Chapter 1
I was out of state, helping my son take care of my grandson, while my husband stayed alone in our hometown.
Every time we video chatted, he always claimed he was eating well and sleeping like a baby, telling me not to worry about him.
One day, on a whim, I bought a train ticket in secret so I could surprise him.
As soon as I opened the door, I was frozen in place.
A woman I had never seen before was sitting in the living room, beaming as she put food on my husband's plate.
*****
Helen Grant stood at the exit of the train station with her suitcase in hand.
The afternoon sun, warm and gentle, bathed her in its light.
She took off her mask and breathed in the familiar air of home.
It was familiar, and it was also a little strange.
It had been two years.
Ever since her grandson was born, she'd moved to David's city and taken on the role of a full-time grandma.
Richard stayed behind in their hometown, all alone.
Every time they video chatted, Richard was always grinning from ear to ear.
"I'm eating well and sleeping like a baby," he'd say.
"I'm hanging out with the guys, playing chess, going fishing. Don't worry about me," he'd add.
"Look at me, don't I look healthier than you?" he'd joke.
On the screen, he really did look rosy-cheeked and full of energy.
Helen took his words at face value, feeling reassured by his cheerful attitude.
With David and his wife, Emma, swamped at work and her grandson always needing someone around, Helen had no choice but to keep her worries about Richard to herself.
Today was her sixtieth birthday.
David and Emma held a birthday party for her and gave her a gold bracelet.
Her grandson, Keith, hugged her neck and said in his soft baby voice, "Happy birthday, Grandma. I love you!"
She was over the moon.
But when the house went quiet at night, she still wondered whether the man back home had remembered her birthday at all.
Yesterday, Emma suddenly told her that her company was sending her abroad for training for six months, and she'd be leaving next week.
Emma looked a bit apologetic.
"Helen, once I'm gone, you'll have to handle everything at home," she said.
Helen waved it off, saying it was no big deal.
But after hanging up, a thought started to take shape in her mind.
A crazy idea.
With Emma still around to watch Keith for a few days, Helen figured she could slip back home without anyone noticing.
She wouldn't tell a soul.
Just to give Richard a surprise.
She planned to catch the earliest train and be home by that afternoon.
She'd stay for two nights, spend some time with Richard, then take the last train back.
Round trip, it'd only take three days.
The idea took root and grew like wild grass, impossible to ignore.
Without hesitation, she bought her ticket.
Before heading out, she just told Emma she was going to stay with an old friend for a couple of days.
Emma didn't think much of it and told her to enjoy herself and take a break.
The taxi pulled up at the entrance of her familiar neighborhood.
Helen paid the driver and wheeled her suitcase into the complex by herself.
Everything looked just like it did two years ago when she left.
Downstairs, Peggy Wilson was sitting in the sun with her grandson. When she saw Helen, she did a double-take.
"Helen? When did you get back?" she asked.
"Peggy, I just got off the train," Helen replied with a smile.
"Why didn't your husband come to pick you up?" Peggy asked.
"I didn't tell him. I wanted to surprise him," Helen replied.
Peggy's eyes lit up, and with a touch of envy she said, "The two of you are really something. Still pulling romantic surprises at your age."
Helen just smiled and left it at that.
She wheeled her suitcase into the building.
Standing at the front door, she took a deep breath and pulled out the key she hadn't used in two years.
She slipped the key into the lock and turned it gently.
The door opened.
She could already picture the look on Richard's face, first shock, then delight.
She pushed the door open.
Helen could hear laughter and conversation coming from the living room.
But Richard wasn't in there alone.
There was a woman's voice too, teasing and familiar, like the two of them had known each other for years.
"Rich, try this. I just learned how to make this glazed salmon," the woman said.
Helen's feet felt glued to the floor in the entryway.
She was completely stunned.
There were two people sitting at the dining table in the living room.
One of them was her husband, Richard.
The other was a woman Helen had never seen before, who looked to be in her fifties.
The woman was dressed in stylish loungewear, her face lit up with a smile as she used a serving spoon to put food on Richard's plate.
Richard took the food with ease, nodding comfortably.
"Wow, Linda, your cooking is getting better and better," he said.
The table held a full spread of dishes, every one of them something Richard loved.
The house had been redecorated; everything looked different now.
The sofa had been replaced with one in a different color, and their wedding photo was gone. A landscape painting hung on the wall in its place.
Everything felt so warm and harmonious.
It was as if that woman was the mistress of the house.
Helen felt like a stranger in her own home, an intruder and nothing more.
Helen's mind buzzed, and everything in it went blank.
Her suitcase dropped to the floor with a loud thud.
The loud noise finally caught the attention of the two people at the table.
Both of them turned their heads in unison, startled.
When Richard saw Helen standing in the doorway, the smile froze on his face.
Linda was caught off guard, her eyes flashing with panic for a split second.
Dead silence.
The air was frozen with tension.
Helen stared at Richard, her lips moving, but she couldn't get a single word out.
In the end, it was Richard who broke the silence.
He frowned, sounding more irritated than surprised, like she had barged in and ruined his evening.
"What are you doing back?
"You didn't even bother to call."