At 8:00 PM, Laura couldn’t ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach any longer. She picked up her phone and dialed Leon’s number. It went straight to voicemail
“Hey, it’s me,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I guess you got held up at work. The food’s getting cold, so… I guess I’ll just put it away. Let me know when you’re on your way home, okay?”
Laura hung up and stared at the beautiful table setting, feeling foolish. How could she have thought a fancy dinner would fix everything? She began clearing the plates, blinking back tears of frustration and disappointment.
CHAPTER TWO–YET ANOTHER NIGHT, ALONE
As she wrapped up the uneaten steaks, a wave of anger washed over her. This wasn’t fair. She had put so much effort into this evening, and Leon couldn’t even be bothered to call and let her know he’d be late
Laura grabbed her phone again, this time dialing her sister’s number
“Hello?” her sister’s cheerful voice answered.
“Hey, Jen,” Laura said, her voice thick with unshed tears. “Are you busy right now?”
There was a pause. “Laura? What’s wrong?”
“I just… I need to talk Can I come over?”
“Of course,” Jen replied without hesitation. “I’ll put on some coffee.”
“Thanks,” Laura said, relief evident in her voice. “I’ll be there soon
She hung up and took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. A night with her sister was exactly what she needed right now. Laura grabbed her purse and car keys, giving one last glance at the remnants of her failed romantic evening before heading out the door.
The cool night air hit her tace as she stepped outside, a stark contrast to the studly atmosphere of disappointment she was leaving behind. Laura slid into her car, the leather seats cool against her skin. As she backed out of the driveway, she caught a glimpse of herself in the rearview mirror – mascara slightly smudged, lipstick faded. The sight only fueled her frustration.
“Get it together, Laura,” she muttered to herself, wiping at her eyes as she pulled onto the main road.
The streets were relatively quiet, most families already settled in for the night. Laura drove on autopilot, her mind replaying the events of the evening. How had she been so naive to think a simple dinner could fix years of growing distance?
Lost in thought, she almost missed the red light at the intersection of Maple and Oak Laura slammed on the brakes, her car jerking to a stop just in time. Her heart raced from the near miss, and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself.
As she waited for the light to change, movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention. Laura turned to see a familiar face in the car next to her Mrs. Pendleton, her nosy neighbor from three houses down.
Mrs. Pendleton’s window was already rolling down, and Laura reluctantly did the same, plastering on a polite smile.
“Laura, dear!” Mrs. Pendleton’s voice was shrill in the quiet night. “What are you doing out so late? And all dressed up, too!”
Laura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Tost heading to my sister’s, Mrs. Pendleton. How are you this evening?
The older woman’s eyes gleamed with curiosity. “Oh, I’m fine, dear. But are you alright? You look a bit frazzled.”
Laura’s fake smile faltered for a moment. “I’m fine, really. Just a long day.
Mrs. Pendleton leaned closer, her voice dropping to a stage whisper. “Is everything okay with you and Leon? I couldn’t help but notice his car hasn’t been in the driveway much lately.”
A flash of anger surged through Laura. How dare this woman pry into her personal life? But before she could formulate a suitably polite yet dismissive response, the light turned green
“Sorry, Mrs. Pendleton, I’ve got to go. Have a good night!” Laura said hurriedly, pressing the gas perhaps a bit too eagerly.
As she accelerated away from the intersection, Laura could see Mrs. Pendleton’s disappointed face in her rearview mirror. Great, now the whole neighborhood would be gossiping about her marriage by tomorrow attemoon.
Laura continued her drive, her lucides white on the steering wheel. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she almost missed the turn for her sister’s street. As she approached the familiar row of houses, something caught her eye
There, in the window of the new upscale restaurant that had opened last month, was a familiar silhouette. Laura’s breath caught in her throat. No, it couldn’t be….
She slowed the car, peering through the large front windows of the restaurant. And there he was Leon, sitting at a table near the window, looking more relaxed than she’d seen him in months. But he wasn’t alone.
Across from him sat a woman Laura didn’t recognize. She was striking long dark hair, animated expressions as she talked. And Leon… Leon was looking at her with rapt attention, a smile playing on his lips that Laura hadn’t seen directed at her in years.
