THE WIFE HE LEARNED TO LOVE

Chapter 4: The text message that changes everything

For a few seconds, I couldn’t move. I simply stared at the words, hoping I had misunderstood what I was seeing.

It was obvious this couldn’t be work-related. Who was Ana? My husband cared about me, even though he didn’t love me. He went to work every day, so what time did he have to cheat on me?

But the message remained there, leaving me with a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Do you miss me? Because I miss you.

The words echoed in my head as I stared at the screen.

Was Ana the reason my husband didn’t love me?

Maybe I should confront him about her.

Oh no! We had been married for six months, and we hadn’t had any reason for an argument or misunderstanding. Now, I was afraid that things would take a different turn as suspicions began creeping in.

But I shouldn’t confront him because I wasn’t a hundred percent sure he was actually seeing another woman.

The message was clear. Anyone could figure out what was happening, but I chose not to admit it.

I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, hoping I was wrong.

Lately, I hadn’t been able to rest because I kept thinking about one thing or another. However, I believed this was worth my attention.

The thoughts kept coming, no matter how hard I tried to stop them. I wanted to believe there was a reasonable explanation, but something about the message didn’t feel right.

I carefully returned Mateo’s phone to the bedside table just as the bathroom door opened.

He walked out, unaware of the storm gathering inside me. I quickly turned away and pretended to be asleep, not wanting him to suspect that I had seen anything.

A few seconds later, I heard him pick up his phone.

Unable to control my curiosity, I opened my eyes slightly.

He was looking at the screen, and a small smile curved his lips.

My heart sank.

Why was he smiling? Had my suspicions been right all along?

Whoever had sent that message had made my husband smile in a way I rarely saw when he was with me.

I quickly closed my eyes, pretending I hadn’t noticed.

Perhaps I was jumping to conclusions. It could have been an innocent message, but then why had he smiled like that? This made me even more suspicious of him.

I turned toward the opposite edge of the bed, just as I had done before, leaving a wide space between us. I no longer felt excited about the possibility of sleeping in his arms again.

Only a few hours ago, I had been thinking of ways to make Mateo fall in love with me. I had believed that with patience and affection, I could slowly win his heart. I had even considered consummating our marriage because it might bring us even closer.

Now, those thoughts were fading, replaced by a painful question.

What if another woman already had his heart?

The mattress shifted as Mateo settled into bed. I could smell his scent, fresh as ever. It was intoxicating, drawing me toward him, but I couldn’t ignore what was happening. Just like that, the distance between us returned.

“Wifey, are you okay?”

“Or do you feel cold again?”

A few minutes ago, I would have immediately said yes, but now, something had changed.

I had to get to the bottom of this, no matter how deep I had to dig.

“I feel okay tonight,” I replied.

He continued, “The doctor said you cancelled the check-up.”

“Yes, I did.”

“But why?”

“I told you I was fine. You just didn’t believe me.”

“Okay, let’s go to bed,” he said before pulling the blanket over me to cover me properly.

He leaned closer, as though he wanted to check whether I was cold, then kissed my forehead. His long hair brushed against my skin.

That was the first time he had done that to me.

Was that what he had wanted to do in the morning before I interrupted him, or was he simply trying to check whether I was cold without asking?

His scent lingered around me. His lips were as soft as they looked.

Gosh! I love my husband.

But who was this woman trying to come between us? Who was trying to destroy something we hadn’t even had the chance to build?

I stared into the darkness, trying to hold back my tears. I wanted to confront him, to ask who the woman was and why she was sending him such intimate messages.

But I wasn’t ready to hear an answer that might destroy the little hope I still had.

One message wasn’t enough to prove anything. I needed to know the truth before making any decisions.

So, I made up my mind to keep quiet and observe him carefully.

Eventually, I forced myself to sleep.

Hours later, I caught sight of a beautiful woman wearing a red dress and black heels. She walked as though she owned the world. Behind her was a tall, handsome man wearing a black suit, his long hair making him look strangely familiar.

He looked like my husband.

I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I was seeing clearly. It couldn’t be Mateo.

I leaned closer, trying to get a better view. Then he turned slightly, revealing his face.

It was my husband.

I let out a frustrated sigh as tears rolled down my cheeks.

Then I heard a voice.

“Wifey! Wifey!”

The voice called my name three times before I finally opened my eyes.

It had all been a dream, and I had somehow woken Mateo up.

“Are you having a nightmare?” he asked.

I nodded, still frightened by what I had seen. I couldn’t tell whether it was a sign of something real or simply a dream caused by thinking too much about the message.

Looking at me, he could tell I was worried. He didn’t ask any further questions. Instead, he leaned closer and pulled me into his arms.

“It’s just a dream. Don’t think too much about it,” he said, holding me tightly as though I were a little child who had woken up frightened after a nightmare.

Deep down, I truly wished it was just a dream, just as he had said.

His embrace felt as warm as it had the previous night. It was so comfortable that I didn’t want to let go.

No! I wouldn’t accuse him without evidence, nor would I allow my imagination to torment me without knowing the facts.

Tomorrow, I would begin looking for answers.

For now, I would pretend everything was normal, even though my heart was filled with doubt.

Having finally made up my mind, I settled comfortably against his chest and allowed myself to fall asleep.

Tomorrow, I would begin to find out the truth.