“Where did you get my earrings?” asked Emily, spotting them in a friend’s holiday photo.
“Em, come look at these pictures Lucy sent from her trip!” called David from the kitchen, stirring sugar into his tea. “Shes tanned like a biscuit!”
Emily Wilson wiped her hands on her apron and walked over, where her husband was scrolling through his phone, sipping his tea.
“Show me,” she said, adjusting her dressing gown as she sat beside him. “Where were they, Spain?”
“Egypt, she said. Lookheres the beach, and this ones from a restaurant” David flicked through the photos, commenting on each. “Oh, this ones lovely! They went on a tour”
Emily studied the pictures quietly, nodding. Lucy had always known how to present herself welleven back in school, shed been the life of the party. After university, theyd lost touch, then bumped into each other at the doctors surgery years later, rekindling occasional calls.
“Oh, I like this one,” David paused on a shot of Lucy at a café table, smiling at the camera.
Emily glanced at the screen, and her stomach dropped. In Lucys ears glinted familiar earringstiny golden roses with pearls. The very ones David had given her for their twentieth anniversary.
“Where did she get my earrings?” Emily whispered, not looking away.
“What?” David frowned, confused.
“The earrings. The rose ones with pearls. You gave me a pair just like them, remember?” Her voice shook.
David squinted at the photo. “Dont be daft, Em. Theyre probably just similar. You can find those anywhere.”
“No, theyre identical.” Emily took the phone, zooming in. “Lookhere, on the left rose, theres a tiny scratch. Remember? I caught it on the wardrobe door.”
David sipped his tea silently. Emilys pulse quickened.
“David, where are my earrings?”
“How should I know? Youre the one who looks after your jewellery,” he muttered, avoiding her gaze.
Emily stood and went to their bedroom, opening her jewellery box. The earrings were missing. She checked every drawer, under the dressing table, even the bathroom. Nothing.
“David!” she called.
“What now?” he grumbled.
“Theyre gone. Not in the box.”
“Maybe you left them somewhere? Lost them on holiday?”
“What holiday? Last summer we visited your mum, and I didnt take them. This year we havent gone anywhere.”
David walked out, turning on the telly.
“Dunno, Em. Maybe you sent them for repair?”
“Why would I? They were practically new.” Emily crossed her arms in the doorway. “David, look at me.”
He reluctantly tore his eyes from the screen.
“What?”
“Do you know where my earrings are?”
“No,” he said, turning back to the telly.
Emily returned to the kitchen, sitting heavily at the table. The earrings were goneand now Lucy had them. A coincidence? But theyd been specialDavid had spent ages picking them out at the jewellers.
She grabbed her phone, found Lucys number, and typed with trembling fingers:
*Lucy, hi! Loved your holiday pics. Looks amazing! Whered you get those gorgeous earrings? The rose-pearl ones are stunning!*
A reply came quickly: *Thanks, Em! A gift from someone lovely. Wanted them forever!*
*Where from? Might treat myself!*
*No ideadidnt choose them. Why? Thought David was tight with gifts, lol.*
Emily set the phone down. Her heart pounded. She stood, staring out the window, trying to steady herself. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe it *was* a coincidence.
“Em, whats for dinner?” David called from the lounge.
“Sort yourself out,” she said without turning.
“Whats got into you? Over a pair of earrings?”
“Over a pair of earrings,” she echoed. “Our twentieth anniversary gift.”
“So what? Lost is lost. Ill buy new ones.”
“Thats not the point, David.”
She turned to face him. He sat in his armchair, flipping channels.
“Then what is?”
“That Lucy has them.”
“So? Whats it matter?”
“David, did you give them to her?”
A long pause. On the telly, a soap opera played.
“Dont be ridiculous.”
“Then howd she get them?”
“How should I know? Maybe she bought a pair.”
Emily stepped closer. “Look me in the eye and tell me you didnt give Lucy my earrings.”
David met her gazethen looked away.
“Em, enough. Making a drama over nothing.”
“So you did.”
“I didnt!” His voice sharpened.
Emily sat opposite him. “Twenty years, David. Ive always trusted you. If somethings going on, just say.”
“Nothings going on!” He jumped up. “Youre paranoid! Saw a photo and spun a tale!”
“Then why are you rattled?”
“Because youre nagging! I work all day, come home to this!”
He stormed out, slamming the kitchen door. Emily sat numb. Twenty years. Their daughter Sophie was married, living in Manchester. Their son James was at uni, visiting weekends.
She remembered how, a year ago, David started working late, preening before leaving, buying new shirts. Shed thought it a midlife crisis.
Then hed grown distantfewer hugs, fewer plans. Shed blamed work stresshis construction job *was* demanding.
Pots clattered in the kitchen. David was washing up noisily.
Emily reopened Lucys photos, scrutinising each. There they were*her* earrings, in every shot.
She zoomed in. Lucy looked radianttanned, styled hair, fresh nails. A dream holiday.
*Whod you go with? Just you?* she texted.
No reply. Then: *With a friend. Busy nowchat later.*
Emily knew Lucy was lying. Shed once confided she had no close friends after her divorce three years ago. Her ex had left her with a mortgage and debts. She worked as a receptionist at a private clinichowd she afford Egypt?
“Em, popping to the garage,” David called from the hall.
“Fine,” she said.
The front door shut. Emily watched from the window as David crossed the driveway, lighting a cigarette. Hed quit five years agobut lately, shed smelled tobacco on his clothes.
She opened Lucys social media, scrolling through photos. Most were from the trip, but others showed her at cafés, the theatre, outdoors.
One photo caught her eyea familiar navy jacket with a fur-lined hood. Just like Davids. But the woman wearing it wasnt Lucytall, dark-haired.
Emily looked closer. Similar, but not the same. She checked Davids wardrobehis jacket hung there.
But his light-blue shirtthe expensive onewas missing.
“Dad back?” asked a voice.
She turned. James stood in the doorway with a duffel bag.
“James! Love that youre here. Hes in the garage.”
Her son hugged her. “Mum, you okay? Youre pale.”
“Just tired. Hows uni?”
“Fine. Whats up here? Dads been odd on the phone. Heard him yesterdayall hushed, saying darling, miss you. Thought it was you, but you were at work.”
Emily sat on the bed. James joined her, taking her hand.
“Mum is Dad seeing someone?”
“I dont know.”
“Did you suspect?”
“Not until recently. Hes been distant.”
James squeezed her shoulder. “Talk to him. Straight.”
“He denies everything.”
“What made you doubt?”
She showed him Lucys photos, explained about the earrings. James studied them.
“Mum, could they just look alike?”
“James, I wore them daily. I *know* them.”
“Then find out. You cant live like this.”
The front door opened.
“Jimmys here!” David boomed, hanging his coat. “Hows my lad?”
James stood. “Dad, we need to talk. Family meeting.”
“About what?” David washed his hands in the sink.
“Honesty,” Emily said.
“Not the earrings again!” he called. “Em, drop it!”
“Its not just the earrings.”
David dried his hands, glancing between them.
“Fine. But lets eat first.”
Dinner was tense. James filled the silence with uni updates; Emily picked at her food. After, they gathered in the lounge.
“Right. Whats bothering you?” David asked.
“David, are you having an affair?”
The room froze. David flushed, then paled.
“An affair? Dont be daft!”
“Lucy has my ear
