Two months on a business trip, and my wife got married. I stared at my phone screen, my fingers trembling slightly. "Welcome everyone to our wedding!" Sarah's Facebook post included a wedding photo. In it, she wore a stunning gown, her arm linked with a man's elbow, and her other hand held the hand of a kid who looked about five or six. But the guy standing next to her wasn't me – it was her ex, Jake Harding. Two months ago, the company shipped me out of state for work. I never imagined that in just a few short weeks, my wife would be married. 1 With shaking fingers, I zoomed in on the picture. Her stomach was perfectly flat, not showing any hint of being four months pregnant. But my wife had just had her four-month check-up! A ridiculous feeling washed over me from my toes to the top of my head. Had my whole life been turned upside down in just two months? Several friends commented, "Sarah, what's going on? Aren't you already married?" Sarah's reply was blunt: "Mark cheated on me. We're divorced!" What? My vision blurred, and I almost dropped the phone. How could I have cheated? For the last two months, all I'd done was work and call her every day to check on her and the baby. Now she was announcing on Facebook that I'd cheated? I don't know why, but I opened our chat window and sent her a message: "Sarah, is what you said on Facebook true? We're still married." I waited a full ten minutes before my phone finally buzzed. "It's just a sham marriage, what's the big deal?" Staring at those words on the screen, it felt like I'd been punched in the chest. A sham marriage? We'd had a marriage license for two years and been married for one. Now she was telling me it was all fake? I tried calling her, but no one answered. I called again, and still just got the cold, automated message. Sitting in my hotel room, looking out at the still-bustling Chicago skyline, I felt like my world had just collapsed. 2 It was three in the morning, and I was still tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The photo just kept replaying in my mind. Sarah and I had been together for four years, married for one. We were so in love. How could she have gone and married someone else? I opened her Facebook profile and started scrolling. She hadn't posted much in the last two months, just a few updates about everyday stuff. Before that, it was all photos of us together – food we'd eaten, trips we'd taken. It looked so perfect. But now it all felt like a lie. My head was spinning. Was she being forced into this? Had someone hacked her account? Or had Jake done something to coerce her? Or… had she really betrayed me? I tried calling her again, but still no answer. My phone vibrated. It was a text from my mom: "Honey, someone at the store said they saw Sarah with a man, all cozy and holding hands. What's going on?" My heart sank. The phone lit up again. It was Sarah's friend, Lisa: "Mark, I don't know if I should tell you this, but Sarah's been acting weird lately. Last week I saw her at a coffee shop with a guy, and they were all over each other. When I asked her about it, she said he was her cousin… but…" I shot up in bed, cold sweat running down my forehead. I immediately called the project manager and told him there was a family emergency and I needed to get back home right away. After hanging up, I booked the earliest flight back. Looking out at the colorful city lights, my mind wandered back to that day a year ago. Sarah stood outside the courthouse in a white sundress, smiling brighter than the sun. She took my hand, leaned into me, and said, "Mark, I'm only marrying you for life." I bent down and kissed her forehead: "I'll always be good to you." Now, that vow seemed like the biggest joke of all. 3 As soon as the plane landed, I jumped in a cab and raced home. On the way, I tried to stay calm, telling myself there might be another explanation. I ran into Mrs. Olsen, my neighbor, at the entrance to our complex. She paused when she saw me: "Mark, you're back? I thought you guys had moved out." "Moved? What makes you say that?" "I saw Sarah with a guy a few days ago, carrying a bunch of stuff out. I figured you were moving to a new place," Mrs. Olsen said, looking confused. "Wasn't that you with her?" My heart sank. I unlocked the door, and the stale, stuffy air of a house that hadn't been aired out in a long time hit me. From the living room to the bedroom to the kitchen, the whole place felt cold and empty. Sarah's things were gone. Only a few of her less-worn clothes were left in the closet. Our wedding photo sat on the nightstand. She was wearing her wedding dress and smiling sweetly. That smile just made me feel bitter. There was a trash bag under the coffee table, full of torn-up photos. I pieced them back together, one by one. They were all snapshots of happy moments with Sarah. In every photo, my face had been carefully torn out. It was pure hatred. My phone buzzed. It was Lisa. "Mark, are you home? I need to tell you something in person." Half an hour later, at the coffee shop, Lisa nervously stirred her coffee, avoiding my gaze. "Mark, I don't even know how to say this… Sarah, she started seeing Jake about two months ago." "Jake? Her college boyfriend?" "Yeah, that's him." Lisa bit her lip and continued. "Jake got divorced last year and has a kid. He contacted Sarah, and they started hanging out a lot. I thought they were just friends, but then…" "But then what?" "A month ago, I saw them outside a hotel… hugging and kissing." Lisa looked down, her face red. "I asked Sarah about it, and she said things weren't working out between you two, that you'd been seeing someone else. But Mark, I know you. I know you wouldn't do that…" I clenched my fist so hard my nails dug into my skin. Sarah hadn't just cheated, she'd slandered me too? "There's something else," Lisa hesitated. "Her stomach…" "What about her stomach?" "She might have had an abortion…" Lisa didn't finish the sentence, but I understood. Tears welled up in my eyes. I'd guessed as much the moment I saw the ripped-up photos. I just hadn't wanted to believe it. 4 I wandered aimlessly down the street after leaving the coffee shop, lost in my own head. I passed a bar and somehow found myself pushing open the door. A few drinks in, I could almost forget my troubles. But I couldn't drown the pain. After a couple of shots, I started rambling, telling the bartender my story. "Hey man, easy on the drinks. Go home and figure out what to do," the bartender said, handing me a glass of water. "One woman doesn't define your whole life." I gave him a bitter smile and shook my head. Sarah was my everything. From college sweethearts to marriage, to dreaming of having kids… I'd poured my heart and soul into our relationship, and it had all ended in this gut-wrenching pain. The alcohol loosened my tongue. I pulled out my phone and dialed Sarah's number. To my surprise, she picked up. "Hello?" Her voice was cold and unfamiliar. "Sarah, why is this happening?" I asked, fighting back tears. "What went wrong? What did I do?" There was a pause on the other end, then a cold laugh: "Mark, stop pretending. I knew you were seeing someone else. Did you have a good time on your business trip?" "I didn't! It's always been you!" I almost yelled. "Enough," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I've found someone who truly loves me, and you're free too. Let's just call it quits. As for the baby…" She paused. "It's gone. And it might not have even been yours." It was like a knife twisting in my heart. "What are you saying? That baby wasn't mine?" "Who knows? Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't." Her nonchalant tone made me want to smash my phone. "Mark, we're over. Sign the divorce papers and let's be done with it." "You and Jake have been together for a while, haven't you? When did you start seeing each other?" Another pause. "Does it matter? What matters is that I love him now, and I don't love you." She hung up. I slammed my fist on the table, scraping my knuckles and drawing blood. I wouldn't let it end like this. I would find out the truth.
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