Jessica and Jason sat silently across each other at the dinner table, feeling the strain of his recent late nights at work on the Simmons project. “This is nice,” Jason commented.

“Is it?” Jessica replied sarcastically. “I’m so glad you like it. I slaved away at it all afternoon.”

“Is something bothering you?” he asked, pursing his lips.

“I don’t know, Jason, you tell me. Is there something wrong?” Jessica countered cynically.

“Look, honey, I’m sorry I’ve been working late. This project is crucial to our business right now. If we lose the account, we’ll go out of business. We’re busting a gut to ensure we get this one right,” Jason explained, sighing.

“Oh, is that it then? Whatever you say, Jason. Do what you must. Who am I to stand in the way of your business.”

Jason grimaced at the animosity in his wife’s tone and feared that what he was about to say next would send her through the roof. “Uh, babe,” he said, “I know you’re going to kill me, but unfortunately I have to go back to work now, it’s just—”

Before he could finish his excuse, Jessica sprang to her feet, angrily seized her half-empty dinner plate and the lasagna dish, and stamped off into the kitchen without a word.

“Oh, God,” Jason whispered to himself. “This is not good.” He stood up, shouldered the jacket on the back of his chair, picked up the laptop bag at his feet, and exited the front door as quietly as possible.

Jessica was ready. As soon as she heard the front door close, she made the call she’d been planning when the time came: “Where are you?” she asked the person on the other end of the line. “Okay, good. I’m coming out through the back gate now.”

Wrapping herself in a dark maroon shawl, Jessica shoved quickly through the backyard and out onto the street. The yellow taxi cab was exactly where she had asked it to be: on the curb right in front of the back gate.

She jumped in. “Go around the block to the front of the house, fast,” she instructed the driver, who nodded and stepped on the gas. They swung around, making a quick right and then another.

“There up ahead,” Jessica said, “the black Audi, follow that car.”

The driver nodded. “Yes, madam,” he said.

“Not too close,” Jessica said. “He mustn’t know he’s being followed.”

Jessica promised an additional five hundred dollars on top of the meter so he would help uncover the truth about her husband’s behavior. She confided in the driver, named Musa, explaining her suspicion of Jason having an affair.

Musa, who revealed he was married and a full citizen but originally from Nigeria, sympathized with her situation.

They followed Jason’s car to his office building. Jessica asked Musa to continue watching, revealing that her friend had seen Jason with a younger woman at a cafe recently.

“Let’s wait a while longer,” Jessica decided, biting her nails.

“No problem,” Musa agreed.

Half an hour later, Jessica’s resolve wavered as she prepared to go home, thinking Jason had been truthful. Then, she saw his car exiting the parking lot with a young, elegantly dressed blonde woman sitting in the passenger seat.

“Follow them,” she commanded. They trailed them to a park, where Jason and the woman walked arm-in-arm, confirming Jessica’s worst fears.

“I’ve seen enough,” she said, slumping into her seat. “Please take me home.”

Musa drove her home as she cried quietly. He asked if she was alright.

“I don’t know if I’m okay,” she admitted, while Musa could only nod in sympathy.

Back home, Jessica was lost in thought, uncertain how to confront her husband. Ultimately, she decided to wait until morning.

The next day, Jason’s behavior at breakfast was nervous and evasive. He mentioned working late again, which only made her feel worse. “Don’t wake me when you come home,” Jessica snapped, rolling her eyes.

Jessica struggled to focus on her food photography and writing once he left. She spent a while questioning their long marriage and whether she had lost her charms. But instead of wallowing the entire day, she called Musa again.

They went to wait by Jason’s office again. It wasn’t long before he appeared with the blonde woman. This time, they followed them to Luigi’s. Jessica felt a stab of pain in her chest at the sight of her favorite Italian restaurant. This is our spot.

She wanted to leave but decided to get definitely proof of his infidelity. “Musa, I’ll buy you dinner. Go into the restaurant, sit near them, and report back how they behave,” Jessica proposed, handing the cab driver a fifty-dollar note.

Unfortunately, Musa returned shortly, shaking his head as he had been unable to get a table without a reservation. Letting out a grunt, Jessica marched into the restaurant herself.

