He Said Forever, He Meant Until Her

Synopsis

Michael probably never pictured a world where his wife would catch that message on his WhatsApp, quietly set the phone down, and go right back to stirring her oatmeal. Emily: [Hey Michael, thanks for the coffee today. My treat next time.] The attached photo showed a latte with the Starbucks logo catching the light on the cup, her reflection throwing up a peace sign at the lens. The girl was cute, with a sweet smile and eyes that crinkled into half-moons. It was the exact kind of grin I used to flash before I turned twenty. That was Emily Foster. I knew that name. Michael had been pulling late nights at the office for twenty-three days straight. I rotated something different on the stove every evening, chicken noodle soup one night, hearty beef stew the next, and not once did he make it home in time to touch any of it. I bought the brutal-deadline story all the way through, right up until his mom dropped by last week and casually let slip. "Michael seems pretty relaxed these days, doesn't he? I saw a photo on his Instagram the other day. Said he was grabbing coffee over at the trendy shopping district downtown." My fork froze halfway to my mouth. I scrolled through every single post on his Instagram. That one wasn't there. He'd blocked me from his feed before he ever uploaded it.