The evening arrived, and I dressed to the nines.
‘He’ll be wasting his time,’ I told myself as I got dressed. ‘But the main thing is satisfaction.’
I tried to arrive at the restaurant early. Mark had already left to watch sports with his friend.
The only thing I hoped for was that Mark and Gemma would not communicate during the day.
But I didn’t have to worry about that because Gemma was already there, looking excited and nervous, waiting for her date.
I saw Mark’s family sitting at the table next to Gemma, ignoring what was happening.
‘Hello, Gemma,’ I said. ‘I’m Mark’s wife. I suppose you’re here on a date with my husband?’
‘I didn’t know he was married,’ she replied blankly. ‘I thought you were friends or brothers because you hardly spoke to each other.’
‘Of course not,’ I replied. ‘But we are married. And this is Mark’s family.’
I gestured towards the table where Mark’s family was sitting, watching my every word.
“I want you all to see what kind of person Mark has become. He was flirting with this woman right in front of me and started talking to her as soon as we left the restaurant. That’s how much respect he has for our marriage and family.”
Sheila gasped loudly.
‘My God,’ she said. ‘Mark would never do that!’
At that moment, Mr. Jenson, the restaurant manager, approached us from the corner of the room.
‘What’s going on here?’ he asked, narrowing his eyes at Gemma. ‘Why are you here on your day off?’
‘She’s here on a supposed date with my husband,’ I said. ‘This is how your employees behave.’
‘Gemma, is this true?’ he asked.
Gemma stammered, her face turning bright red as the night of her dreams evaporated.
‘I didn’t know he was married,’ she repeated to her boss.
At that moment, Sheila sighed again.
‘Darling,’ she said. ‘Tell me that everything Jenny said is a lie. And that we’re here for your promotion dinner!’
I was shocked. Mark had left the house in his tracksuit, saying he was going to see a friend. But now he was dressed up and ready to meet… Gemma?
‘What’s going on?’ he asked, turning to look at the other woman who was sitting alone, waiting for him.
‘Really, Mark?’ I asked. ‘Another woman? Not even your waitress?’
Gemma pushed her chair back and ran to the bathroom, her shoes slapping against the wooden floor as she walked.
‘I’ve had enough. You’ve crossed the line, and now everyone knows the truth,’ I said, suddenly feeling dizzy.
‘Jenny,’ he said, ‘please, let’s talk about this in private. Let’s go home.’
‘There’s absolutely nothing to talk about! You didn’t respect our marriage. And now you can face the consequences.’
Before I could leave, my sister-in-law Helen approached me. ‘Jenny, wait,’ she said quietly. ‘Are you sure about this? You have a lot to take in.’
‘Yes,’ I said firmly. ‘I’ve given Mark chances before. This was the last straw.’
I left the restaurant and drove home.
‘So you thought he was having dinner with a waitress, but he was actually there with another woman?’ my sister asked, finally realising the seriousness of the situation.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I couldn’t tell if I felt stupid or liberated. It was the last thing I needed before I finally let go of my marriage.’
‘What now?’ she asked.
‘Now I’ll make sure that when the divorce papers are ready, they clearly state that Mark will leave with absolutely nothing.’
What would you do?