It all started innocently enough. Madison noticed a Post-it on the fogged-up mirror that read, Miss you already, last night was amazing! XOXO. Initially, she thought it was sweet, believing Ryan had left her a little surprise. After a few years of marriage, these small gestures were rare, so it sparked a bit of joy in her.
They had gone out the night before, and Madison had a few too many cocktails, falling into bed without removing her makeup. She hadn’t noticed the note until the next morning, but it immediately brightened her day. She sent Ryan a playful text: Hey Babe! I saw your cute little note on the mirror. Loved it! 😘
A few minutes later, Ryan responded—but it wasn’t the sweet reply she expected. Uh, what note, Madison?
Confused, Madison sent him a photo of the note, waiting anxiously for a response. When he finally replied, something felt off. Oh! Haha! Yeah, I left that for you! Totally forgot! The message lacked his usual emojis, and the awkwardness in his tone was palpable. A sinking feeling set in—was this note meant for someone else?
The thought consumed her. Throughout the day, she couldn’t concentrate on work, replaying every moment in her mind. Ryan wouldn’t cheat, right? They were solid… or so she thought. But the unease lingered.
That evening, when Ryan returned home, he seemed completely unaware of Madison’s growing suspicion. He kissed her head and asked casually, “What’s for dinner?” She brushed him off, using work as an excuse to avoid him. Inside, though, she was spiraling. Something wasn’t right.
Later that night, when Ryan was asleep, Madison did something she never imagined—she went through his phone. There were no secret texts, no suspicious calls. His phone was too clean, and that only made her more anxious. She couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding something.
Days later, her gut feeling was proven right, but not in the way she expected.
Ryan had come home early from work, tense and distracted. When Madison asked what was going on, he gave a rehearsed answer about helping his dad, Bob, with his laptop. This struck her as odd—Bob had been stopping by more than usual recently. Madison’s suspicions deepened when Ryan’s mother, Claire, called later that week, asking if she’d seen Bob lately. Something didn’t add up.
Madison decided to investigate. The next time Bob came over, she pretended to run errands but parked around the corner. After a few minutes, a woman approached the house and entered. Heart pounding, Madison snuck back into the house. She heard the shower running and, when she peeked into the bathroom, she saw Bob—with the woman who had just walked in. It wasn’t Claire.
Madison was furious. She burst into the bathroom, shocking both Bob and the woman. “What the hell, Bob?” she yelled. The woman quickly grabbed her clothes and fled. Bob stammered, trying to come up with excuses, but Madison didn’t want to hear them. The truth was undeniable: Bob was using her home for his affair.
Later that night, Madison confronted Ryan. His face went pale, but at first, he tried to deny any knowledge of his father’s affair. Finally, after Madison pressed him, he confessed. “Of course, I knew, Madison!” he said. “He’s my father. He asked me to cover for him, and I did. It’s better this way—so my mom won’t find out.”
Madison was livid. While Ryan wasn’t cheating, he had been complicit in the whole thing, turning their home into Bob’s secret hideaway. They argued for hours, and Ryan still didn’t understand why she was so upset.
The next morning, Madison called Claire and told her everything. Claire’s reaction was calm but decisive. “Pack your bags, Madison,” she said. “We’re leaving.”
By the end of the week, both women had filed for divorce. Madison couldn’t stay with Ryan, and Claire couldn’t forgive Bob. Now, the two women live together in a cozy apartment, free from the lies and betrayal of their pasts. It’s been a refreshing, empowering change.
What would you have done?
