The initial years of marriage between her and her husband Eric seemed like an unending journey, brimming with excitement as they faced life’s challenges together, bolstering each other’s ambitions and aspirations.

Two years after tying the knot, the two welcomed their son Damian into their world and life felt perfect.

Eric was an incredible father. In fact, he was everything a child would ask for in a parent. The love that was present in this family’s home was profound, or at least the wife thought so.

With Damien’s birth, which Eric was forced to miss because of work, their lives fell into a familiar rhythm, marked by the usual milestones of family life. Yet, the domestic harmony began to fracture when Eric’s career took a turn that required from him to travel even more frequently than before. The promotion at work was initially embraced by both Eric and his wife, but the commitments that arose affected the quality of their family time.

Every time Eric needed to travel, he ensured his wife it was for the sake of the family, leaving her to balance between taking care of their son and her own career. But being in love with him as the first day, she trusted him and believed he was doing it for the family’s well-being.

She held onto the hope that once this demanding phase of constant travel was over, they could retrieve the lost time and strengthen the bond that seemed to weaken under the strain of distance.Now, looking back, she was aware that Eric’s trips were just excuses for his double life. The discovery of the tickets not only exposed his betrayal but also cast doubt upon the very foundation of their marriage. What she believed was a partnership grounded in mutual respect and affection turned out to be nothing more than a web of lies and deceit.

One Saturday, while Damien was off to a playdate, the woman decided to spend the day cleaning around the house. She thought that going through the closet and getting rid of some old clothing she hadn’t worn for a long period of time would be a nice idea.

Among the piles of clothes, she noticed an old jacket that belonged to her husband. It was a piece of clothing that he adored, but it no longer fitted or suited his taste.

As she pulled the jacket out, a cloud of dust rose and two tickets feel out of the pockets.

Looking at them, she thought she stumbled upon some old receipts that would bring back more memories, but she was wrong.When she examined them thoroughly, she realized they were from a flight taken some five years ago, or to be exact, at the time Damien was born. Her mind raced, grappling to reconcile Eric’s supposed business trip with the tangible evidence of a journey undertaken elsewhere.

The destination written on those tickets wasn’t one known for business meetings but it was more of a romantic getaway spot popular for its secluded beaches and intimate resorts. The name on the other ticket didn’t ring a bell. It wasn’t of someone she knew or of someone Eric ever mentioned to be working with. The name was that of the woman’s step-sister.

The revelation shook her to the core. What she discovered in the pockets of that old dusty jacket marked the beginning of the end of a marriage she once believed was a picture perfect one.

The sense of betrayal extended beyond his infidelity; it encompassed the profound realization that the life they had been living together was built on a foundation of lies.

She experienced a roller coaster of emotions; from anger and disbelief to a profound sense of loss. The question of how he could do such a thing with someone who was family haunted her.

The choice to leave without confronting her husband came from the urge to save her mental-health and her well-being. In the end of the day, she needed to be strong for her son.

She packed her belongings and decided to start fresh because she could no longer be part of her husband’s charade.