“Just open it,” he said, smiling in that oddly rehearsed way he gets when he’s hiding something.
Inside was a booking confirmation for a three-day spa weekend at the Willow Creek Resort — massages, facials, aromatherapy, the works. It was indulgent. Too indulgent.
“You deserve a break,” Brian said, crossing the kitchen to wrap his arms around me. “You’ve been burning the candle at both ends. And with your big client pitch coming up, I figured you could use a little zen.”
I blinked at him. “But… weren’t we supposed to take the kids to Bali and finally meet your parents?”
Brian pulled back slightly. “Yeah, but the spa weekend was last-minute, and you have that work meeting. And, well, I didn’t want to cancel the trip with the kids. So I figured I’d take them, you get pampered, and we all win.”
He kissed my forehead before I could object. “Besides, we’ll meet my parents some other time. They’re staying with us the whole week.”
A part of me felt guilty. But the idea of a weekend free of responsibilities, where someone else fluffed the pillows and made the food? It was too tempting to resist.
Willow Creek was exactly what you’d imagine — plush robes, eucalyptus steam, lemon water served by serene-eyed staff in linen uniforms. I melted into every treatment, every sigh of relief from my overworked body. For once, I felt seen.
Until the fourth massage, when I checked my phone and saw three missed calls from Laura, my college best friend.
“Where are you? Just saw Brian and your kids… and a woman holding his hand? Thought you were coming too?”
My stomach flipped.
I called her immediately. Her voice dropped to a whisper as she answered. “Kate, oh my God. I thought you were with him. I didn’t want to overstep…”
“Overstep what?”
“I saw them at the resort. The Bali one. Brian, your kids, and this woman — blonde, a little older, definitely comfortable with the family. They were all at the pool. She was feeding your daughter fruit. Your son called her Jen-Jen.”
Jennifer.
Brian’s assistant.
The one he swore was “a bit clingy” but “totally professional.”
Laura sent me a photo. Brian, the kids, his parents — whom I’d never met in person despite three years of marriage — and Jennifer. Sitting next to Brian, hand on his thigh.
“They kissed, Kate,” Laura whispered. “I’m sorry. I just thought you should know.”
My blood ran cold. And then, slowly, hot.
He had sent me away.
He had sent me away so his mistress could play house on our family trip.
I left the spa that night. Cancelled my last treatment, packed my bag, and booked the next flight to Bali. I had twelve hours to think, and by the time we landed, I knew exactly what I was going to do.
I arrived just before Brian’s corporate award ceremony — the one he said he might win, but probably wouldn’t.
Perfect.
I checked into the resort and made my way to the ballroom. The air buzzed with polite laughter, clinking glasses, and the smug energy of executives in tuxedos. I found the CEO near the stage and introduced myself.
“Kate, is it? Brian’s wife?” he asked warmly.
“He said you couldn’t make it!”
“Oh, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” I said with a smile. “Actually, I brought a note from Brian. He was too modest to say this himself, but he wanted you to read it before presenting his award.”
He looked touched. “How thoughtful.”
When Brian’s name was called, he walked onstage with a confident stride, completely unaware that the next few minutes would obliterate everything he thought he controlled.
The CEO took the microphone. “Before Brian gives his speech, his wife Kate asked me to share a message from him — a glimpse into the man behind the numbers.”
He opened the card.
“Brian says: ‘I’m proud to accept this award. I owe it all to my wife, who selflessly gave up our family vacation so I could bring my mistress instead. Thank you for covering for me while I shared a luxury getaway with Jennifer, my assistant, while my children and parents bonded with the woman I plan to leave my wife for.’”
Gasps. Laughter. Silence.
I stood up in the back of the room and slowly walked forward in my red dress — the one Brian once told me made me look “too much.”
He spotted me mid-stride. His face drained of