Dimitri, the maître d’, recognized her and offered her a table.

“Dimitri, that man who was just here alone, asking for a table, did you tell him he needs to have a reservation and can’t be seated?” she asked impatiently.

“Um, ma’am. Was he your guest? I am so sorry! The restaurant is full, but I would be happy to find a space for you both. Will you be joining your husband?” he added nervously.

“No, I will not be joining my husband!” Jessica replied rather loudly than she intended, raising looks from some diners, including Jason. He looked up from his plate of pasta and went pale.

Jessica stood her ground at the entrance and stared at Jason defiantly. He stood up and approached his furious wife.

“Jess, what are you doing here?” he asked nervously.

“What am I doing here?” Jessica challenged back. “You told me you were working late and having pizzas at the office. And I find you here with another woman! Who is that?”

“Jess, I can explain everything. Why don’t you join us, please,” he put a hand on Jessica’s shoulder, but she brushed it off brusquely.

“Dimitri, please set up a place for my wife at the table,” Jason asked the maître d’.

“Don’t bother, Dmitri, this won’t take long,” Jessica said, shooting a look at the young woman at the table who was watching the scene with interest.

Jessica walked over calmly, not looking at Jason. She sat down and examined the stranger across from her. She was about twenty in Jessica’s estimation, very pretty, with hazel-colored eyes and a lovely, freckled nose.

“Jessica,” Jason said formally, “I’d like you to meet Skylar. My daughter.”

Jessica’s jaw hit the floor as she struggled to process the revelation. Skylar, a beautiful 21-year-old, explained things further, including her desire to connect with her father and how she had been interning at his office.

Jessica did the math in her head instantly, drinking a full glass of wine. “Twenty-one,” she repeated, “that means—” she broke off and looked at her husband. “That means we were already married when she was born.”

Jason nodded, hanging his head. He admitted to a one-time affair 21 years ago at a work conference. The confession was too much for Jessica, so she asked Dmitri to pack her some dinner and went home, but not before telling Jason he would be sleeping in the spare room that night.

She also apologized to Skylar and wished they had met under different circumstances. After leaving the restaurant with her takeaway, Jessica returned to Musa’s cab and handed him the dinner.

She promised him the best seat at the restaurant should he ever return.

“Thank you, madam,” Musa said, smiling. “Back home then?”

“Back home,” Jessica confirmed, leaning back on the seat.

Jason arrived home sometime later, and they sat in the kitchen. Over a cup of tea, they confronted the truth. He admitted his regret for keeping Skylar a secret. He was afraid of losing Jessica.

“We’re supposed to share everything. I don’t know if I can come back from this,” she confessed before retiring to bed alone.

After two weeks of Jason sleeping in the spare room, they began counseling together and individually. Jessica expressed the pain of finding out about the affair and the added hurt of their infertility struggles.

The therapist emphasized the importance of open communication and the challenge of balancing the new dynamic with Skylar. “It’s going to be a long and winding road,” the doctor said.

Jessica acknowledged her willingness to try and work through the betrayal, though uncertain about forgiving Jason. She and her husband left the session with a plan to rebuild their relationship, realizing the long journey ahead and the adjustments needed to welcome Skylar into their extended family.

Over the next two months, Jessica’s heart slowly opened, and she began to trust Jason again, appreciating his efforts to spend time with Skylar.

One morning, inspired by her previous adventure, Jessica called Musa, inviting him and his wife Debbie for dinner with Skylar. They all gathered around the dining table that evening, sharing roast lamb and laughter.

Jason joked about Jessica’s escapade with Musa. “How did my wife manage to get you to chase me all over town?” he asked.

Musa laughed, “Cold, hard cash,” which caused giggles around the table.

The conversation shifted to their favorite parts of the city, with each person sharing their perspectives. Jason then revealed that Skylar was doing excellent work at his company, and they were considering keeping her on.

“Skylar,” Jessica said. “I would like to welcome you to our home, especially our family. You can stay here anytime you want. Consider this your place, too.”

“Thank you so much. That means the world to me,” Skylar said.

Musa raised his glass in a toast, “To family and friends, old and new,” which everyone echoed, clinking their glasses together in celebration.

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