From Husband's Lies to Love

Synopsis

The soft morning light filtered through our bedroom curtains as I reached across Ryan's side of the bed, finding it empty and cold. He'd left early for a meeting—at least that's what the hastily scribbled note on his pillow claimed. Five years of marriage, and somehow we'd become ships passing in the night, leaving notes instead of kisses. I padded into the kitchen, the marble floor cool against my bare feet. The coffee machine beeped, Ryan's programmed brew already finished. At least he still remembered how I liked my coffee—the small comforts we clung to as everything else unraveled. I needed to set the timer for the breakfast quiche I'd prepared, but my phone was charging upstairs. Ryan's phone sat on the counter, its screen lighting up with an incoming email notification. Without thinking, I picked it up, surprised to find it unlocked. He'd grown so protective of his phone lately, always keeping it face down, taking calls