Chapter 4: The Temptation
Spring arrived with a restless energy. The city bloomed, people lingered at cafés, and Ada's friends started inviting her to more gatherings. David encouraged her to go—"You need more fun, Ada, not just work and home," he would say. But Ada never admitted the truth: she didn't feel safe anywhere but beside him. Every separation felt like a test she might fail.
One Thursday evening, David came home later than usual, smelling faintly of cologne. Not his usual one, something sharper, unfamiliar. Ada's pulse quickened.
"Long day?" she asked, keeping her tone neutral.
"Yeah. There was an after-work hangout," David replied, loosening his tie. "Some of the team went out for drinks. I didn't plan to stay long."
Ada's gaze flicked to his phone when he placed it on the counter. Her heart thudded with the old suspicion, the urge to scroll, to check. She hated herself for it, but the temptation gnawed at her.
"Who was there?" she asked casually.
"Just the usual crew. Mark, Theo, and—oh, you'd like her—Angela. She's hilarious. You two would get along."
Her.
The word cracked something inside Ada. She forced a smile, but her mind spiraled. Who was Angela? Did she sit next to him? Laugh at his jokes? Did he notice the way she tucked her hair behind her ear?
That night, while David showered, Ada picked up his phone. Her thumb hovered over the screen. The passcode she knew by heart. One swipe, and she could see everything. Proof. Relief. Or devastation.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly. Her hand trembled.
Then she heard the water shut off.
Panic jolted through her. She set the phone down quickly, pretending to fold laundry just as David stepped out in a towel.
"Hey," he said, smiling at her. "I was thinking maybe we could do something this weekend. Just us." Ada nodded, forcing a calm she didn't feel. But inside, she knew: she had crossed an invisible line. The doubt wasn't just in her anymore—it was in their home, watching, waiting, feeding on her silence.