But the image wouldn’t leave my mind — Rachel laughing softly beside Arthur, her hand resting a little too long on his arm. The way he avoided my eyes when I asked simple questions.
That night, after Ben fell asleep, I asked him gently, “Arthur, how long have you known Rachel?”
“I know,” I said quietly. “But Ben said he saw something today. You two seemed… close.”
He sighed, shaking his head. “Julia, I just buried my father. Don’t start with this now.”
His tone was sharp — defensive, dismissive. I wanted to believe him. But something in the way he said it felt rehearsed, too easy.
And so, the next morning, I decided to find the truth for myself.
The Discovery That Broke the Illusion
For years, Arthur and I had shared a work email account back when we ran small projects together. He’d long forgotten about it, but I hadn’t.
That day, with trembling hands, I logged in.
The inbox was full of corporate messages — contracts, travel arrangements, invoices — all routine. But then I saw them: the personal emails.
Late-night messages. Hotel bookings. Photos from trips he had said were “for business.”
