It started like any other normal Thursday evening.
I was in the kitchen, flour on my hands, baking cookies for Derrick—my sweet, five-year-old bundle of joy. The smell of vanilla and melted chocolate filled the house, and Derrick was at the dining table, happily painting… well, trying to paint. He was more colorful than the actual paper in front of him.
“Mommy, look at my dinosaur!” he beamed, holding up a wild swirl of red, blue, and green.
I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s the fiercest dinosaur I’ve ever seen,” I said, ruffling his messy hair.
He grinned, proud as ever. The moment felt warm, simple, perfect.
Then the front door creaked open.
David walked in, dressed in his usual dark suit, looking sharp but worn-out. He dropped his briefcase near the door and loosened his tie like he always did. I used to feel butterflies when I saw him. Lately, it was more like an ache—a quiet wish for how things used to be.
“Hey, Pen. Derrick,” he said with a tired smile.
“Daddy!” Derrick squealed and ran to him. David scooped him up, spun him in the air like he always did. It was our evening routine. It looked perfect… but I was starting to feel something was off.
“How was your day?” I asked, trying not to sound too eager. Just once, I hoped he wouldn’t have to rush out again.
But this time, his face lit up. “Good news,” he said, pulling an invitation from his jacket pocket. “Laura’s having a birthday bash at her mansion this Friday. It’s a big thing—only top employees and their partners are invited. That includes us.”
My heart lifted a little. A party? Just the two of us? Maybe this could be the moment we reconnected.
“A party at a mansion? That sounds amazing! We’ll need someone to watch Derrick,” I said, already picturing myself dressed up, holding David’s hand under the stars.
“Already taken care of. Maria said she’s free to babysit,” he replied, giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’ll finally see a little bit of my world.”
I smiled, hopeful. I had no idea that party would change everything.
Friday evening arrived.
We pulled up to Laura’s mansion, and I swear my jaw dropped. The place was straight out of a movie—towering white pillars, glowing lights everywhere, gardens so perfect they looked fake, and actual animal-shaped bushes taller than our car.
“Wow…” I whispered. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
David chuckled softly. “Me neither,” he said, eyes wide.
We handed our coats to a real-life butler—yes, a butler—and stepped inside.
Everything sparkled: chandeliers bigger than our entire dining room, marble floors, gold-framed artwork, trays of champagne floating through the air. But just as I was soaking it in, I remembered—Maria had asked me to check in once we arrived.
I reached into my clutch for my phone. Dead.
“David, can I borrow your phone? I need to check in with Maria about Derrick,” I said, holding out my hand.
“Sure,” he said, passing it to me.
I turned on the screen—and froze.
His phone was already connected to the Wi-Fi: Laura’s Mansion.
My heart skipped.
Why was it connected already? Didn’t he say he’d never been here before?
“Everything okay?” David asked, eyes narrowing just a little.
“Yeah… Just amazed by all of this,” I said, forcing a smile.
But my mind wouldn’t let it go. Why lie?
The party was in full swing, music pulsing through the grand hall. Everyone seemed to know each other. David drifted from one group to the next, laughing, chatting, sipping champagne. I stayed by the buffet, picking at shrimp cocktails and trying not to panic.
That’s when I overheard something that made my stomach drop.
Laura’s husband, Mark, was laughing with another guest. “I’ll be in Tokyo all next week. Laura’s got the place to herself again.”
I turned cold.
Again?
I tried to shake it off. Maybe I was overthinking.
Then I found David with a group of coworkers, joking around.
“So, starting tomorrow, I’ll be working late,” he said. “Big project. Could be weeks.”
My body stiffened.
Laura’s husband leaving for a week. David suddenly “working late.” His phone already connected to the Wi-Fi.
I felt dizzy.
David noticed me and walked over. “Penelope, you okay?”
“I’m fine… just tired,” I muttered.
He smiled, brushing my arm. “You worry too much. Let me get you another drink.”
As he walked away, I stared at him.
No. Something was wrong.
The next morning, I dropped Derrick off at school. He waved from the classroom door, his bright smile breaking my heart even more.
I couldn’t keep pretending. I had to know.
I drove to David’s office, my hands gripping the wheel tighter with every mile. I walked in and asked the receptionist casually, “Is David in? I wanted to bring him something.”
She smiled politely. “Oh, David left early today. Said he had a personal matter.”
My chest tightened.
I stepped outside and called him.
“Hey, Pen,” David answered.
“Hi! I thought I’d surprise you with lunch. Where are you?”
“I’m at the office,” he said smoothly. “Swamped. Won’t have time to eat today.”
Another lie.
“Okay. Another day, then. Love you,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“Love you too,” he replied.
I hung up, trembling. He was lying again. I knew exactly where he was.
I drove straight to Laura’s mansion.
When I knocked, Laura opened the door, visibly shocked. “Penelope? What… what are you doing here?”
“I need to see David,” I said, my voice like ice.
“David? He’s not—” she started, stepping forward to block me.
I pushed past her.
She called after me, but I was already heading toward the bedroom. I didn’t even know where I was going, but my body did. I felt it in my gut.
I threw open the closet door.
And there he was.
David.
My husband.
Crouched, hiding like a child caught stealing cookies.
“David?” My voice cracked.
He stepped out, face pale, eyes full of guilt. “Penelope… I can explain.”
“Explain?” I yelled. “You lied to me! Over and over!”
Laura stepped forward. “Penelope, please, just listen—”
“Stay out of this!” I shouted.
I turned back to David, shaking with rage. “How long has this been going on?”
He stammered. “It… it wasn’t supposed to…”
“Don’t,” I snapped. “We’re done. I’m done.”
The drive home was a blur. My tears wouldn’t stop. My hands shook on the wheel. How could he do this to me? To Derrick?
When I got home, I didn’t even sit down. I called a lawyer.
That night, Maria came over to help with Derrick. When she saw my face, she didn’t ask questions. She just pulled me into a hug.
“I’m so sorry, Pen,” she whispered.
“I don’t know how to do this, Maria,” I cried into her shoulder. “How do I move on?”
“One step at a time,” she said gently. “You’re stronger than you think.”
I started therapy. I cried. I got angry. I broke down. But I kept going.
For Derrick.
He needed a mother who could stand tall, even with a broken heart.
One night, as I tucked him into bed, he looked at me with wide, innocent eyes.
“Mommy, are you okay?”
I held his small hand and kissed his forehead.
“Yes, baby,” I whispered. “We’re going to be just fine.”
And in that moment, I believed it.
Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow… but one day soon, we would be fine.
Because I had found my strength again. And this time, I wasn’t letting go.