You’re past your prime! Im embarrassed to bring you to my partners, so Ive taken a mistress! James declares.
Lately Emily is swamped with work. She has opened her own couture studio, spending every spare minute on the business, eager to lift it from obscurity and earn a place in the sun. She remembers that tonight there is a charity dinner, which her husband mentioned in passing, and the thought snaps her back to reality.
James tells her she doesnt have to attend, saying he fully understands his wifes busy schedule and will go alone, but he warns against treating the family with contempt. Emily calls the event manager and explains that she cant make it because she has evening commitments and needs to look the part.
She draws a bath with aromatic oils, intending to unwind fully. The citrus and pine scents fill the steam, and she closes her eyes. The phone on the edge of the tub rings. She rinses her hands, wipes them on a hanging towel, and answers.
Hey, Mum! her daughter Emmas voice bursts through. Emma is studying abroad, and Emily aches to hug her, even though shes no longer a little girl. Mum, congratulations on the studio! I saw the websitebrilliant work. Dad must be proud, right? I was surprised when you sent me the link. How do you manage it all, especially helping Dad?
Emily smiles, feeling the warm buzz of pride. I didnt want to brag too early, but the business is already rolling and orders are coming in. I love italways wanted to try something new. Honestly, the venture Dad and I started always felt suffocating. I dreamed of a place where I could be creative, and now that dream is finally alive.
They chat briefly about the weather, then Emma rushes off to her university. Shes on an exchange program and will be home in six months. Emilys heart lifts; she feels lucky to have such a supportive family. The feeling stays with her until she reaches the restaurant where the charity dinner is held.
A security guard blocks the entrance. Im sorry, maam, we cant let you in without an invitation, he insists.
Then call my husband. He has a twoperson invite, Emily retorts.
Whats your husbands surname? the guard asks.
She rolls her eyes at the rude tone. James Barlow. Check the list.
The guard scans the list, exchanges a glance with his colleague, and chuckles. Theres a mistake, madam. James Barlow has already entered with his wife.
How could that be? Emily asks, bewildered.
The register shows he arrived with his spouse. This is a private event, and we cant let anyone in who isnt on the list, the guard explains.
Just then a smooth, familiar voice says from behind, David, whats happening?
Emily turns and is stunned to see her old schoolmate David, whom she hasnt spoken to in years. David? I didnt expect to run into you, she laughs, trying to hide her surprise. The guards think my husband already came in, so they wont let me in, she complains.
David smiles warmly, nods at the guards, and says, Im with her.
Emily is at a loss for words. She had planned a surprise for James, not a lastminute rescue. She wonders if James, like David, has slipped in through a back channel. She hasnt spoken to David since schoolhe was always the kid who got sent to the headmaster for getting poor grades. Could he really be a director now?
Hows life treating you? Married well, I see, David teases, still grinning.
We built this together from the ground up, Emily replies, handing him a business card. If you ever need a custom suit, let me know.
Inside the hall, Emily scans for James. David follows her, offering quiet companionship. And you? Youve outshone everyones expectations, I hear.
Nothing specialgrades dont define a person, David answers modestly. You havent changed a bit; still the same lovely lady.
Emily remembers that David once asked her out in school, but she, a careerdriven workaholic, turned him down. After university, they drifted apart.
When Emily finally spots James, she thanks David again and hurries to her husband. James beams, My wife is my greatest inspiration, he declares, making Emilys heart flutter. The moment shatters when James pulls a younger woman into his arms and plants a kiss on her cheek. Polly, would you like a drink?
Emily freezes, feeling as though the floor might give way. Polly? he calls her like a nickname, as if introducing a new wife. She cant believe his gall.
I dont mind, Emily replies, standing a few metres away from the scene, watching Jamess arm wrap around the newcomer and her other partners.
Jamess eyes widen in panic. He coughs, apologises to his companions, and turns to his wife. Im sorry, love, he whispers.
The woman beside James a striking, slightly older girl with high heels follows him out, clacking her heels. What are you doing here? James asks her quietly.
I came to support my husband, she replies calmly, glancing at the girl still hovering near James. You said this was an important event, after all. No explanation?
