I See the Face He Truly Loves

I had made a reservation at a restaurant a month in advance for my wedding anniversary.

I pulled out a red dress and a pair of pearl earrings. The earrings had been a gift from my husband, Dominic Hatterson. He had also complimented the dress when I wore it in the past.

I changed into the dress at 6:00 pm. I then looked at myself in the mirror to put on the earrings.

Just then, my phone rang. It was Dominic.

"I need to go on a last-minute business trip. I won't be coming home tonight," he said, his voice laced with urgency. He hung up as soon as he was done speaking.

It was the first time he had ever hung up on me.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I had only put on one earring. The other dangled from my fingers, swaying slightly.

A few minutes later, my friend Michelle Sorne called and said that she would accompany me for dinner instead. She drove to my apartment and dragged me to a restaurant that served Westron cuisine.

Michelle parked the car in front of the restaurant. I was just about to open the door when my hand froze on the handle.

Inside the restaurant, Dominic was sitting next to the window.

A woman sat opposite him. She looked about 25 or 26 years old. Dimples burrowed into her cheeks when she smiled.

Dominic reached across the table and wiped the cream at the corner of her lips with his thumb. He had done that for me ever since he was 18 years old.

Michelle had seen them too. Her mouth fell open, and she was about to rush into the restaurant when I grabbed her hand.

"Don't."

"Who is she?"

"I don't know."

…

Dominic returned home at 11:00 pm, carrying a bouquet of red roses. It was his gift for me for all our wedding anniversaries. After taking a shower, he hugged me from behind and rested his chin on the crown of my head.

"I'm sorry about today, Cassandra," he said. "I'll definitely make it up to you another day."

I closed my eyes.

Two faces appeared in my mind's eye—mine and the other woman's. Our faces were joined together, with each of us taking up one half.

It was the first time in 21 years that I had seen someone else in Dominic's heart.

…

I looked through Dominic's phone after he fell asleep. His password was still my birthday. He hadn't changed it yet.

His chat with his assistant, Tiana Ashford, was pinned to the top of his messaging app.

They had started texting six months ago. Their conversation slowly evolved from work to their daily lives. Before long, they were exchanging "Goodnight" texts instead of just acknowledgements about work.

"I'm in a bad mood today," Tiana had texted one day. "I'm craving something sweet."

Dominic had replied, "I'll bring a slice of mille-feuille for you from the bakery near the office."

Another message from Tiana read, "I tried that restaurant you recommended the other day. The food didn't taste good since I was alone. You should come with me next time."

The latest message was from that night. "Thank you for keeping me company today, Dom."

I set Dominic's phone down and lie back on the bed. Dominic rolled on his side and reflexively pulled me into his embrace, mumbling something in his sleep.

"Who were you with today?" I asked.

He hummed in response and tightened his hold around me before answering, "A client."

I didn't ask any more questions.

…

The next morning, Dominic pressed a kiss to my forehead before he left the house.

"I really couldn't leave yesterday, honey," he said. "I'll take you to a hot spring resort this weekend."

His smile was exactly the same as it had always been.

I looked at him for a moment before replying, "Alright."

After he left, I folded the red dress neatly and tucked it away at the very back of the closet.

Around noon, Michelle called me and asked how I was doing. After a long pause, she said, "You've only ever looked at him since you were seven, Cassandra."

"I know," I replied.

"What are you going to do now?"

I looked out the window. The sky was very blue. There was no cloud in sight.

"I don't know."