When I found a mysterious note in my husband’s old coat, its cryptic message made me wonder. Doubts, doubts and a shocking revelation followed.
The house resounded with laughter. My son Dylan sat on the floor, lining up his toy cars in neat rows, and stuck out his little tongue in concentration. Next to him, his sister Ella was twirling around in her princess dress, spinning so fast that the hem of her skirt fluttered like butterfly wings.
‘Careful, Dylan!’ – she giggled. ‘I’m a tornado ballerina!’
Dylan rolled his eyes, but smiled. ‘Tornadoes don’t wear crowns, silly!’
From the kitchen, I smiled, pouring coffee into a mug. Their voices echoed, mingling with the morning sunlight streaming through the windows.
Denton walked into the living room, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. He had his briefcase dangling in one hand, and his usual confident gait made him look taller than usual. He leaned over to kiss Ella on the top of her head. ‘Don’t spin around too much, sweetheart. We don’t want anyone to get dizzy.’
He turned to Dylan, ruffling his hair. ‘Hold your defences while I’m gone, mate.’
Dylan puffed up his chest. ‘I will, Dad!’
Denton glared at me, bundling up in his coat. ‘I threw the old one in the donation pile last night. Don’t forget to check your pockets. I don’t want to accidentally lose anything important.’
‘Got it,’ I said, watching as he gave me a quick smile and headed for the door.
‘Love you!’ – he called out.
‘I love you too,’ I replied. The door slammed shut behind him.
Later, with the kids still playing, I turned to the donation pile. On top of it lay Denton’s old coat. As I picked it up, my fingers fumbled with something in the inside pocket.
Frowning, I slipped my hand inside and pulled out a small folded piece of paper.
It seemed important, as if I shouldn’t have ignored it. I opened it slowly.
The words made a chill run down my spine.
‘This is just between us. No one else can know.’
My breath caught. I flipped the paper over.
‘For service, call’ and a phone number I didn’t recognise.
My heart pounded heavily in my chest. My first instinct was denial. Denton wouldn’t keep something from me. Would he?
I folded the note and slipped it into my pocket. The house was suddenly too quiet.
That evening I occupied my hands while my thoughts ran wild. I cooked dinner, asked the kids about their day, and tried not to return my thoughts to the note.
Just before dinner, Denton walked in, setting his briefcase on the counter. He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. ‘It smells wonderful in here,’ he said, looking at the gurgling pot on the cooker.
I gave a strained smile. ‘Thanks. It’ll be ready in a minute.’
At dinner, he laughed with the kids, teased Ella for fidgeting, and asked Dylan how his car race had gone. He seemed like the same Denton I’d known for years – kind, considerate, and completely at ease.
And yet the note remained in my pocket.
That night, as we lay in bed, Denton switched off the side lamp and leaned over to kiss my forehead. ‘Good night, sweetheart,’ he murmured, his voice warm and familiar.
‘Goodnight,’ I whispered back and stared at the ceiling for a long time after he fell asleep.
The next morning, after Denton left for work, I sat at the kitchen table with my phone in my hands. The note lay beside me, the words staring back at me like a mockingbird.
Taking a deep breath, I dialled the number.
‘Hello?’ The voice was calm, feminine and confident.
‘Hi,’ I said, my voice trembling slightly. ‘I’d like to book your… services.’
There was a pause on the other end. Then the woman said: ‘If you have my number, you should know what to do. Be here tomorrow at two o’clock in the afternoon.’ And gave me the address before hanging up.
Before I could ask anything else, the line cut off.
I stared at my phone, my stomach shaking. What did she mean? What was I supposed to do?
The next afternoon, I stepped out of the taxi, clutching my bag tightly in my hands. The seaside mansion loomed before me, its large windows gleaming in the sunlight. In the distance, the waves splashed softly, a soothing backdrop for my frayed nerves.
The front door opened before I could knock. A young woman stood on the threshold, well-groomed and trim. A sleek black dress skimmed her figure, and she smiled weakly before reaching her eyes.
‘You must be here for an appointment,’ she said in an even but unintelligible tone. ‘Come in.’
I hesitated, but followed her inside.
The room she led me to was stunning: elegant furniture, fresh flowers in crystal vases, and the faint scent of lavender in the air. I sat down on the edge of the chair, trying to look calm while my pulse raced.