You shouldnt be here, James snaps, then turns to his mistress: Polly, go get a snack. Ill be back soon. He drags Emily by the elbow toward the garden, ensures theyre out of the crowd, and glares at her. You could have ruined everything. I didnt invite you.
Because you brought someone else? Emily retorts, her voice flat.
Emily feels a surge of resignation; she isnt looking for a fight. She simply watches James, trying to understand what hes lacking at his age. His partners, after all, had seen their joint photos before.
James finally spits out his cruel justification: Youre old, Emily! Im ashamed to show you to my clients, so I took a mistress. Its normal in our circleswives should sparkle, not look like a tired horse. You play your role perfectly.
Emily feels a wave of disappointment. Of course she looks lovely. She doesnt have to worry about annual reports or where to invest to stay afloat. Smart choice, Mr. Barlow, she says, her tone icy.
James merely shakes his head. Twenty years together, and you thought Id only have one woman? Thats standard. It wont affect our future, so just leave quietly. Ill be home soon and well talk.
There is nothing left to discuss. Emily decides she will not cling to a pictureperfect marriage just because others expect it. She knows a man who cheats once will do it again, so she refuses to live on false hopes. She resolves to rely on her thriving business, which is finally taking off, and to claim the half of the assets she earned.
James departs, and Emily sits on a bench under a dim streetlamp, trying to process everything, wondering how to explain it to her daughter. David joins her, sitting almost silently. His presence feels comforting, not invasive, and his calm steadies her. He recalls school anecdotes, and they both laugh, releasing the tension. For a moment, Emily feels shes back in her carefree teenage years, a feeling she knows she cant recapture.
I always dreamed of growing up, but now I just want to go back to school, she sighs.
I get that, David replies. If you ever need a hand, Im here. I can even give you a ride home.
David observes the scene from a distance, noting that everyone wears a friendly mask, playing their parts without rehearsal, each performance seamless.
Will your wife mind? he asks later.
My wife doesnt exist anymore, David answers, a hint of melancholy in his voice. Ive never been able to love fully. Ive had relationships, but nothing lasting.
He doesnt tell Emily how hes thought of her all these years, fearing it would complicate matters. Emily accepts his offer without probing his job or the expensive car he drives; money never mattered to her. She has built her career and home on her own, working nights when Emma was born to handle all the accounts and support James. Now she feels burnt out.
After saying goodbye to David, Emily steps into the place that was once her sanctuary but now feels foreign. She decides not to tell Emma about the impending divorce; the girl is already an adult, and she doesnt want to add stress while Emma is abroad. James never wanted a split, so the road ahead looks rough.
Youre perfect as a wife, James had said, because the business needs a beautiful image, and I provide it.
You think money just falls from the sky? Emily retorted. Think about our daughter. Shell suffer the most if we split. Does that please you?
Its too late youre thinking about her now, James, Emily says, her tone detached.
They sleep in separate rooms, and the next morning Emily moves into a flat near her studio, unwilling to share a roof with a cheating husband. James resists the divorce, making the process painful, especially when he still needs the business to run. Negotiations drag on, lawyers get involved, and they eventually split the assets 5050, despite Jamess attempts to bribe the judge.
James calls Emma, hoping shell pressure her mother to stay, but Emma sides with her mom, refusing to see her father. She returns home, helps Emily with the studio, and cuts off contact with James entirely.
Emilys life gradually steadies. Letting go of twentyyear marriage isnt easy, but she moves forward, buoyed by work and her daughters support. Jamess business falters without her, and he tries repeatedly to win her back, apologising and promising never to stray again. Trust, however, is gone.
The couture studio gains recognition; orders flood in, forcing Emily to think about expansion.
One day the phone rings. Its an unfamiliar number.
David, a familiar voice says. You gave me your card in case I needed a suit
Hey, Dave, Emily replies, smiling. Were swamped, but Ill make an exception for you.
Honestly, I just needed a reason to call. How about meeting for coffee? he suggests.
Emily laughs, accepting. She isnt in a rush; she now values herself first. Time flies, but she refuses to believe shell end up alone in old age. Her heart tells her shes on the right path, and perhaps she and David have a chance at happiness.
