I was the fool who babysat my sister’s kids while she slept with my husband. But the secret she thought I’d keep forever? That became my sweetest revenge.
Everyone said I was kind. Maybe too kind. I used to believe that if I gave good to others, one day it would come back to me. I also used to believe that love would last forever.
But after the wedding, that goodness just seemed to fade away. And so did Jack. These days, he lay on the couch, eyes glued to his phone.
We didn’t go for evening walks anymore. Jack didn’t ask me out for dinner. He didn’t even look up when I stood by the door in my coat, hoping he’d say,
“Where are you going, Marie?”
That night was no different. Jack lay there, flipping through channels.
“Jack, do you remember how we used to dream about buying tickets for a weekend getaway?”
He didn’t look up. “Why are you starting this again, Marie? I’ve got work early tomorrow.”
“We can’t even have dinner together anymore…”
Jack shrugged. “You’re here. I’m here. We’re together. What more do you want?”
I stared at his back in silence.
Jack’s phone buzzed with a message. He just smiled at the screen. And right then, my own phone buzzed in my pocket. Linda. I already knew what she was going to say.
“Marie!” Her voice thundered through the speaker. “Hey, would you mind coming over to watch the kids tonight? Please! You’re my angel!”
“Linda, I was just there the other night until midnight…”
“Oh, don’t start! You know I don’t have a husband anymore. I need to build my life somehow — before I get old and dry up.”
She let out a dramatic sigh. “You know how terrified I am of being alone. You’ve got Jack.”
“Fine. I’ll be there in thirty minutes.”
“Knew you’d say yes! You’re the best!”
Linda hung up without even asking if it really suited me. I stood up and went to the kitchen to grab my bag. Jack didn’t lift his head.
“I am going to Linda’s. Again. Her kids can’t watch themselves.”
Jack stretched lazily.
“Do whatever you want. I don’t care.”
***
Linda’s house was quiet. The kids were already asleep. I sat on the couch, holding a mug of tea in my hands. I glanced at the clock. Two in the morning. Linda had been gone for seven hours. She could at least text.
What kind of “meeting” lasts this long?
I got up to check on Billy — he was tucked in tight. Cindy was hugging her old stuffed monkey, breathing softly through her tiny mouth.
I love these kids. I really do.
Then I felt it. That tightness in my chest. The one I knew too well. My hand shot into my coat pocket for my inhaler. Empty.
No… not now…
I rummaged through my bag and found the old one. Almost empty.
For a few minutes, I tried to calm down. But every breath came harder than the last. I stepped outside. Linda’s neighbor, Gloria, was watering her flowers in the middle of the night.
“Marie? What are you doing out here this late?”
“Gloria… I’m out of… asthma meds… I need to drive home… get my inhaler…”
I was gasping between words. “Please… can you stay with the kids? I’ll be back in an hour.”
She pulled off her gardening gloves and squeezed my shoulder.
“Go, sweetheart. I’ll keep an eye on them. They won’t even know you’re gone.”
I thanked her, though my mouth felt dry as dust. I got in the car. My inhaler was waiting for me at home, right on the shelf by the bed.
Hold on, Marie. Just a little longer.
Home greeted me with darkness. Except for the light in the bedroom.
Why is Jack still up? And why is… Linda’s car here?!
It felt like someone slapped me across the face.
“What the…”
Suddenly, I heard laughter upstairs. A man’s voice. A woman’s.
In the bathroom!
I moved slowly, like I was wading through mud. Before I even reached the door, I saw the clothes scattered along the stairs. Jack’s shirt. Linda’s bracelet.
I could hear their giggles and the faint smell of wine. I threw the door open.
“Are you out of your minds?!”
Jack leaned back in the tub, s
What happened next changed everything…
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