Joseph strolled through his living room, flicking off lights as the sun set outside his window. The day had been long: he’d handled phone calls for his business, visited a couple of rental properties he managed, and run errands around town. He glanced at the clock on the wall—6:47 PM. Usually, by this hour, he would have been prepping dinner with his wife, discussing their days and planning tomorrow’s schedule. But that vision of domestic life had imploded three months ago.
Since the day his ex-wife Natalie left, Joseph found himself searching for any sense of routine that could ease the loneliness. At 38 years old, successful in his real estate ventures, Joseph was wealthier than most in their small city.
Yet, all the money and status in the world couldn’t fill the quiet emptiness left by the betrayal he never saw coming.
Natalie had been with him for five years, but a wave of heartbreak washed over Joseph when he discovered she’d been having an affair with his best friend. That horrid realization struck him like a thunderbolt—seeing text messages on her phone, noticing how she giggled with someone on late-night calls, and how she distanced herself from him at home. It culminated in a confrontation he’d never forget: the day he found them together in what was once Joseph’s happiest space. The confrontation ended with shouting, tears, and a vow from Natalie that she’d always wanted more from life. Then she packed up a few suitcases and left. He’d been picking up the pieces ever since.