- 5.
I got a text from Ethan.
“Do you have any other pictures or videos of
her?”
I replied, “Dude, I’m a player, not a creep. I don’t take those kinds of pictures.”
“Is that how you sweet–talked her? She’s so
young. You animal.”
I was bewildered. “We’re in love.” And I wasn’t
young. I was twenty–three, almost done with
grad school.
Ethan: “Leave her. How much do you want?” Infuriated, I typed, “I told you, man, we’re in
love. You leave her. I’ll name my price.”
Ethan: “She deserves better than you.”
That stung. Even gender–bent, I was a catch. I
doubled down, saving a picture of ripped abs
and another… well, another strategically
revealing photo from the internet, and sent
them to Ethan.
“I’m packing, dude. Trust me, your wife’s eating
good.”
This time, no crashing sounds. Just a single,
o
derisive chuckle from the living room a second
later.
“Ha.”
Not big enough? I mean, I hadn’t seen the real
deal, but the picture looked pretty impressive.
What was so funny?
Another text from Ethan. My blood ran cold.
“You, or someone you hired, were in Barcelona
on the 27th of last month. Bought a burner
phone, right?”
Ethan: “You really think a burner phone makes
you untraceable?”
Ethan: “I’ll find you. I’ll peel back every layer
until I know everything. You better pray you
were the one in Barcelona. Because if someone
else bought it and mailed it, there’s a return
address.”
Ethan: “Sleep with one eye open, dude.”
Pure, venomous sarcasm.
I shot back, “I’ll sleep with both eyes open, so I
can admire your wife.”
“Crash!” Another glass shattered outside my
door.
Ethan: “She’s just playing with you.”
I gritted my teeth. “Is that so? Then maybe you
should pay attention to how she’s been acting
lately.”
I turned off my phone, suddenly calm.
Acting… How does someone act when they’re
having an affair?
