My Husband's Other Life

On my 30th birthday, my husband, Miles Harrington, was out of town on a business trip. To make it up to me, he had a cake delivered. What arrived at my door was a Superman cake that looked like it belonged at a three-year-old's birthday party. I was about to call him when my phone rang. "Honey, you're not gonna believe this. That bakery messed up my order and sent you the wrong cake." I didn't think much of it. Instead, I posted the story on my social media account as a funny little birthday mishap. Comments started pouring in almost immediately. [Was it really the bakery's mistake, or does your husband have a kid somewhere?] I laughed it off. Miles and I had been together since college. We dated, got married, and built a life together. Other than not having children, we were the kind of couple people envied. But as the post gained traction and the comments kept coming, I decided maybe it was time to delete it. Before I could, I got a direct message from the bakery. [Hi there. I wanted to clarify, the delivery driver didn't mix up the orders. Mr. Harrington bought two cakes. He accidentally swapped the delivery addresses.] Chapter 1 I stared at the texts from the bakery. I read them again and again, trying to convince myself I had gotten it wrong. My eyes started to sting, but the doubt wouldn't go away. Yesterday morning, Miles told me he had been sent out of town on short notice. He held me for a long moment, guilt written all over his face. "Valerie, I'm sorry. I can't be there for your birthday again this year." I smiled and shook my head. "I'm turning 30. It's not exactly a milestone worth celebrating." He had missed my birthday three years in a row. I had gotten used to how busy he was. But the delivery receipt in my hand made it impossible not to think twice. Maplecrest Apartments… That was right next door. By the time I came back to myself, I was already standing at the entrance to Maplecrest. The security guard gave me a curious look. I opened my mouth to say I was there to see someone. Before I could speak, a child's laughter drifted over from behind me. The moment I saw Miles Harrington's face, every bit of courage I had drained away. I ducked down behind a row of shrubs and watched the family of three, laughing contentedly. I felt like a trespasser, stealing a glimpse of something that had nothing to do with me. My hands trembled as I pulled out my phone and texted Miles. [Where are you?] The reply came almost instantly. [On a business trip in Murthburg.] The words cut into me like knives, over and over. I was here to catch them in the act, but in the end, I turned and left. I went home and sank into the couch, my eyes lifting to the wedding photo on the wall. "I want everyone who walks in here to see how happy we are." I could still hear him saying it when he hung the frame. I stood up and threw it to the floor with everything I had. It shattered the second it hit, just like our marriage. I stared at the broken glass scattered across the floor, feeling like something inside me had been hollowed out. The ringing of my phone cut through the silence. I picked it up. Miles's voice came through, tight with concern. "Why didn't you reply to my texts? Is something wrong?" The questions I wanted to ask twisted and changed before they left my mouth. "Miles… Can you come back and spend my birthday with me?" There was a long pause. I didn't say anything. I just waited. When he finally spoke, there was a strain in his voice. "I'm out of town. I'll make it up to you tomorrow, okay?" Then, faint but clear, a little boy's voice came through. He was calling for his dad. Miles muttered something about his boss needing him and ended the call. That one word, Dad, kept echoing in my ears. Earlier this year, I found out I was pregnant. I had been waiting for that child for so long. When I told Miles, his reaction felt off. Later, he said he had just been too overwhelmed with happiness to process it. The next day, I went in for a checkup. On my way down the stairs, I slipped and fell. The baby didn't make it. Miles took a week off to stay home and look after me. Chapter 2 Without warning, the first thing Miles had said when he showed up at the hospital came back to me. "Was anyone in the stairwell when it happened?" I had been too wrecked to think about it at the time. Now, looking back, it didn't make sense. How would there be fruit peels on a hospital stairwell? The thought cut in, sharp enough to make me stop. I didn't let myself go any further. Right then, my phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number. [Did you get the cake? I'm waiting for you.] I could picture the smug look on her face when she sent it. I called a car and headed to the café in the message. The moment I pushed the door open, I saw Phoebe Prescott by the window. I walked over and sat down across from her. Before I said a word, I noticed the ring on her hand. It was the same as mine. Phoebe followed my gaze, then lifted her hand and turned it slightly, letting the light catch it. A small smile