Paul stopped in his tracks, the casual facade faltering for the first time that evening. He ran a hand through his hair, avoiding Charlotte’s piercing gaze. “Charlotte… I—”
“No,” she interrupted sharply, stepping closer. “I know, Paul. I know about the lunches. Don’t even try to deny it.” Her voice, steady but laced with hurt, hung in the air like a warning.
Paul’s eyes widened slightly, and for a moment he seemed at a loss for words. “I… it’s not what you think,” he murmured, his tone pleading yet uncertain.
Charlotte’s hands clenched at her sides. “Then explain it. Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’ve been hiding something… hiding someone. And I deserve the truth.”
The room was silent for a heartbeat, the tension thick enough to taste. Finally, Paul exhaled heavily, his shoulders sagging. “Charlotte… it’s complicated,” he admitted, his voice quiet. “I didn’t want to worry you, and I thought I could handle it on my own…”
Charlotte tilted her head, searching his face for any sign of honesty. “Handle what? Paul, I’ve known something was off for weeks. I’m not blind.”
He swallowed hard, struggling to find the right words. “She’s… she’s not what you think. She’s… a client, yes, and yes, we’ve had lunches—but it’s strictly business. I never meant to hide it, I just… I didn’t want it to seem suspicious.”
Charlotte’s eyes narrowed, and a flicker of anger surged. “Strictly business? You call weeks of secret lunches strictly business? I trusted you, Paul. I thought I knew you.”
Paul took a cautious step forward, his hands open in a gesture of peace. “Charlotte, please… I made a mistake by not being upfront. But it’s not what you fear. I swear, it’s not.”
Charlotte’s chest tightened. The betrayal she felt wasn’t just about the lunches—it was about the secrecy, the lies that had crept into the corners of their marriage. Yet, buried under the hurt, a small part of her wanted to believe him. She let out a slow breath, trying to steady the storm of emotions swirling inside her.
“Paul,” she said finally, her voice a mixture of pain and resolve, “I want the truth. No more hiding. No more excuses. Now.”
And in that moment, standing in the quiet of their living room, the fragile thread of their marriage trembled—but the path forward would be determined by what Paul chose to reveal next.