I took a deep breath and walked to the door, trying to steel myself for what might be on the other side. My mind raced with possibilities. Who was this woman? What was she doing with my husband?
I opened the door, and there she was. A young woman with long, dark hair, holding a beautifully wrapped gift. She smiled brightly.
“Hi! I’m Lily. I think Ellie invited me?” she said, looking genuinely excited.
My heart pounded. “Uh, yes… please, come in,” I managed, stepping aside.
Ellie came running from the living room. “Lily!” she squealed, throwing her arms around the woman.
Jake appeared in the hallway, his face immediately lighting up when he saw her. “Oh, Lily! You made it,” he said warmly, but then his eyes darted to me, realizing how tense I looked.
“Who is she?” I asked, my voice low and steady.
Jake rubbed the back of his neck, looking sheepish. “Lily’s… my career coach,” he admitted. “She’s been helping me with my job search. I didn’t tell you because I wanted to surprise you once I got an offer.”
“A career coach?” I repeated, still skeptical.
“Yeah!” Ellie piped up. “She’s been teaching Daddy how to talk to people for jobs. She even plays games with me when Daddy’s busy. She’s really fun!”
Lily nodded, looking a little embarrassed. “I’m sorry if this came across the wrong way. I’ve been stopping by to do mock interviews with Jake and help him refine his resume. I didn’t mean to cause any confusion.”
I stared at her, trying to gauge if she was telling the truth. Jake chimed in, “She’s been a lifesaver. And I’m actually starting a new job next week because of her help.”
The tension in my chest loosened slightly, but I wasn’t fully convinced. “Why didn’t you just tell me?” I asked Jake, my voice trembling.
“I didn’t want to burden you more,” he said. “You’ve been working so hard, and I felt ashamed I couldn’t contribute. I wanted to handle this on my own.”
Lily gave me a small smile. “I understand why you’d be upset. But trust me, my role is purely professional.”
I glanced at Ellie, who was happily showing Lily her birthday decorations. There was no sign of deceit or discomfort—just a kid excited about her party.
“I wish you’d told me,” I said to Jake quietly.
“I’m sorry,” he said, taking my hand. “I should’ve been honest.”
As the party went on, I kept a close eye on Lily, but nothing seemed off. By the time she left, I felt more at ease.
Later that night, Jake and I talked it out. While I was still hurt by his secrecy, I could see his intentions weren’t malicious.
“Next time,” I said firmly, “we face things together. No more hiding.”
He nodded. “Promise.”
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And though trust takes time to rebuild, we began taking steps forward — together.