Adrian watched the door close behind Claire, a forced sigh escaping his lips. She was off on another business trip—this time to Hong Kong. He played the role of the devoted husband, hugging her goodbye and wishing her a safe flight, but the second she was out of sight, the mask dropped. “Finally,” he muttered, already reaching for his phone.
Claire, meanwhile, was at the airport, hoping to hear from her husband. She was bursting with news—she was pregnant—but her schedule had upended everything. There would be time to tell him later, she figured. Little did she know what was unfolding back home.
As soon as Claire’s cab pulled away, Adrian called Vanessa. “She’s gone. You coming over?” Vanessa giggled, promising roses and perfume—specifically Claire’s perfume. When she arrived, they wrapped themselves in each other without a care in the world. That is, until the doorbell rang.
Adrian expected the pizza guy. Instead, Claire stood in the doorway, smiling with her suitcase in hand. “Flight was canceled,” she said, brushing past him. “Thought I’d surprise you.” He scrambled, hiding lingerie, blocking her from the bedroom. “Maybe you should rest. I’ll make dinner.”
Claire, however, was already suspicious. “You’re acting strange. And why is it so quiet in here?” She thought she heard a cough. Adrian blamed open windows. Claire almost walked in on Vanessa, who was hiding under the bed, but Adrian persuaded her to shower instead.
While she was in the bathroom, Adrian helped Vanessa sneak out, only to run into the pizza delivery guy at the door. Claire overheard the commotion and asked, “Did you order food?” Adrian fumbled a lie. Claire took a bite of the pizza and immediately gagged—it was scorching hot with extra Tabasco.
Later, Adrian brushed off the spicy pizza, claiming it was just an experiment. Claire, still suspicious, went to dinner with her friend Vanessa—who, unbeknownst to her, was the other woman. When the waiter asked for their order, Vanessa quickly chimed in: “Half-regular, half-double-Tabasco!” Claire froze. The exact same order as the one at home.
Claire’s mind raced, connecting the dots—the perfume, the spicy pizza, the strange behavior. She left the dinner early, calling Adrian. He didn’t answer. She called Vanessa. Still no answer. Her chest tightened as the truth stared her in the face.
Back home, Adrian was lounging with Vanessa, thinking Claire was on a plane. When the doorbell rang again, Adrian lazily pulled on a shirt and opened the door to a pizza guy. But the box didn’t smell like pizza.
Inside were divorce papers.
Before he could react, the helmeted delivery man removed the helmet. It was Claire. “Surprise,” she said coldly, stepping into the apartment.
Vanessa scrambled to cover herself with a sheet. “Claire, it’s not what it looks like!” she stammered.
“Save it. The camera under my dress recorded everything. You betrayed me, Adrian. And you,” she turned to Vanessa, “you were supposed to be my friend.”
Adrian tried to talk his way out of it, blaming loneliness, timing, anything he could. Claire was done listening. “You’ve got one hour to pack and leave. Both of you.”
She stormed out, leaving her wedding ring behind.
Weeks passed. Adrian never reached out, even after learning Claire was pregnant. She never heard from Vanessa again. But Claire wasn’t waiting. She found peace under golden sunsets on a Hawaiian beach, one hand resting on her growing belly, no longer mourning the past—just preparing for a future built on strength, not betrayal.
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