When Emma’s husband’s colleague does everything he can to make Alex feel seen, Emma begins to question Lisa’s intentions. Things get weird when gifts start arriving and even worse when Lisa starts cooking Alex homemade meals. But the final straw is when Lisa mocks Emma and hints at an affair between her and Alex.
My husband and I have been married for ten years
My husband Alex and I have been married for ten years, and in that time we have built a strong and loving relationship.
He works as a project manager for a large technology company, which means long hours.
“I’m sorry,” he said one night as we were having dinner well after ten o’clock. “I know my hours are crazy. But we’re working on a new product, Emma. We’ll be done soon, and then I’ll be back to normal.”
“It’s okay,” I replied. “Just eat before we have to reheat the food.”
Despite his long working hours, I have always had complete trust in my husband. But recently that trust has been put to the test by one of Alex’s colleagues – Lisa.
“Do you feel threatened by this woman?” my mother asked when I told her that I didn’t feel comfortable with Lisa.
“Yes. No. I don’t know,” I said. “She’s just too much. She does a lot of questionable things. And I don’t know what her intentions are.”
*“What has she done?” my mother asked.
What hadn’t Lisa done?
For one thing, she was young and attractive and worked closely with Alex on several projects.
“Of course Alex has mentioned her before, but I didn’t think much of it,” I said. “But now it’s getting a bit too much. And I feel uncomfortable, Mom.”
“What kind of things, Emma?” my mother asked. “Tell me more!”
“Gifts, Mom. She’s given him a lot of gifts. Personal things and stuff.”
And it was true. My husband started bringing gifts. At first, they weren’t anything fancy. But then they became more and more personal.
“Custom mugs, Mom. With his name on them and everything,” I said. “And a tie with little rockets on it, because you know how much he loves space.”
*“And you’re sure it was Lisa who gave them?”, Mom asked.
*“Yes! Alex said so himself, straight up,” I replied.
*“Keep an eye on the situation, Emma,” Mom said.
And of course I wanted to do just that.
But one night, when Alex came home, I didn’t know what came over me. I heard myself blurt out a sour comment.
“Another gift from Lisa?” I asked as he carried a small potted plant into the house.
My husband turned around and looked surprised.
“Yeah, just a little thing she bought at the farmer’s market,” he replied, walking into the kitchen.
“Why does she keep giving you things?” I asked, trying to keep my voice calm.
“She’s just being friendly, Emma. It’s no big deal, honey.”
I tried to brush it off as something unimportant. But then came the home-cooked meals.
I knew my husband loved my cooking. He always said my cooking was much better than his mother’s.
“Don’t let her hear that,” Alex had said when we were newlyweds and I made dinner for him for the first time. It had been a moment that cemented my place in his life.
One night when Alex came home from work, we sat down to eat. He stirred the salad while I cut the lasagna.
“You have to try Lisa’s lasagna, honey, it’s amazing!”
*“Why is she feeding you, Alex?” I asked, putting down my fork.
I never wanted to be an insecure wife. It was something I hated. I didn’t want to be the one who felt threatened by my husband’s long workdays, wondering who he was talking to or where he was going.
But Lisa made me exactly that person.
“Emma, she said she had done extra work and brought me some lunch. I didn’t want to be rude, so I ate it,” he said, looking puzzled.
“Sorry,” I said, and his expression made me feel guilty. “It’s just a little much for me.”
Alex smiled and poured wine into our glasses.
I knew he would let the conversation be as it was. That he wouldn’t dig deeper into my insecurities. He knew that deep down I still trusted him.
But the final straw came at the annual company event.
The big night
The event was held at a fancy hotel in town. I put on my favorite dress and my wedding earrings. For a moment I forgot about Lisa.
But she made sure to be remembered.
Lisa appeared in a glamorous red dress and walked straight up to Alex, as if I didn’t exist.
“There’s my work husband!” she called out, throwing her arms around him.
I felt sick. Alex looked embarrassed, but before he could say anything, Lisa turned to me with a superior smile.
“You must be Emma,” Lisa said. “Alex is such a great guy. I don’t know what I would do without him!”
I forced a smile.
“He’s wonderful, yes.”
Lisa continued, oblivious to my discomfort.
“He really loves my cooking! I’ve been able to cook as much as he likes because you’re apparently too busy to cook sometimes. Right, Al?”
I felt humiliated, but kept my cool.
And later that evening, when Alex suddenly needed to “help a friend,” I knew something was wrong.
I followed him to the hotel.
When I knocked on the door and it opened, it wasn’t Lisa I saw—it was John, one of Alex’s colleagues, in a bathrobe.
It turned out that John had asked Alex for Lisa’s number to ask her out. He’d spilled a drink on himself and asked Alex to bring some clothes. Lisa had already left.
I exhaled.
“Emma, why did you follow me?” Alex asked.
“Because Lisa said you’d make up an excuse to meet her here. I had to see it for myself.”
Alex looked shocked.
“Emma, I had no idea. I’m so sorry.”
That night he promised to deal with Lisa at work.
“I finally see what you see,” he said.
What would you have done?
