My husband had a very close female colleague. They were so close that they would even share a hotel room on business trips.
I was five months pregnant and suffering from severe morning sickness, yet he seemed indifferent. This led to numerous arguments between us. He would brush off my concerns, saying, "Leila and I are just regular colleagues. Can you stop being unreasonable?"
"You know we're married, so obviously, you're the one I love the most."
Duncan wanted to share a room with me, but I refused.
He immediately left me and sought comfort with Leila.
"She's pregnant and doesn't want me near her. I've never seen someone so over-the-top!"
On Thanksgiving Eve, I had a fever, but Duncan didn’t come home. I tried calling him, but all he left was a text saying, "I'm working late, won't be home tonight." I believed he was busy. Feeling miserable, I managed to find some aspirin to help bring down my temperature.
Then I saw Leila's post on Instagram: "Even if I can't be with him officially, the place I hold in his heart is enough for me."
It turns out Duncan was with Leila, watching the fireworks. Their picture was so sweet, completely ignoring the fact that Duncan was a married man.
My emotions were all over the place, often triggered by small things. As I sent that photo to Duncan, demanding answers, my hands were shaking. "Is this what you mean by busy—spending time with her?"
Much later, he replied. "I was just watching fireworks with her. Do I have to tell you about every little thing?"
"And you, a pregnant woman, why the urge to be out in the hustle and bustle?" Duncan always made it seem as if I was the unreasonable one.
A wave of sadness washed over me at that moment. I felt nauseated again. Since becoming pregnant, I've never felt quite right. Yet when I'm at my worst, Duncan would only say, "All women go through this during pregnancy. Stop being dramatic."
Leila would also chime in sarcastically, "Yeah, Duncan works hard. You can't just use your pregnancy to keep him from doing his job, right?" She’d wrap her arm around Duncan, saying, "We have to meet the clients now, Cadence. Don’t bother Duncan with trivial matters. You’re lucky you don’t have to work."
After I became pregnant, I had to quit my job. Duncan was supporting me, and I was conscious of that. I managed to go to prenatal check-ups on my own. Yet, Duncan, who claimed to be overwhelmed with work, would drop everything to accompany his colleague to the hospital when she had an allergic reaction.
Holding my prenatal check-up report, my fingertips were white from gripping it so tightly. His eyes showed no guilt when he saw me; instead, he defensively said, "Leila's just young and scared to go to the hospital alone. That's why I went with her."
"I can't ignore a colleague, especially when she's really having an allergic reaction with a rash. She’s pretty pitiful."
Duncan’s eyes showed a trace of empathy. His wife was at a prenatal check-up alone, yet he felt no remorse—while he was worried over the allergic reaction of a so-called colleague.
Oh, the irony.
I didn’t argue with him that day. I just looked at him calmly for a few moments. In the end, I chose to leave home.
Duncan loves me, like he always did. He once told me, "Cadence, if someday I upset you, you can scream at me or call me out, but please don’t leave me. I can't lose you."
And my leaving home this time truly panicked him. He stopped working and searched for me everywhere. Desperate for news from my friends, he was nearly frantic, even contacting the police.
When he finally found me, he was livid.
"Cadence Richards, is this chaos worth it?"
"Do you feel satisfied seeing me find you in such a miserable state?"
He clenched his fists, eyes blazing.
I looked up at him. Unsurprisingly, standing behind him was Leila.
