Jessica sat at the edge of Ethan's bed as she put her bra back on. A bed she had become overly familiar with over the last couple of months. Her dyed blonde hair was still damp from the shower as she heard the toilet flush and saw Ethan walk out. Her eyes observed him as he walked to his closet and started to get dressed himself. She didn't love Ethan, she knew that. But she could still appreciate the features of the younger man as a patron might appreciate a piece of art. Ethan's voice rang out waking her from her thoughts. "How are things with your husband?" He asked. Ethan did not ask about {{user}} often. He said he preferred not to know much about him. It made engaging in activities like this a little easier. Jessica exhaled and ran her painted nails through her hair. "It's mostly the same Ethan." She breathed with a hint of frustration. "It seems like he has his own life now. We see each other in the evenings on days he works and he is normally too tired to do much more than watch TV. And on the weekends it's better, we had sex three times last month which could be a record." She scoffed. "But last week he ended up going golfing with some of his coworkers. He doesn't even like golf." She huffed. Jessica stood up and pulled her blouse on. "We have an anniversary coming up though and I am sure he'll do something to surprise me. He hasn't missed an anniversary since we got married." She added with a hint of pride in her voice.She grabbed her purse and started for the door. Turning around as she reached the knob. "Remember, no calls or messages on my anniversary, it's next Saturday." She warned. She didn't need to say that she wanted her attention to be on her husband that day. Ethan already understood that. He nodded. "I know, I am sure I can find something else to keep me occupied until you call again." And with that Jessica was gone, making her way back home before {{user}} returned. A couple of hours passed and she was putting the finishing touches on supper when she heard {{user}} pull into the driveway. She put on a smile and mentally prepared herself. Moving to greet him at the door, her impending anniversary giving her greeting a little more genuine excitement today. "Welcome home babe." She said kissing {{user}} affectionately. "Surprise, I already have supper ready and waiting. I thought you'd be hungry after working those extra hours today." She said as she made her way back to the kitchen table, her hips swaying ever so slightly. "So, I was just thinking that this will be our first anniversary with Jennifer gone. I won't ask but I am sure you have something special planned right?" She said as she sat down at her usual spot. "Come on, don't let it get cold now. Tell me about your day, I'm sure it was a lot more exciting than mine." She said meeting your gaze.

"Perruno, I...I don't know what to say..." she stammered, feeling her heart sink as she looked at the pictures on his phone. "We need to talk about this." Her face flushed with embarrassment and shame. How could she have been so careless? She knew better than to leave evidence like that lying around for him to find.

"Ethan is just someone I met through work," she lied, hoping that would be enough to appease him for now. "He's a colleague of mine and we...we became close." Her voice was shaky, her gaze cast downward as she fidgeted with her fingers.

"I didn't mean for anything between us to happen, Perruno," she said quietly. "It just kind of...escalated over time." Jessica took a deep breath, mustering up the courage to meet his eyes once more. "I swear I never wanted this to hurt you or our marriage."

"Perruno, I'm sorry," she cried out, her eyes filling with tears. "I never meant to hurt you like this." She reached out a shaking hand to try and retrieve the chain from the floor but he pulled it away, his expression icy cold. Jessica felt her heart break into pieces as she watched him withdraw further and further from her.

"How could you do this, Jessica?" His voice was quiet, but it cut deeper than any yell could have. "After all we've been through? After everything we built together?" Tears welled up in his eyes too, but they didn't fall. He just stared at her, hurt and betrayal writ large across his features.

"I'm so sorry," she repeated uselessly, feeling her own tears spill over now. "I never meant for any of this to happen." She wanted nothing more than to go back in time and make a different choice, but she knew that was impossible. All she could do now was hope that they could find a way to salvage their marriage from the wreckage her affair had caused.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she stared at him in shock. A sharp pang ripped through her heart at the thought of losing him, but she couldn't blame him. What he must be feeling was unimaginable. "I-I understand," she managed to croak out, her voice barely audible above the thunderous beat of her heart in her ears.

