And their trips? Always ended with staying away from home.
Each time she returned, I'd grill her for details.
Initially, Lily would assure me they were just friends, staying calm till I backed off.
She even shared her phone passcode to reassure me she'd be home nightly.
For a while, she stopped staying out.
I believed maybe she did care, at least a bit. I was wrong.
Post-marriage, her ties with David only grew stronger.
Her patience thinned, and answers were reduced to a single excuse. David was just a friend, and I was being paranoid.
Then one late night, she was too tired and fell asleep fast.
A message chimed on her phone.
Not thinking much of it, I ignored it until I saw it was from David.
Opening it, I was jolted awake.
[Lily, had fun at my place today?]
[Thinking of getting some sexy stockings; you'd look killer in them.]
[Andrew can't cut it, but hey, you have me.]
Followed by a pouty kiss selfie.
That night, my mind was blown.
Insomnia captured me.
Before, they'd avoid me during their meet-ups.
But now, Lily had him over at our place, right under my nose.
After hanging up, I went home.
But I didn't do it for reconciliation.
I had something serious to discuss.
When I confronted Lily, she slammed our dirty, crumpled wedding photo to the floor.
I took a glance at it.
It only showed Lily, edited to highlight her alone, for the reason that she wanted to flaunt her prettiest statue.
Now it had turned into a symbolic of our fractured marriage.
"Andrew, really? It was just David's birthday. Are you that insecure to trash our photo over it? You know it's my favorite."
David looked on, clearly amused, waiting to see me grovel.
This time, he was bound to be disappointed.
I responded, "No sense in keeping what's already broken."
Lily bristled, poised to lash out again.
David stepped in, his hands on her shoulders, "Come on, Lily, no need for drama over a photo. We'll make new memories, take new pictures."
His words eased her mood, and she smiled at him, "You're always so thoughtful, unlike someone who only stirs up trouble over every little thing, making our home a battleground."
She shot me a glare and then turned to David, "David, didn't you bring something for him?"
David nodded, pulling out some pills, "Got these abroad. They work miracles for certain, um, issues. Might help with your stubborn situation too."
He emphasized "stubborn" with a knowing smirk.