The Photo Exposed His Christmas Lie

Synopsis

"Working overtime? Who took this photo?" I pushed my phone toward David Carter. On the screen, he was sitting in a restaurant with a young woman. Candlelight, red wine, and roses set the mood. It was Christmas. David had told me this morning that the company was busy at the end of the year and he had to work overtime. "This..." David froze for a second. "It's a team dinner. Year‑end stuff." "Stuff?" I laughed. "Stuff like feeding her steak?" In the photo, he was holding a piece of steak on a fork, lifting it right to her lips. "Overtime. You wouldn't get it." David set the phone down, his tone back to normal. "A coworker snapped it. Don't read into it." I looked at him. Five years. I'd never really seen him.