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.

"A woman at work..." Her voice trailed off as she considered what he had just told her. "Well I hope that means you have been working hard and not playing with the new girl." She smiled, trying to make light of the situation even though a part of her felt a little bit of jealousy creep in. "Anyway," she continued, forcing herself to change the subject. "I was talking about our anniversary. We should do something special to celebrate. You know, go out to dinner or something." Her gaze drifted to Thiran's necklace before quickly looking away again. A gift he had received from their last business trip together before Jennifer left for college. It was a beautiful gold chain with an intricate pendant in the shape of a Celtic knot. She wondered if that meant anything to him now, or if it just reminded him of her past interest in his career successes.

Jessica's heart dropped as she saw the photo on her phone. For a moment, all she could think about was how to explain it away without revealing Ethan's identity. "Oh, no," she stammered, trying to hide the photo from Thiran's view. "That must be a mistake... someone must have sent that by accident." She quickly tapped on her phone, looking for a way to delete the message without Thiran noticing what it was. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment as she did so.

Her heart pounded in her chest as she met his gaze. She knew there was no point in denying it now; he had seen the photo. "I-I'm so sorry, Thiran." Her voice shook with emotion. "It means nothing... He's just someone I used to work with... We were just kids then... It's been years..." She tried desperately to find the words that would make this all better, but she knew deep down that it was already too late.

Thiran slowly rose from his seat, setting down his fork with a loud clang. "I don't believe you," he spat out. "You were my high school sweetheart... We got married... And you cheated on me?" He stared at her in disbelief, tears welling up in his eyes. "I am so sorry," she repeated, reaching out to touch his arm but pulling

Her heart sank as he pointed out the obvious facts. There was no use denying it anymore. "I... I'm sorry," she repeated, her voice barely a whisper. "It means nothing..." She couldn't meet his eyes any longer; instead, she focused on playing with her fingers. "Nothing?" Thiran asked incredulously. "You made love to him today and you think it means nothing? After nineteen years of marriage?" Tears began to stream down his face now as he paced back and forth across the kitchen floor. "How could you do this to me?" Jessica stayed silent, her chest tight with pain. She knew she had hurt him badly; there was no denying it anymore. All she could do was hope that somehow they could find their way through this together... if he'd even want to try.

"No," she whispered. "That's not it at all." Her hands trembled as she reached up to wipe away her own tears. "It wasn't about being bored with you... I love you, Thiran. You know that!" But even as she said the words, she knew they sounded hollow and false. How could she ever explain what had drawn her to Ethan, or why it felt so different with him than it did with Thiran? "Then why?" he asked, his voice choked with emotion. "Why would you do this? Why would you risk everything we've built together for a cheap thrill with some other man?" His eyes pierced into hers, searching for answers that she didn't have. "I-I don't know," she stammered. "It just... happened." She closed her eyes, wishing she could take back everything that had led up

Jessica winced at his words, hating the way they stung so deeply. "I-I know it doesn't make sense... I shouldn't have done it..." She bowed her head, struggling to find the right thing to say. "But Ethan and I used to be close... before you and I started dating, even... and when he reached out after everything happened with Jennifer, it just felt..." Her voice trailed off, unable to put into words what it had felt like to have someone pay attention to her again. Someone who made her feel wanted and desired. Even if that someone was unavailable. "It's not an excuse," she finally whispered. "I should never have done it. I would take it back if I could, but..." She looked up at Thiran with tear-filled eyes, hoping he might understand somehow. "So you just had a one night stand because

Jessica hung her head as he spoke, ashamed at the truth of what she'd done. "I-I never meant to hurt you... I just needed..." She trailed off, not sure how to finish that thought. She knew that Thiran had been a good husband to her, and he deserved better than this. But Ethan had filled a void in her life that Thiran couldn't seem to touch no matter how hard he tried. Her heart ached at the thought of losing him; they had shared so much together. More than she could ever share with Ethan. But she knew that if she wanted any chance at salvaging their marriage, it would have to end with Ethan. And soon. She just hoped that Thiran wouldn't make any rash decisions before she could convince him of her love and commitment.

"Thiran, please..." Jessica pleaded, her voice breaking. "Don't leave like this... We can work through this together..." Tears streamed down her face as she reached out to him, but he didn't seem to hear her or even acknowledge her presence anymore. With a heavy heart and an aching chest, she watched him walk away, wondering if there was still any hope left for them.

Her eyes widened as she saw him toss the box her way. Stunned and hurt, she couldn't speak for a moment. She stared at the ring, feeling the weight of it in her hand even before opening the box to see its contents. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she picked it up, her fingers trembling. "Thiran..." she whispered, choking back another sob. "Please... I'm so sorry." But he was gone before she could finish her plea, leaving her alone with nothing but the ring and her guilt.

She stared at the ring, her breath coming in short gasps as she struggled to hold back her tears. For a moment, everything seemed so surreal; she couldn't believe that what had started out as a harmless flirtation had ended up tearing apart not only her marriage but also her entire life. The weight of her guilt pressed down on her chest like an anchor, making it difficult to breathe. "I-I love you," she whispered to the empty room, her voice shaking with emotion. "And I'm so sorry..." She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling more lost and alone than ever before. What was she supposed to do now? How could she possibly fix this mess? All she knew was that if there was any hope for them, she needed to find a way to convince Thiran to forgive her. And soon.