. Her assistant followed me down the hall, insisting she was in a meeting, but kept stealing nervous glances at the office next door.

It was my old office. As far as I knew, it sat empty ever since I became a stay-at-home dad.

Something wasn't right. I pushed past the assistant and kicked the door open.

"Hey, you're back!"

The young man at the desk looked up with a grin. It vanished when he saw me. He stood abruptly, then stayed behind the desk, avoiding my eyes.

I stopped in the doorway and took in the room.

A bed and a gaming desk now occupied what used to be my executive office. The walls were repainted, blackout curtains covered the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the furniture and bedding looked carefully chosen to match.

Someone went to a lot of trouble to turn the place into a bedroom for him, complete with everything he could want.

Behind my back, Marie had turned my old office, right next to hers, into Tyler's private bedroom.

"Mr. Lynch... Ms. Briggs is still in a meeting. Maybe you could wait..."

Her assistant stood behind me, staring at the floor.

Tyler stood stiffly behind the desk. An ultrasound report beside him caught my eye, with Marie's name printed across the top.

"How far along is she?"

He lowered his eyes and pressed a hand against his chest.

"I asked you a question. How many months pregnant is Marie?"

"Mr. Lynch, I'm sorry. I..."

He stopped and gripped the edge of the desk. His face went pale, and he struggled to catch his breath.

"Gavin, you're scaring him!"

Marie pushed past me and went straight to him. She put a hand on his back and helped him sit down.

"Sit. Take it easy. I'm right here."

I stood there, watching my wife comfort another man.

Only a month earlier, before leaving on a business trip, she kissed my cheek and thanked me for everything I did for our daughters. She even promised we would take them to Disneyland when she got back.

Now, she was leaning over Tyler, her clothes stretched across the slight curve of her belly, one hand resting on his back as she soothed him in a soft voice.