When Madison sees a note on the bathroom mirror, she chalks it up to her husband being sweet after their night out. But when she talks to him about it, his awkwardness makes her feel that the note isn’t for her. Could Ryan be cheating on her? It started how things usually do: quiet and unassuming, with a sweet moment between my husband, Ryan, and me. Or so I thought. I was getting ready for the day when I noticed a love note written on a Post-it on the fogged-up bathroom mirror. The words threw me for a loop.
That Ryan left me a surprise. I felt a little spark, honestly. After a few years of marriage, little things like that can really brighten your day. We had gone out for dinner the night before, and I had too many cocktails, so when we got home, I had just hopped into bed, makeup and all. I slept like the dead and only noticed the note now. A few minutes later, those three dots appeared. I smiled, brushing my hair, and waiting for his response. But when his message finally came in, it was not anything sweet or cheeky that I was expecting.
Uh, what note, Madison? Well, that was weird. I mean, maybe he forgot about it? Ryan wasn’t a morning person at all, and he would remain grumpy and unengaged until he had two cups of coffee. I snapped a picture of the mirror and sent it to him. My smile faded as I waited, fingers tapping nervously on the bathroom counter. After a few long minutes, my phone buzzed with his reply. Something about the way he typed it felt off. I could almost hear him saying it. My husband also loved emojis, so the lack of emojis in his text was different. The casualness, the awkwardness, it just didn’t sit right with me.
I went through my husband’s phone — every text, his call log, and the latest emails. His phone was clean, like too clean. There were no secret messages, no signs of an affair, nothing. But my gut told me something was off. I felt sick. What was going on? My mind screamed at me to let it go, but something deep down wouldn’t let me. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something. But if Ryan wasn’t cheating, then who was that note meant for?
Ryan came home from work earlier than usual, just as I was about to head to the gym. His body was tense, and when I asked him why, his answer felt rehearsed.
“My dad’s coming over,” he said. “He wants some help with his laptop. Enjoy your session, I’ll see you later!” His dad? Bob rarely came over in the past. But recently, he had been dropping in all the time. Especially on the days when I worked from the office and not home. Later that week, Ryan’s mom, Claire, called me. She sounded off, a little upset. “Darling, have you seen Bob around lately?” she asked. “Yes, Mom,” I said. “He was here the other day. Ryan said that he wanted help with his laptop or something.”
