I should have seen the signs earlier. Julia and I had been together for fifteen years, but something had changed. She was distant. Her phone was always on silent, and she’d get these sudden bursts of happiness from texts she’d refuse to let me see. If I asked who she was talking to, she’d say, “Just a friend from work.”

At first, I wanted to believe her. Maybe I was just being paranoid. But then she started going out more often, dressing nicer than usual. And the final nail in the coffin? I overheard her on the phone late at night, whispering, “I love you.”

I felt sick.

That’s when I decided to follow her. I had to know the truth.

The next day, she told me she was heading out for coffee with a friend. I waited ten minutes before grabbing my keys and following her. My hands were clammy on the steering wheel as I trailed her to a small cafe on the other side of town—one we never went to together.

I parked a little down the street and walked in cautiously. She was already there, sitting across from a man who looked half her age. He was handsome, confident, and laughing at something she said. She leaned in slightly, touching his hand for just a second before pulling away.

Rage bubbled up inside me. I felt like I was going to be sick. My worst fears were playing out right in front of me.

Then, he pulled out a small velvet box and placed it in front of her. My breath hitched. My heart pounded so loudly I could barely hear my own thoughts.

I didn’t think. I just reacted.

I stormed over to their table, my chair screeching as I yanked it back. “WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!” I shouted. Every head in the cafe turned to look, but I didn’t care. “STAY AWAY FROM MY WIFE!”

Julia’s eyes went wide, and the young man’s face drained of color. “Honey, calm down,” she said quickly, reaching for my hand. “Let me explain.”

“Explain WHAT?” I barked. “That you’re cheating on me with some kid?”

The young man shot up from his seat, hands raised in defense. “It’s not what it looks like, I swear!”

“Oh yeah?” I scoffed. “Then what the hell is it?”

Julia took a deep breath and looked at me with so much emotion in her eyes that, for a second, I faltered. “Please, just sit down,” she said softly. “Just listen.”

I hesitated, my fists still clenched, but I sat. My pulse was racing, but I let her talk.

“This is Alex,” she began. “He’s… he’s my son.”

For a moment, I thought I misheard her. “Your what?”

“My son,” she repeated. “From before we met. I had him when I was really young, and… I gave him up for adoption.”

I stared at her, my world shifting beneath my feet. “You never told me.”

She nodded, her eyes glistening. “Because I thought I’d never see him again. I was so young when I made that choice, and I didn’t think I deserved to look for him. But he found me, James. A few months ago, he reached out. I didn’t know how to tell you.”

I looked at the young man—Alex. He was staring at me, nervous but hopeful. The resemblance was there, now that I saw it. He had Julia’s eyes, her smile.

“And the ring?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

Alex exhaled, chuckling nervously. “It’s for my fiancée,” he said. “I wanted Julia’s advice before proposing.”

I leaned back in my chair, feeling like an idiot. All this time, I thought my wife was having an affair when, in reality, she was reconnecting with the son she thought she had lost forever.

I ran a hand down my face, exhaling. “I’m an idiot.”

Julia smiled, squeezing my hand. “No, you’re just someone who loves me.”

I looked at Alex again. “I—I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he said. “I just… I hope we can get to know each other. If you’re okay with that.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I’d like that.”

Julia let out a breath of relief, and for the first time in months, I felt like we were finally on the same page again.

Funny how a single moment can change everything.