I put a la:xa:tive in my husband’s coffee before he went out to see his lover… but what happened next was worse than I imagined.

Signed—Carolina.

The new secretary.

Elegant name. Too elegant.

I took a slow breath.

“And my coffee?” he called from the doorway, adjusting his belt with more energy than he’d shown me in weeks.
I handed it to him.

“A little surprise,” I said, smiling calmly.

I watched him drink.

One sip.
Two.
Three.

He finished it without hesitation.

That stung more than I expected… he hadn’t rushed anything I gave him in a long time.

“So where are you going all dressed up and smelling like that?” I asked, leaning casually against the frame.

“Meeting,” he said, grabbing his keys. “Important one. Strategy… projections… synergy.”

He threw those words around like they meant something.

“Synergy with lace?” I muttered.

But he was already gone.

The door shut.

Silence.