Time seemed to stand still as Laur watched, her car idling at the curb. She saw Leon reach across the table, taking the woman’s hand in his. The woman laughed at something he said, her head thrown back in genuine mirth,
CHAFTER TWO – YET ANOTHER NIGHT, ALONE
And then, as if in slow motion, Laura watched as Leon leaned across the table. The woman met him halfway, and their lips met in a passionate kiss that left no doubt about the nature of their relationship.
Laura felt as if all the air had been sucked out of her lungs. Her vision blurred, whether from tears or shock, she couldn’t tell. She sat there, frozen, unable to look away from the scene unfolding before her
The bustling restaurant, the other diners, the cars passing by everything faded into the background. All Laura could see was her husband, the man she had spent the day trying to reconnect with, kissing another woman with more passion than he’d shown her in
years.
As the reality of what she was witnessing sank in, Laura’s hands began to shake on the steering wheel. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of what she was seeing, but all she could focus on was the image of Lean’s lips on the other woman’s.
CHAPTER THREE THE OTHER WOMAN
CHAPTER THREE – THE OTHER WOMAN
Laura’s hands trembled as she gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles white with tension. The image of Leon kissing that woman played on repeat in her mind, each recollection like a fresh stab to her heart. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear the tears that threatened to blur her vision.
“No,” she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. “No, no, no,”
Without fully realizing what she was doing, Laura maneuvered her car into a nearby parking spot. Her movements were mechanical, divorced from conscious thought. She killed the engine but remained seated, her chest heaving with ragged breaths.
The rational part of her brain screamed at her to drive away, to go to her sister’s as planned. But a louder, more primall voice drowned it out. It demanded answers, demanded justice.
Before she could second–guess herself, Laura flung open the car door and strode towards the restaurant. Her heels clicked against the pavement, each step fueled by a cocktail of rage and adrenaline.
As she pushed open the heavy glass door, the warm air of the restaurant hit her face, carrying with it the scent of expensive perfume and seared steak. Laura scanned the room, her eyes quickly finding their target.
There they sat, Leon and his mystery woman, laughing over glasses of red wine. The sight of them so casually enjoying their evening while her world crumbled made Laura’s blood boil
She marched over to their table, her presence unnoticed until she was upon them. Leon looked up, his smile freezing on his face as recognition dawned
“Laura?” he choked out, his eyes wide with shock. “What are you-”
“What am I doing here?” Laura cut him off, her voice trembling with barely contained fury. “Funny, I was about to ask you the same
thing, Leon.”
The woman across from Leon shifted uncomfortably in her seat, her gaze darting between Laura and Leon. “I’m sorry, who
“Who am I?” Laura laughed, but there was no humor in it. “I’m his wife. But clearly, that doesn’t mean much these days, does it?“!
Leon stood up abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. “Laura, please, let’s not do this here.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Laura spat, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “Am I embarrassing you? Interrupting your little date?
By now, the other diners had fallen silent, all eyes on the unfolding drama. Leon glanced around nervously, then back at Laura.
“Can we please take this outside?” he pleaded, reaching for her arm.
Laura jerked away from his touch as if it burned. “Don’t you dare touch me,” she hissed. “How long has this been going on, Leon? How long have you been lying to me?”
Leon ran a hand through his hair, a gesture Laura once found endearing but now made her want to scream. “It’s not what you think,
Laura. We’re just colleagues-”
“Colleagues?” Laura’s voice rose, echoing through the now–silent restaurant. “Do you usually kiss your colleagues like that, Leon? Is that some new corporate policy I’m not aware of?”
The woman at the table stood up, gathering her purse. “I should go,” she mumbled, not meeting Laura’s eyes.
“No, please, stay,” Laura said, her tone icily polite. “I’d love to hear your side of the story. How long have you been sleeping with my husband?
“Laura!” Leon’s voice was sharp. “That’s enough. You’re malding a scene.”
“I’m making a scene?” Laura laughed again, the sound bordering on hysterical. “You’re the one who’s been sneaking around behind my back, and I’m making a scene?”
She turned to address the room at large. “Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for disturbing your dinner. I just thought you should know that the man sitting here,” she gestured dramatically at Leon, “is a lying, cheating bastard.”
Leon’s face had turned an alarming shade of red. “For God’s sake, Laura, stop it. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
“No, Leon,” Laura said, her voice suddenly quiet but steely. “You’ve embarrassed me. You’ve humiliated me. Do you have any idea what I’ve been doing today? I spent hours cooking a special dinner for you, trying to salvage our marriage. And where were you? Here,
