Brad took his phone back.
He was staring at Chloe's reply.
I could tell he wanted to avoid discussing it.
But I had reached the point where I couldn't tolerate another unanswered question.
"What did you promise her?"
He looked at me.
"I told you."
"You told me you might leave. You haven't explained why she thinks you owe her the truth."
Brad put the phone down.
"Because I told her something that wasn't true."
I waited.
He looked toward the window.
"When we first started talking, I told her you and I were already separated."
I stared at him.
"Separated?"
He nodded.
"But we weren't."
"No."
I felt my face grow hot.
"Did you tell her we were living separate lives?"
"Yes."
"Did you tell her I knew about the separation?"
He shook his head.
"No."
I sat back.
So that was another lie.
He hadn't simply hidden the affair.
He had presented himself as a man whose marriage was already over.
He had made Chloe believe I was aware of what was happening.
And when she entered his life, she had apparently believed there was nothing left to protect.
I looked at him.
"Did she know we were still sleeping in the same bedroom?"
He looked uncomfortable.
"She knew we still lived together."
"That's not what I asked."
He didn't answer.
I understood.
I felt sick.
I remembered the mornings when he had kissed me goodbye.
The evenings when he had climbed into our bed.
The times when he had told me he loved me.
And somewhere else, he had been describing our marriage as finished.
I stood up.
"Why?"
Brad looked up.
"I was afraid she wouldn't want to get involved if she knew the truth."
I laughed.
"Of course."
He lowered his eyes.
"I know it was wrong."
"You made her believe you were free."
"Yes."
"And you made me believe we were still married in the same way we had always been."
He looked at me.
"We were still married."
"On paper, Brad."
He didn't respond.
I walked toward the kitchen.
I needed water.
The glass felt cold in my hand.
I took a small sip.
Then I looked at the black mug beside the sink.
I wondered how many lies had been hidden behind ordinary objects.
The mug.
The phone.
The blue shirt.
The tie.
The pharmacy bag.
Nothing about our home looked different.
Yet I felt as though I had returned to a house I no longer understood.
Brad followed me into the kitchen.
"Can I explain something?"
I turned around.
"Go ahead."
"When I started talking to Chloe, I was already unhappy."
"So was I."
He nodded.
"I know."
"But I didn't go looking for another man."
He looked down.
"You're right."
"I didn't tell someone else our marriage was over."
"I know."
"I didn't make promises to another person while still expecting you to cook dinner and wait for me."
His face tightened.
"I understand."
I shook my head.
"I don't think you do. But I hope you will."
He remained quiet.
Then he said something I hadn't expected.
"Chloe wasn't the only person I lied to."
I looked at him.
"What?"
"I lied to myself, too."
I didn't answer.
He explained that he had convinced himself the affair was temporary.
He had told himself that he would eventually make a decision.
He had told himself that keeping the two parts of his life separate would prevent anyone from getting hurt.
It was a convenient story.
A selfish one.
And I didn't feel sorry for him.
But I listened.
Because I wanted to understand how a person could spend months destroying something while telling himself he was protecting it.
I looked at the appointment papers.
"Now tell me what this report means."
Brad sat down.
He pointed toward the section referring to our earlier consultation.
He explained that the specialist had recommended another discussion before we made any decisions about starting a family.
There were questions about our previous records.
There were options to consider.
Nothing had been finalized.
Nothing had been approved.
The paperwork was only the beginning of a conversation.
I read it again.
"Why did you think this was something you had to arrange secretly?"
"I wanted to surprise you."
I shook my head.
"You keep saying that."
He looked at me.
"I thought if I could organize everything first, you'd feel hopeful again."
I placed the document down.
"I don't need a surprise, Brad. I need a husband who tells me the truth."
He nodded.
I knew he wanted to hold my hand.
He didn't.
For once, he seemed to understand that I needed space.
His phone vibrated again.
He looked at the screen.
It was Chloe.
He didn't open it immediately.
I watched him.
"Read it."
He did.
Then he placed the phone on the counter.
"What did she say?"
He hesitated.
"She wants to speak to you."
I stared at him.
"Why?"
"She says there's something she needs to explain."
I felt my stomach tighten.
I didn't want to speak to Chloe.
I didn't want to hear another explanation.
But I also knew that her involvement in the appointment and her relationship with Brad were connected.
And I wanted to know whether she had been told the same lies I had.
"Tell her I'll listen."
Brad looked surprised.
"Are you sure?"
"No. But I'm tired of everyone deciding what I should know."
He nodded.
Then he typed a reply.
A few moments later, another message appeared.
Chloe said she would come.
I looked at the clock.
The day had already become something I could never have imagined that morning.
I had started it believing I was going to punish my husband.
I was ending it preparing to meet the woman who had helped him lie.
And I knew I would have to hear her out without forgetting what she had done.
Click here to continue reading: PART 12: When Chloe Finally Agreed to Face Me, I Discovered That Brad Had Given Both of Us Different Versions of the Same Marriage
I Thought My Husband Was Meeting Another Woman That Morning, Until One Small Detail Made Me Question Everything
Part 11 of 20