settled on her lips. "This one's different from yours. It has my name and Miles's engraved inside." When we got married, Miles told me our rings would be one of a kind. He spent a full month designing and making them. On our wedding day, I cried just looking at them. After that, I showed them off to my friends for days. I never thought the love story I had been proud of would turn into something another woman used to show off. I tightened my hands in my lap and forced my voice to stay steady. "Get to the point. Why am I here?" Phoebe tore open two sugar packets and dumped them into her coffee. She stirred slowly, then looked up at me, not backing down. "When are you divorcing Miles? Hector's already three. I'm not letting him keep living like this." I let out a short laugh. "You think you get to say that? You're the one he's cheating with." Her face tightened for a second, something sharp flashing through her eyes. "You don't even have a child. What are you going to fight me with? If you know what's best for you, you'll step aside." The more worked up Phoebe got, the quieter I felt. "How do you know we don't have a child?" She paused, just for a beat, then her expression settled again. A faint smile curled at her lips. "Even if you did, that doesn't mean you'd get to keep it." My jaw clenched. I kept my voice low. "No matter what you say, I'm the one he's legally married to. You'll always be the other woman, and your son will grow up without a father." She opened her mouth to fire back, but her phone rang. She turned the screen toward me. The caller ID read, "Hubby." Then she tapped it on speaker mode. Miles's voice came through, easy and familiar. "Hey, honey, are you home yet? Hector says he's hungry." Phoebe glanced at me, slow and deliberate, then spoke into the phone. "I'll be back soon." She hung up, stood, and looked down at me, the satisfaction plain on her face. "It doesn't matter whose name is on the paperwork. Miles and I are the real family." Then, she walked out. I stayed there for a long time. Before I left, I sent a message to my childhood friend, the one who had been asking me to start a studio with him. [I'm in. I'll head back once I wrap things up here.] On my way out, I slipped off the ring I had worn since the wedding and dropped it into a trash can by the door. I didn't need something that belonged to more than one person. Not a ring. Not a man. When I got home, I packed up everything Miles and I had bought together and threw it out. By the time I finished, half the apartment was empty. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I could breathe. The next evening, when I got back from work, Miles was standing outside the door. He was wearing a gray shirt I had never seen before. A faint, sweet scent lingered on him. Phoebe was marking him. I couldn't believe I had missed it before. Miles set his bag down and reached for me, like he always did. I stepped aside. He looked at me, confused. Then something shifted in his expression, like he thought he understood. Chapter 3 "You're mad I missed your birthday yesterday?" Miles asked. "I got you something. I'll grab it once we're inside." He pushed the door open, then paused and turned back to look at me, confusion clear on his face. I walked past him, my voice even. "The nail behind the frame came loose. It fell yesterday." He went still, his eyes moving over me from head to toe. When he saw I wasn't hurt, he let out a relieved sigh. Without warning, he pulled me into his arms. "Thank God you're okay." He held me like nothing had changed. Like there wasn't another life waiting for him somewhere else. Miles told me to rest and went to clean up the living room. After dinner, before he went to shower, he handed me a carefully wrapped box. I looked at him. He brushed his hand lightly over my hair, his tone soft. "The gift I promised you." He nodded toward it. "Open it." Inside was a teardrop-shaped necklace. "Do you like it? I spent a long time picking it out." There was a time when I would have loved anything he gave me. On our third anniversary, he picked a wildflower from the side of the road and handed it to me. I still had it. I set the necklace back into the bag. As I did, a receipt slipped into view. It was for a ten-thousand-dollar diamond necklace. The teardrop necklace was listed as a complimentary item. Phoebe had touched the diamond at her neck again and again yesterday, like she couldn't help herself. A quiet laugh slipped out. So this was what I was worth. The free add-on. By the time he came out of the bathroom, I was already lying in bed, turned away from him. He reached out and shook my shoulder gently. "Hey." "Don't," I murmured. "I'm tired." He leaned closer, but I turned my face away. He didn't push it. He just said goodnight and lay down beside me, scrolling through his phone. As my thoughts started to blur, I heard him get up, slow and careful. A moment later, the front door clicked shut. I got out of bed and went to the window. It didn't take long. Miles stepped outside. Phoebe ran straight into his