I Learned to Cheat Like My Husband and Now He's Begging Me to Stop

"Shay Wood's pipes are busted. I'm heading over." On hearing that, I barely lifted my gaze. Believing I'm mad, Finn's voice shot up. "She's fresh out of school. You're in your thirties. Why are you picking on a kid like her? Can't you just be reasonable for once?" I didn't bother explaining. I just grabbed something from the cabinet, pressed it into his hand, and said, "Go. No need to rush back tonight." Finn looked thrown by how easygoing I was being, staring at me without blinking. I glanced at the time and nudged him flatly, "Go ahead. Don't keep the girl waiting." More importantly, I had plans with a young guy tonight. A faint smile tugged at my lips just thinking about him. He had a moody streak. I couldn't be late. "You're upset, aren't you?" Finn asked. I paused, mouth opening and closing. What was there even left to say? I turned to sling my bag over my shoulder and head out, when a gold birthday card slipped to the floor. The young guy had sent it to me. That was when Finn finally seemed to snap back to reality. He grabbed my wrist. "Enya, I'll come home early tonight. Keep you company. We're an old married couple, no need for all those silly romantic gestures, right?" I slipped out of his grasp without a word. Just then, my phone lit up with a message. Him: Enya, you almost here? I can come pick you up if you want. I couldn't even name the feeling that churned up inside me. I'd only known this young guy for three months. Three months, and he'd tracked down my birthday, planned surprises way ahead of time, and blown up my phone with twenty-something messages a day, practically dying to be at my side. My husband of seven years? His mind was on the neighbor's plumbing. I smiled faintly and stayed quiet. "Look, life's what, thirty thousand days, give or take? You don't seize the moment now, you just fade. Nothing left but wrinkles and regret." Finn nodded at my phone. "That's your best friend texting, huh? I guess so. She's the only person you've got." Same as always. This wasn't even the first time I'd texted that young guy right in front of him, bold as anything. All he had to do was tilt his head. Glance at my screen. He'd have seen I'd cheated on him a long time ago. But he never would. Finn was too damn sure of himself. He believed, down to his bones, that I loved him to death, that I'd never be capable of straying. Seeing that I still wasn't responding, Finn stepped forward and pulled me into his arms. My collar slipped. Every dark hickey on my neck lay bare. A shadow dropped over Finn's eyes in an instant. His gaze locked onto me. "What are those marks on your neck?" And weirdly enough, I felt nothing but relief. He'd found out. Saved me the trouble of confessing. I pushed him off coldly, met his eyes, and said it plainly. "Finn. I cheated on you." Finn's clenched fists loosened at once. He let out a dry, scoffing laugh. "I've seen that trick. Fake hickeys with lipstick, right? You're just doing this to get a rise out of me. We're not kids anymore. You really think playing these petty jealousy games is worth it?" Finn wasn't wrong. The first time I caught him cheating, he'd shrugged it off and said, "You can go sleep with other men too. I won't stop you." But he knew full well I wasn't the type to just sleep around like that. That's exactly why he felt so safe. So reckless. He'd decided I'd never cross that line. Turns out, he bet wrong. "Be good. Dinner's on the table, and the pear soup for your throat will be ready in five. Take care of yourself. I'll be back soon." With that, he turned and left without a single glance back. My heart had long since gone numb. A cold smirk curled at the corner of my mouth. Yeah. That was Finn for me. People might say he didn't love me, but he still remembered I'd choked on a cough just yesterday. And more than that. Seven years. Three meals a day. Set right in front of me like clockwork. I'd never had to lift a finger for groceries, housework, any of it. And yet. This same man who took such careful care of me had been cheating for five solid years. And now? He couldn't even remember my birthday.