Part 3The Dog Walker Affair

There were no sordid photos or videos inside. That wasn’t Leo’s style. He had a pretentious, artsy streak and liked to think of himself as a man of class.

Instead, the folder was filled with documents, named by date.

I clicked on the earliest one, dated five months ago—exactly one month after I had left for my trip.

April 12th. Rain. I met her today. She was like a fawn, lost and pure, with the clearest eyes and the warmest smile. She said her name was Lila, gentle like a late evening breeze. I think my heart stopped.

April 25th. Sunny. Lila found out I love the mousse from that bakery on the west side and stood in line for two hours to get it for me. With Vivi, I’m always the one making compromises. She prefers bland, healthy food and never touches anything sweet. But I love sweets. I never knew how wonderful it felt to have someone cater to me.

May 20th. To thank her, I took Lila to that hilltop restaurant we used to go to. She was so surprised and happy. I told her it was a place I used for business meetings. Seeing the trust in her eyes, I felt a pang of guilt, but it was overshadowed by a secret thrill. Vivi always said that place was overpriced and the food was mediocre. She never understood that you don’t go there for the food; you go there to share a perfect view with the person you love. Vivi doesn’t get me. But Lila does.

…

My face was a mask of stone as I scrolled, page after page.

These weren't diary entries. They were justifications. Excuses he was writing to rationalize and even romanticize his affair.

In his narrative, I was the demanding, boring, workaholic wife with no zest for life. And this girl, Lila, was the muse sent to rescue him from the drudgery of our marriage.

He twisted every mundane aspect of our three years together into a fault of mine.

Me ironing his shirts so he looked sharp and professional? That was me being a controlling perfectionist.

Me reminding him to drink less for his health? That was me being overbearing.

Me working hard to build a better future for us? In his eyes, that made me a “career woman who obviously didn’t need him.”

The logic was laughable.

But the entry that truly chilled me to the bone was about Caramel.

July 8th. Lila said she loves Caramel and wants to raise him. I brought him over to her place. She renamed him ‘Sweetie.’ Seeing how much he adored her, I suddenly realized this is the life Caramel should have. Vivi loves him, I guess, but she’s too busy. She never has enough time for him. Lila is different. She has all the time in the world to play with him, cook him nutritious meals, and spoil him like the child he is.

It was just as I suspected. He hadn't just betrayed me. He had betrayed our promise. He had personally handed our “son” over to another woman.

I closed the document. The roiling nausea in my stomach finally subsided, replaced by a cold, dead silence.

Leo was home.