Chapter 3

I started keeping a journal after that phone call with David.

The leather-bound notebook Nathan gave me for Christmas last year—how ironic that it would become the repository of my suspicions about him.

Each night, I'd sit at our kitchen table after he'd gone to bed, documenting the day's observations in neat, controlled handwriting that belied the chaos in my mind.

'Nathan home at 11:30 PM. Said he was working late again. Shirt smelled like cigarettes though he doesn't smoke. Wouldn't meet my eyes during dinner.'

'Phone rang twice today. Both times Nathan took the call outside. When I asked who it was, he said 'work' and changed the subject.'

'Found receipt in his jacket pocket for lunch at Bellini's—$87 for two people. When I mentioned it, he said it was a client meeting. Wouldn't say which client.'

During the days, while Nathan was gone to wherever he really went, I found myself at my easel in the spare bedroom. I hadn't painted seriously since before we married, but suddenly the urge was overwhelming. The canvases filled with stormy skies and turbulent seas—emotions I couldn't speak aloud taking form in violent brushstrokes of indigo and slate. The act of creation became my lifeline, the only time my hands stopped shaking and my mind stopped racing through endless scenarios of betrayal.

When Nathan returned from his three-day "business trip," the wall between us had solidified into something impenetrable.

His eyes darted around the living room when he entered, as if expecting someone else to be there.

He jumped when I emerged from the kitchen to greet him.

"You startled me," he said, his voice tight as he set down his overnight bag.

"Sorry," I replied, watching as he moved to the window and peered through the blinds before drawing them closed. "Everything okay?"

"Fine," he said too quickly. "Just tired from the trip."

I wanted to scream that I knew there was no conference, no Chicago, no team-building exercises. Instead, I asked, "How was the hotel?"

He hesitated just long enough for me to know he was formulating a lie. "Fine. Standard corporate place."

That night, and in the days that followed, I noticed a new behavior: Nathan constantly checking the locks on our doors and windows, glancing outside whenever a car drove by our house. Once, the sound of a car door slamming sent him practically diving for the curtains, his face pale and drawn.

In my journal, I wrote: 'Nathan acting paranoid. Checking windows and doors repeatedly. Is he afraid someone will catch him? Her husband, maybe?'

The thought made me physically ill.

Three days after his return, I decided to make one last attempt to reach him. I spent the afternoon preparing his favorite meal—herb-crusted salmon with roasted potatoes and asparagus. I opened a bottle of the Pinot Noir we'd discovered on our anniversary trip to Napa Valley two years ago. I even wore the blue dress he once said brought out the color of my eyes.

When Nathan walked in, he seemed momentarily taken aback by the candlelit table and the effort I'd made.

"What's all this?" he asked, his eyes darting to his phone as it buzzed in his pocket.

"Just thought we could use a nice dinner together," I said, forcing brightness into my voice. "It's been a while."

He nodded, but his smile didn't reach his eyes. Throughout dinner, he picked at his food, barely touching the salmon I'd spent an hour perfecting. His phone lay face-down beside his plate, but he checked it every few minutes, the screen illuminating his tense features in the dim light.

I tried to maintain conversation, asking about his day, telling him about a funny call I'd had with my sister. His responses were monosyllabic, his attention clearly elsewhere.

Finally, I reached across the table for his hand. "Nathan, I miss you," I whispered, my voice threatening to break. "You're here, but you're not really here."

He pulled his hand away as if my touch burned him. "I'm sorry, Em. I'm just... I'm too tired and stressed from work right now for this."

"For what?" I asked, the hurt making my voice sharp. "For connecting with your wife?"

He stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the hardwood floor. "I need some air."

As the front door closed behind him, I stared at the flickering candles and the meal I'd prepared with such hope. The truth I'd been avoiding settled over me like a shroud: whatever Nathan was hiding, it was destroying us both. And I was running out of time to save what was left of our marriage.

That night, as I added another entry to my journal, I made a decision. No more guessing, no more hoping.

I needed the truth, even if it shattered everything I thought I knew about the man I married.

Tomorrow, I would confront him directly and figure everything out.