arms. Within seconds, they were kissing, like there was no one else in the world, right there under the building. Miles had always been reserved. He rarely showed affection with me in public, especially not like that. When he came back and pushed the door open, I switched on the bedroom light. "Where did you go in the middle of the night?" He flinched, froze for a beat, then forced himself to relax. "Work called. I didn't want to wake you, so I stepped out to take it." "Really?" I looked at him, like I was trying to follow. "Then why do you smell like perfume?" A flicker of panic crossed his face. "It's probably the body wash." Listening to his lame excuse, I let out a soft sound and didn't press it. He relaxed right away. The next morning, we went to the diner near our place, like we always did. We had barely stepped inside when Hector Harrington came running out of nowhere and wrapped himself around Miles's leg. "Daddy! What are you doing here?" Miles froze, then looked at me, thrown off. "This kid's got the wrong person. I…" The words wouldn't come out. I pulled Hector gently closer and said it for him. "Hey, sweetheart. He's not your dad." Hector burst into tears. "You're mean! He is my dad!" Miles shoved me aside and dropped down, pulling Hector into his arms, his voice low as he tried to calm the boy. I looked down at the scrape on my hand. Something inside me went cold. There was nothing left to hold on to. Just then, Phoebe hurried over and took Hector from Miles. "I'm sorry! I should've been watching him." Chapter 4 Only after Phoebe and Hector left did Miles seem to notice I was still there. He reached out, like he was going to help me up, but I stepped back, my expression cold. There was a trace of panic in his voice. "I was just worried about the kid. I'm sorry." I looked at him without saying anything, then turned and walked away. As soon as I got into a rideshare, my phone buzzed with a message from Phoebe. [In Miles's world, Hector and I come first. You should know when to step aside.] I took a screenshot and sent it to Miles. For the rest of the day, he kept calling and texting, trying to explain himself. I didn't answer once. When I got home that evening, he was already sitting in the living room. The moment he saw me, he stood and walked straight over. "Valerie, that woman's not right. Don't listen to anything she says. I don't even know her. You…" I cut him off before he could finish. "Why are you so nervous? I believe you. You'd never do anything to hurt me. You promised my mom, right there in her hospital bed, that you'd take care of me for the rest of my life. Remember? You swore on your life." His expression stiffened. I didn't wait for him to respond. I turned and went into the bedroom. The next few days passed like any other. Except Miles started staying late at work more and more often. Every time he did, Phoebe sent me pictures of the three of them together, smiling, or Miles holding Hector and playing with him, or the two of them wrapped around each other. I never replied. I saved every single one. Evidence mattered. It would make sure he left with nothing. That afternoon, I was heading home like usual. When I got close to Maplecrest Apartments, I heard a child crying. Before I could even get closer, Hector ran up and stood in front of me. He was crying so hard that his voice kept breaking. "Please give my dad back! I don't want people saying I don't have a dad anymore. Please. I'm begging you!" I frowned and looked down at him. "Where's your mom?" He didn't answer. He just kept repeating the same words through tears. The noise started drawing people in. They gathered around, whispering, glancing at me with judgment as they filled in the story for themselves. Then, Phoebe and Miles pushed their way in from the edge of the crowd. The second she saw Hector, she snapped. "What are you doing? Don't beg a woman like her! Your dad will always be your dad." She shot me a look, full of satisfaction. Hector scrambled and clung to Miles's leg, his voice small and desperate. "Dad… Please don't leave me." More people gathered. Some of them had their phones out, recording. Miles stood there stiffly, caught in the middle. Phoebe had called him earlier, saying Hector was missing. He clearly hadn't expected this. Between Hector's words and Phoebe's performance, the crowd turned on me almost instantly, calling me a shameless homewrecker. I looked straight at Miles. "Are you going to say anything?" Guilt flashed across his face, but he forced himself to speak. "You're the one who came after me. I turned you down plenty of times." The moment he said it, Phoebe stepped forward and slapped me hard across the face. She looked shocked and hurt, like she had been wronged, but her eyes told a different story. "You shameless wench! My kid's already three, and you're still trying to steal my man?" I touched my cheek and let out a quiet laugh. Then, I walked straight toward Miles. He avoided my eyes. I reached into my bag, pulled out our marriage certificate, and threw it at him. "I want a divorce."