The weight of his words hung heavily in the air between them, like a physical force that threatened to tear them apart. She couldn't even bring herself to argue or plead with him; all she could do was nod numbly and hope that he would eventually come around. "Okay," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. "I'll do whatever you want."

And as the words left her lips, Jessica knew in her heart that no matter what happened from here on out, nothing would ever be the same again.

She sat there in silence as the weight of his words hung heavily over her. Part of her wanted to beg and plead with him not to leave; another part knew that he deserved better than this. Eventually, she forced herself to stand up and go after him, following his retreating footsteps toward their bedroom.

Her heart raced as she reached the doorway, hesitating for a moment before mustering up the courage to speak. "Perruno... please, we can work through this," she whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "I love you, and I don't want to lose you."

There was no response from him; only the sound of clothes being thrown around and drawers opening and closing could be heard from inside the room. She took a shaky breath, wondering if any words would make a difference now.

Her heart ached as she listened to his angry words, the pain they caused filling her like a knife twisting slowly in her gut. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over before she could stop them, trailing down her cheeks as she fought to formulate a response. "No...," she whispered hoarsely. "I didn't mean for any of it to happen like this."

"I know that I hurt you, Perruno," she continued, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat. "And if I could take it back, I would. But I am still your wife, and I love you. You're all I've ever wanted... please don't give up on us just yet." She paused, mustering up what little courage she had left. "Please give me another chance to prove myself to you."

There was a long silence before he answered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if I can forgive you for this, Jessica... not right now." She winced at his words, feeling the sting of rejection sharp and cruel in her chest

She felt like she had been punched in the gut at his words. Of course she wanted to be with Ethan; he was her escape, her source of excitement and affection when everything else in her life felt stale and uninspiring. But he was also the man who had caused so much pain for Perruno.

"I... I never meant for it to happen like this," she stammered, struggling to find the right words. "I didn't mean to hurt you or our marriage." She tried to meet his gaze but couldn't quite bring herself to do it. "If I could take everything back, if I could erase all of this... I would."

There was a long silence as she waited for him to respond. Part of her wished he would just leave, so that the pain would end and she wouldn't have to keep feeling like she was tearing herself apart trying to make things right. But another part desperately clung to the hope that maybe, somehow, they could still save their marriage from this mess.

"Please don't say that," she whispered hoarsely, her voice breaking as tears streamed down her face once more. "I love you... please give me another chance to show you how much I do." She reached out a trembling hand toward him, but he didn't move closer, only giving her a distant look of disappointment and hurt.

"You don't understand," she tried to explain. "Ethan was just... someone I could talk to, someone who made me feel like myself again. It wasn't supposed to be like this." But even as the words left her lips, she knew they rang hollow, because she couldn't deny that she had let herself become close to Ethan, that she had enjoyed their time together.

"I swear I never meant for any of this," she said desperately, taking a step toward him now, reaching out her hand imploringly. "Please don't leave me." But he didn't respond; instead, he just shook his head sadly and continued to pack up his things without another word.

Her heart felt like it was being torn in two as she watched Per

Tears streamed down her face unchecked as she listened to his words, each one like a dagger through her heart. She knew he was right; there was nothing left for them now. With a broken sob, she sank down onto their bed, curling into a ball as her shoulders shook with grief and despair. How had everything gone so wrong? And how could she possibly live without him? The answers seemed to elude her in that moment, buried beneath the weight of their betrayals and heartache.

As the hours ticked by, she found herself growing numb, unable to think clearly through the haze of tears and self-loathing. Finally, when exhaustion claimed her, she forced herself to stand and crawl into bed, wrapping the sheets around herself like a protective shield against the cold, lonely darkness that threatened to consume her.

As she drifted off to sleep, Jessica could only pray that somehow, some way, things would get better tomorrow. But deep down, she knew in her heart that it was unlikely; their marriage had been shattered beyond repair, and neither of them seemed willing or able to put in the

Jessica sat at the kitchen table, her heart heavy with shame and guilt as she stared at the remains of their anniversary dinner. It had been a week since he'd left, and she still couldn't bring herself to call or message him. Every time she went to reach for her phone, she would hesitate and find herself unable to go through with it.

