Betrayal at Ceremony

Synopsis

The notification chime on my phone cut through the quiet hum of my photography studio like a knife. I was editing wedding photos—ironically enough—when the sound made me glance up from my computer screen. The afternoon light streaming through the tall windows cast everything in a golden glow, the kind of light that usually made me feel peaceful and inspired. I picked up my phone absently, expecting maybe a text from Jensen about dinner plans or when he'd be back from his business trip to Chicago. He'd been gone for three days, and I missed him terribly. We'd been married for three years, and I still got that flutter in my stomach when I thought about him coming home. But it wasn't Jensen's name on my screen. It was an unknown number. The message was simple: "Thought you should know." Attached were three photos. My hands started trembling before my mind could fully process what I was seeing.