Have you ever seen Meir like this?

Lucille sent me another message on WhatsApp, with a touch of smugness.

"You always keep him on a tight schedule, making sure he goes to bed early and wakes up early, not to mention those health smoothies he drinks. He's only truly at ease when he's with me."

I had indeed never seen this side of Meir.

He was usually a workaholic, rarely making time for shopping or trips with me. Because of this, his health had declined, prompting me to encourage the smoothies and a disciplined routine.

I still hadn't responded to Lucille. Meir and I had been married for ten years. I wanted him to tell me about this himself.

I texted him: "Call me when you have a chance for a video chat."

And then, I waited and waited for his call.

Evening came; after Erin, the nurse, did her rounds and turned off the lights, I was still waiting for the call.

Scrolling through Lucille's Instagram, I saw she'd posted again. There was a photo of a man and woman in bed, just their shoulders visible under the covers.

"He's so considerate. Even when we travel, he brings his own bedding from home," she wrote as the caption.

The comments were filled with admiration:

"I'm so envious of the love between you and your boyfriend."

"Guys like him are hard to come by. My boyfriend just sleeps all the time when we're out!"

"Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness."

I clicked on her profile and saw her popularity had skyrocketed after posting a video of her and Meir at St. Peter's Basilica, garnering numerous likes and followers.

In the video, Meir, who was usually so precise and polished, was kneeling under the cathedral, praying for her. Everyone thought he was amazing and admired Lucille.

But they didn’t know this man was my husband.

While he was praying for someone else, I was in the operating room, halfway to the grave.

That night, I was tossing and turning, unable to get any sleep.

As dawn broke, Meir still hadn’t called. Back in college, we were carefree, often setting off on impulsive trips. We faced so much together, and back then, he truly loved me. But now, it seems he’s tired of the daily grind, caught up in life's routines and the demands of being a parent.

That's okay. I'll let him go.

But before I do, I've decided to leave him with a parting gift.

I’ve been carefully saving every post Lucille Stone shared on Facebook. I know Meir still loves me because there hasn't been any real issue with our marriage. He's just seeking some excitement, acting like everything is perfectly normal between us.

But I'm not going to let him have it both ways.

When he comes back, I'll turn those Facebook screenshots and my candid photos into a collage. I want him to see exactly what I've been dealing with while he's been away.

In the afternoon, I finally got a video call from Meir.

I quickly changed my clothes and sat by the window.

"Joelle, during my business trip, I came across these accessories. Let me know if you like any of them."

On the screen, there was a local vendor in the Swiss Alps displaying some traditional jewelry.

"I like that little charm."

"When the baby arrives, I'll give it to them."

This charm will eventually become the instrument to pierce Meir’s deceitful heart.

"Okay."

He paid for it immediately, then switched the camera back to himself.

His face was full of tenderness on the other side of the call.

"I've been tied up lately. Take care of yourself and the baby. I'll return when you're close to the due date."

"Mm."

I answered softly.

"Meir, do you miss me?"

"Of course I do. I miss your cooking, and I want to hold you as we sleep. I'll be back soon."

He replied cheerfully, without the faintest hint of his infidelity.

"I have to get back to work now. I'll call you when I have some free time."

"Alright..."

As I watched the call end, it felt like a piece of my heart was missing.

Lucille's Instagram had a new update.

"This charm looks beautiful. He said it's for our future child."

The charm in the picture was identical to the one I had just picked.

She's deliberately taunting me.

I remember I was the one who introduced Lucille to Meir as his assistant. Her family was struggling financially, and she had just graduated. When she came for an interview, I happened to meet her. Seeing her situation, I helped her land a position through Meir.

Little did I know I was inviting a wolf into my home.