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When Jonathan's wife starts coming home late with strange marks on her wrists, doubt begins to creep into their once-solid marriage. An unexpected visit to his office threatens to unravel everything, until a deeper truth forces him to question not his loyalty, but how he truly sees the woman he loves.
My wife used to be home before dinner.
Always.
Even when things were hectic at work, Nara would come home in time to eat with us, help Lena with her homework, and maybe sneak in one of those murder mystery shows she swore she didn't like.
A man standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
A man standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
She is one of the accounting managers at a large corporation. Nara is intelligent, organized, the kind of woman who never loses track of time.
But lately, things have changed.
She started coming home well after Lena's bedtime. Every night
A woman sitting at a desk | Source: Midjourney
A woman sitting at a desk | Source: Midjourney
"We're in the middle of something important. I have to stay late. It's just work," she said when I asked.
I wanted to believe her. My wife never gave me a reason not to believe her. Yet, I couldn't shake the unease inside me. The hardest part?
When our 10-year-old daughter, Lena Rose, started frowning and shaking her head.
"Is Mom coming home tonight?" she would ask, digging into the dinner I had made that night.
A little girl sitting at a kitchen counter | Source: Midjourney
A little girl sitting at a kitchen counter | Source: Midjourney
It had been about a week since Nara had adopted her "new routine" when I noticed the marks.
She was in the bathroom, brushing her hair after her shower. I barely had the energy to keep my eyes open, but I hadn't seen her properly in days.
"Go to sleep, Jonathan," she said. "I'll go upstairs right away, and first I'll kiss Lena goodnight."
A woman standing in a bathroom | Source: Midjourney
A woman standing in a bathroom | Source: Midjourney
As his hand moved up and down, I focused on those two faint lines around his wrists. They were red, almost raw. They were the kind of lines that looked like they came from a tight watchband.
But here's the thing: Nara hates wearing watches.
When we first started dating, we walked past a jewelry store and I was looking at all the costume bracelets.
Bracelets on display in a store | Source: Midjourney
Bracelets on display in a store | Source: Midjourney
"They're beautiful, Jon," she told me. "But not for me! I don't like anything on my wrists. I wear a watch now and then, but even that's a bit small for me."
She said it casually, as if it were one of her quirks. But I remembered. She was Nara, how could I not?
So when I saw the marks, I asked him directly. I figured we were strong enough to have an honest conversation.
A man sitting on a bed | Source: Midjourney
A man sitting on a bed | Source: Midjourney
My wife blinked, as if I'd caught her off guard. Then, surprisingly, she blushed. Another rare thing for Nara.
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