Miriam notices her husband taking his wedding ring off before leaving for work. She follows him one day, only to see him visiting a young woman's house in an unfamiliar neighborhood.
It was a typical day for Miriam. Her husband Jack left for work, and laundry was the next big task on her list. She was sorting the clothes that needed a wash, when she noticed a hole in Jack's old sock.
"Oh God, Jack!" she chuckled. "You're still a kid! How often do I have to remind you to throw away your old socks?"
Miriam then decided to go through Jack's sock drawer and discard the worn-out ones.
As Miriam began sorting the socks, she felt something like a tiny object tucked away inside a sock. She pulled it out and sat back in shock. It was her husband's wedding ring…
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"Jack's ring? How did it end up here when he's supposed to be wearing it?" Miriam gasped.
She assumed Jack had forgotten he'd kept the ring in the drawer. But something about how neatly and carefully the ring was concealed inside the hose confused Miriam.
Was Jack hiding the ring intentionally? Miriam decided to find out and called him immediately. But when her call went unanswered, she rang his office.
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"Mrs. Parker? Good afternoon!" Jack's office secretary answered. "How is Mr. Parker doing now? We hope he's better."
"Jack is fine," Miriam responded, even more confused by the concern in the secretary's voice.
"That's really good to hear! We were all a little worried. Mr. Parker is a great businessman...but he needs to take care of his health. I hope he gets well soon and returns to the office. You know...not seeing him around for the past several days has been very weird."
Miriam's heart raced. She now understood that Jack hadn't been to his office in days.
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Miriam faked a 'thank you' and hung up. Jack had been keeping her in a web of lies, and it only suddenly dawned on her now. If he wasn't showing up to work every day, where was he going?
As several disturbing thoughts gnawed at Miriam's mind, she grew desperate to find out what was going on with Jack. She was waiting for him to be home when a message from his number flashed on her phone screen.
"Darling, please don't wait up. Something urgent's come up at work. I'll be late again. Sorry, babe :("
Tears sprang into Miriam's eyes. Suppressing her rising panic, she typed: "It's OK, babe. See you later, xoxo."
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Miriam was now sure that Jack was hiding something from her. She decided to confront him and waited wide awake for as long as she could. But when Miriam opened her eyes, it was already morning.
She had dozed off waiting for Jack and was alone in their bedroom. Miriam slipped into her robe and ran downstairs, only to see Jack putting his plate in the sink.
"Morning, honey!" he smiled at her as he dried his hands on the kitchen towel. Miriam noticed the wedding ring on his finger and sighed.
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"You in a rush today?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah, babe," he approached and kissed her. "I have an important meeting. You were sleeping like a bear...so I didn't want to wake you. I made your favorite scrambled eggs! Enjoy your breakfast."
"Thanks, Jack...I wanted to talk to you about something. I was—"
"Sorry, honey. I'm running late. I promise I'll try to come home early today so we can talk, okay? I gotta go now. Love you!"
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Miriam nodded. She was partly relieved after seeing Jack wearing the wedding ring. But something about his leaving home early these days and lying about going to work didn't add up.
Jack briefly went upstairs before running back down, leaving a half-hearted peck on Miriam's cheek, and walking out the front door with his briefcase. She waved goodbye, but he didn't stop to respond. Then, Miriam noticed something unusual about Jack. He was wearing winter gloves!
She dashed to their bedroom and frantically checked Jack's sock drawer.
"Jesus, this can't be..." Miriam froze when she found his wedding ring hidden in another sock this time.
A married man hiding his wedding ring meant only one thing—but Miriam couldn't accuse Jack of cheating yet...not without proof.
She got dressed and decided to follow him on foot to the bus stop near their house. She saw Jack fidgeting with his phone while waiting for the bus. But the bus he boarded minutes later was different from the usual one he took to work.
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Miriam discreetly boarded the crowded bus through a different entrance and sat far from Jack. Half an hour later, the bus stopped, and Jack got off. Miriam saw him heading to a residential area in a nucleated neighborhood miles away from their home.
Miriam hid behind a tree and watched Jack approach a small house and ring the doorbell. Moments later, the door creaked open, and a young woman, about 10 years younger than Jack, greeted him.
Miriam was shocked as she watched Jack and the woman kissing passionately on the doorstep before disappearing inside.
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The very sight of it made her throw up. She couldn't believe Jack was cheating on her...that too with a woman a decade younger than him.
Miriam wanted to storm inside the house and catch Jack and his mistress red-handed. But she didn't want to take that risk. After all, if Jack learned that Miriam knew about his affair, he would easily leave her and move on with his newfound love.