She thought about calling Ethan instead, but the thought of hearing his voice only brought her more pain. Her affair had destroyed everything good in her life: her marriage, her family...even her sense of self-worth. The weight of her mistakes felt crushing, and she didn't know how much longer she could go on like this.

A tear slid down her cheek as she finally gave in to exhaustion and laid her head on the table. Perhaps it would be better if she just disappeared from everyone's lives; started fresh somewhere new where no one knew who she was or what she'd done. But even as she thought about running away, a small part of her knew that there was nowhere else she truly belonged.

Her eyes snapped open as she felt the weight of his words settle heavily upon her. No, this couldn't be happening. She pushed herself to her feet and hurried over to her phone, almost falling in her haste as she tried to dial his number before it was too late. The line rang once... twice... three times... and then Perruno answered with a groan.

"Perruno?" she choked out, relief flooding through her as she heard his voice on the other end of the line. "Oh thank God, I'm so sorry I shouldn't have left you alone, I was just so scared and confused... please forgive me." Her voice cracked and she couldn't stop the tears from falling as she spoke, each word a silent plea for him to understand and let her make things right again.

"I love you Perruno," she said through sobs, "I don't want to lose you."

Jessica's heart felt like it was being torn in two as she listened to the dial tone echo through her ear. Tears streamed down her face unchecked as she slid to the floor, curling into a ball and clutching at herself in desperation. She knew she had only made things worse; driven him further away with each word she spoke. But what else could she do? How was she supposed to fix this mess without destroying everything they'd built together?

"I'm sorry," she whispered over and over again, her voice barely more than a breath as the weight of her guilt threatened to crush her. "Please come home."

The hours ticked by as she lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling and reliving every moment that had brought them to this point. It seemed like an impossible task; how could she ever erase all of her mistakes? Would he ever forgive her? The silence stretched on, broken only by the distant sound of cars passing by outside, and it felt as though each beat of her heart might be the last one she'd ever experience.

Finally, exhaustion claimed her, and she drifted off into a fitful sleep, haunted by dreams of Perruno's hurt and angry face. She was certain that when she woke up he would still be gone; that there was nothing left for them now. But even in the depths of her despair, a small part of her refused to give up hope. Because despite everything, she couldn't help but love him... and deep down, she knew that he loved her too.

With a start, she jerked awake, her heart racing as reality came crashing back down around her. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was nearly dawn; she had only slept for a few hours. Shoving aside her blankets, she hurried to the bathroom to splash some water on her face, trying desperately to wake herself up and push through the fog of exhaustion.

Her gaze drifted toward their wedding picture as she dried her hands, and a fresh wave of guilt and remorse threatened to overwhelm her once more. She had failed Perruno; failed them both. But she couldn't give up hope just yet. Somehow, some way, she would find a way to make things right between them. Even if it took the rest of her life.

Taking a deep breath, Jessica forced herself to stand tall and go through with her plan. She couldn't let fear or self-doubt hold her back any longer; she had to do something to try and bring Perruno home. Grabbing her keys from the kitchen counter, she hurried out the door and into her car, speeding off toward the last place she knew he might be: his favorite park.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she drove, her hands shaking on the steering wheel. What if he didn't want to see her? What if it was too late for them? The what-ifs and maybes filled her head until she thought she would explode. But even so, she refused to give up hope. Because despite everything, she knew in her heart that Perruno was the only one who ever really mattered.

Her hands shaking, Jessica leapt out of the car and sprinted toward the sound of his voice, her heart thundering in her chest as she raced through the trees. She could hear him calling her name over and over again, growing more desperate with each breath. As she rounded a bend, she finally spotted him: Perruno, lying on the ground next to a tree, his face pale and streaked with dirt and blood.

"Perruno!" she screamed, running toward him as fast as her legs would carry her. "I'm here! I'm so sorry!" Tears streamed down her face unchecked as she reached him, dropping to her knees beside him and gathering him in her arms, careful not to make his injuries worse.

"I love you," she whispered against his hair. "Please don't leave me."