My husband texted me at four in the afternoon. **My boss and a few people from work are coming over for dinner tonight. Hope that’s okay.**

It wasn’t really a question.

I stood in the grocery store parking lot staring at the message.

We had nothing planned.

The house was messy.

And Nathan knew perfectly well that I hated being volunteered to host people with only a few hours’ notice.

But arguing over text wasn’t going to stop his boss from showing up.

So by seven, dinner was ready.

The house looked presentable.

And I had even changed into my favorite violet dress.

Nathan’s boss, Mr. Bennett, arrived with three coworkers.

One of them was Susan.

I knew Susan.

Tall.

Blonde.

Beautiful.

And always just a little too comfortable around my husband.

I had never accused Nathan of cheating.

Susan had never crossed any obvious line.

Still, something about how naturally they understood each other had always made me uneasy.

They had private jokes.

She seemed to know when Nathan was stressed before he said anything.

At one company holiday party, I had watched her hand him a drink without even asking what he wanted.

That evening, Nathan seemed especially tense.

He checked his phone repeatedly.

Barely touched his dinner.

That alone was unusual because he normally loved the meals I made.

Halfway through dinner, Mr. Bennett lifted his glass.

“Well, I suppose we should celebrate.”

I looked around the table.

“Celebrate what?”

His smile faded.

Then he looked toward Nathan.

“So you haven’t told her yet?”

Nathan immediately put down his fork.

“Not tonight.”

A cold feeling moved through me.

“Told me what?”

Mr. Bennett shifted awkwardly.

“I assumed the two of you had already talked.”

Nathan sighed.

“I was going to tell you.”

Mr. Bennett cleared his throat.

“Nathan is going to Seattle for a few months.”

I stared at my husband.

“You’re doing what?”

Nathan leaned forward.

“It’s temporary. Three months. Maybe four.”

“How long have you known?”

He didn’t answer.

Mr. Bennett did.

“We finalized the assignment almost three weeks ago.”

Three weeks.

Nathan had known for nearly a month that he would be leaving the state for months.

And somehow, he had never thought I needed to know.

I looked directly at him.

“Anything else?”

Mr. Bennett hesitated.

Then Susan spoke.

“I’m going too.”

I turned toward her.

Nathan immediately said,

“Don’t make this into something it isn’t. Susan was assigned to the project. I didn’t choose her.”

I looked at Mr. Bennett instead.

“Did Nathan know Susan was going when he accepted?”

Nathan’s expression changed.

That gave me my answer before his boss ever spoke.

“Yes,” Mr. Bennett said quietly. “I genuinely thought you two had discussed everything.”

I wanted to explode.

Instead, I smiled.

“Anyone want dessert?”

The room became painfully quiet.

For the rest of dinner, I watched Nathan and Susan.

Nothing happened that I could accuse either of them of.

It was smaller things.

Susan knew exactly what he was drinking.

When Nathan barely touched dessert, she laughed.

“Don’t worry, Natalie. I’ll make sure he eats in Seattle. He always forgets when he’s stressed.”

I looked at her.

“He does?”

Her smile weakened.

“All the time.”

Nathan quickly changed the subject.

Later, while everyone was gathering coats and bags, I heard Susan say quietly to him,

“At least the apartment situation finally worked out.”

I turned.

“What apartment situation?”

Susan immediately looked at Nathan.

“Company housing,” he answered too quickly.

“Oh, right,” Susan said. “We’re in the same building. That’ll make early mornings easier.”

Another thing she knew.

Another thing I didn’t.

I waited until the last guest left.

Then I shut the door.

“Three weeks?”

“Natalie…”

“You knew for three weeks that you were leaving. You knew Susan was going. She’s going to live in the same building as you. And apparently she knows your habits better than your wife does.”

“Nothing is going on between Susan and me.”

“Then why does she know more about your life than I do?”

“Because I knew you’d react exactly like this.”

I laughed.

“Like what? Like someone who just discovered her husband is moving across the country with a coworker he never mentioned?”

“I’m not moving in with Susan.”

“Oh, good. She’s only going to be living nearby.”

Nathan opened his mouth.

Then his phone lit up on the table.

Susan.

I looked at him.

“Perfect timing.”

“Natalie, don’t—”

But the message preview was already visible.

**Bennett approved the six-month extension. Are you seriously still telling Natalie it’s only three?**

I looked up.

“What?”

Nathan went pale.

“It isn’t officially six months yet.”

I picked up the phone before he could reach it.

“She literally says the six-month extension was approved.”

“It’s an option.”

“An option you apparently asked for.”

Nathan rubbed his face.

“I asked Bennett whether I could stay longer if the project went well.”

“So five minutes ago, when you told me three months, maybe four, you already knew you were trying to stay for six?”

“I didn’t know it had been approved.”

“That isn’t the point.”

“Natalie, I’m not having an affair.”

“Stop saying that like cheating is the only way a husband can betray his wife.”

Nathan fell silent.

And that was when I started realizing Susan might not actually be the biggest problem.

I pointed at his phone.

“Why do you want six months?”

“It’s a good career opportunity.”

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