The woman gestured to the chair across from me. ‘Please make yourself comfortable. You’ll be approached shortly.’
I nodded, my throat dry, and she left the room, leaving me alone.
The door creaked open and the young woman returned. She moved with easy grace, a mask of polite professionalism on her face.
I cleared my throat, determined to get some answers. ‘What services do you provide?’
She raised an eyebrow, curiosity and mild amusement mixed in her expression. ‘If you’re here, you should know by now.’
Her tone was calm, almost rehearsed, but it got on my nerves. ‘I don’t know,’ I said, my voice sharper. ‘That’s why I’m asking.’
She tilted her head as if considering my words. ‘If you say so,’ she murmured, her words cryptic.
My frustration spilled out. I rummaged through my phone and pulled out a picture of Denton and held it out to her. ‘This man. He was here?’
For a moment, her composure wavered. Her gaze darted to the screen and something indecipherable appeared on her face. Then she smiled weakly. ‘You’ll find out soon enough,’ she said.
‘What does that mean?’ I demanded, but she retreated to the door, ignoring my question. ‘Wait here,’ she commanded before slipping out again.
The silence that followed was unbearable. My mind was racing, imagining all the worst-case scenarios. Had Denton lied to me? Was this woman keeping some kind of secret?
Suddenly the silence was broken by a noise. The door swung open and a wave of people rushed into the room, their cheers echoing through the room.
Confetti rained down on me, and my heart raced in confusion. I recognised faces – friends, relatives, even my own children and nephews. Dylan and Ella ran towards me, laughing and tossing handfuls of colourful paper into the air.
‘Mummy, surprise!’ squeaked Ella, jumping into my lap.
I looked round confusedly as Denton appeared in the doorway. He was dressed in a strict dinner jacket and carried a bouquet of dark red roses. He was smiling widely and his eyes sparkled with mischief.
‘Denton?’ I stuttered, my voice barely audible over the commotion.
He walked over and knelt down in front of me, holding out the roses. ‘Happy tenth birthday, dear,’ he said quietly.
Behind him, a large banner unfurled. It read, ‘Happy Tenth Anniversary!’ in bold letters.
It took my breath away as I realised it wasn’t a betrayal. It wasn’t a betrayal. It was…a surprise.
Denton took my hand and helped me to my feet. ‘I bet you have a million questions,’ he said in a playful tone.
‘That’s putting it mildly,’ I replied, my voice trembling but with relief audible in it.
He grinned, glancing at the young woman who was now standing, smiling, by the door. ‘I knew you’d find that note and couldn’t resist following up on the clues.’
I blinked, still not understanding what was going on. ‘A note? The phone call? All of it?’
‘It was all part of the plan,’ he said, squeezing my hand. ‘This house is like the place where we first met. Do you remember? That summer by the sea?’
My eyes widened at the flood of memories. The sandy beaches, the salty breeze, the way it made me laugh until my sides ached. ‘I… I can’t believe you remembered,’ I whispered.
‘How could I forget?’ – he said, his voice soft. ‘I wanted to do something special. Something you’ll never forget.’
The kids tugged at my arm, their excitement bubbling.
‘Mum, we were in on it too!’ said Dylan proudly. ‘Daddy said it was a secret game and we had to wait here until you showed up!’
Ella nodded enthusiastically. ‘We were supposed to throw confetti!’
I laughed, and the tension in my chest finally eased. ‘You two did great.’
Denton gestured at the young woman. ‘And this is Rebecca. She works for a company that organises parties like this one.’
Rebecca stepped forward, smiling. ‘Your husband has a fertile imagination. I was happy to help.’
As the evening progressed, Denton explained how he rented the mansion for the day and coordinated everything with our friends and family.
‘I wanted to remind you how it all started,’ he said as we sat together and the kids played nearby. ‘Life gets busy, and sometimes we forget to take a step back and appreciate what we’ve built.’
I felt a lump in my throat as I looked at him. ‘I can’t believe I doubted you,’ I admitted. ‘I let my thoughts get to the worst places.’
He chuckled, wrapping his arms around me. ‘I wanted to keep it mysterious, but I may have overdone it a little.’
‘A little,’ I teased, smiling through my tears.
Enjoyed the story? Consider checking this one out: After my first children were born, I thought my husband would start choosing us over his mother more often, but no such luck. This time last time he chose her side over me, so I exposed her as a bully and a liar.
