One late night at the office, Mike received a mysterious email. Curiosity gnawed at him, so he clicked it open, and a wave of shock hit him as he saw a bunch of chilling photos. His whole world flipped in a second, and everything he thought he knew about his life felt like a lie.

I never expected my life to change with a single text message.

It was late, and the office was eerily quiet. I was finishing the monthly report under the flickering light above my desk when suddenly, my phone buzzed, pulling me out of my work trance.

“Check your email, you need to see this!” read the message from an unknown number.

My heart skipped a beat. What could this be about? I wondered.

With curiosity and anxiety, I opened my email.

And there it was. Fifteen photos. I clicked on the first one, and my world started to crumble.

There was Catherine, my wife, with my boss. They were at a restaurant, laughing over dinner. I clicked on the next photo, and it was of them in a car together.

My stomach tightened as I clicked through more pictures: the two of them hugging, kissing, entering a hotel. The final photo showed them in bed together. My hands trembled. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

“Who would send these?” I muttered, glancing around the empty office. I was shocked and furious.

Catherine and I work for a logistics company. She’s in a top position, and I’m still junior. Our boss respects and appreciates her a lot, and I wondered if this was why.

At that time, Catherine was on a business trip with him, and I couldn’t help but suspect that it was all a lie to cover up her affair.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed again. “We need to talk,” the same unknown number texted.

I stared at the message, my mind spinning. Who was this? How did they get these photos? And why were they sending them to me?

I leaned back in my chair, trying to steady my breathing. The quiet of the office now felt oppressive. I had to figure this out.

I quickly typed a reply: “Who are you? Why did you send these photos?”

After hitting send, I waited, my eyes glued to the screen. The seconds felt like hours. My mind flashed through every interaction I’d had with Catherine and my boss.

Were there signs I missed? Was Catherine’s promotion a result of her affair with our boss?

My phone buzzed again.

My heart pounded as I opened the message: “Meet me at your boss’s house. You need to know the truth.”

I stood up, grabbing my coat.

I had to know what was going on.

The drive to my boss’s house felt like it took forever, even though it was only across town. Anger and betrayal burned inside me, making my grip on the steering wheel tight.

How could Catherine do this to me?

When I arrived, the house looked dark except for a light in the kitchen. I parked and walked up to the door, feeling my pulse in my ears. I knocked, and the door opened almost immediately.

“Mike, come in,” said a woman. It was my boss’s wife. She looked worried, but there was a hint of something else in her eyes.

“Thanks,” I muttered, stepping inside. She led me to the kitchen, where we sat at a small table.

“Why did you send those photos?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

She sighed, pouring two glasses of wine. “I suspected my husband was cheating with Catherine for about a month. I hired a private investigator to follow them. I’m sorry you had to see those.”

I took the glass she offered and drank it in one gulp. The wine was strong, and it burned my throat. She poured me another.

“I needed to know,” I said, feeling pathetic about the situation. “But why tell me now?”

She looked at me, her eyes sad. “I thought you deserved to know the truth. We both deserve better than this.”

We kept talking and drinking. My anger and confusion blurred with each glass of wine.

She listened to me rant about the betrayal, nodding sympathetically, and I felt a strange connection with her.

At some point, the alcohol got to me. My thoughts were fuzzy, and my judgment was gone. She moved closer, touching my arm.

“You’re not alone in this, Mike,” she whispered. And I didn’t know what took over me the next moment.

Before I knew it, we were in her bedroom.

The following morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains, waking me up.

My head pounded, and I felt disoriented. As I opened my eyes, I realized what I had done.

Panic surged through me as the memories of last night flooded back.

I sat up quickly, regretting every decision that led me here. My boss’s wife lay next to me, smirking. She looked too pleased with herself.

“Good morning, Mike,” she said, stretching lazily. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“What have I done?” I whispered, feeling a wave of nausea hit me. “This was a mistake!”

Her smirk widened. “Oh, it was no mistake. I had fun. Didn’t you?”

I stood up, grabbing my clothes, needing to escape this nightmare. “You sent those photos,” I said, my voice shaking. “Why?”

She sat up, her smile turning cold. “I faked the photos. I needed a little excitement while my husband was away. You were the perfect pawn.”

My blood ran cold. “You used me,” I said, realizing the depth of her deception. “And Catherine… she’s not cheating?”

“No, she’s not,” she confirmed, her eyes gleaming with malice. “But if you tell anyone about this, you’ll lose your job, and of course, your sweet wifey will be jobless too. Understand?”

My heart sank. The weight of what I’d done crushed me. I dressed quickly, not wanting to be in her presence any longer. “You’re evil,” I muttered, heading for the door.

“Remember, Mike,” she called after me. “Keep your mouth shut!”

I drove home, my mind racing.

I had to tell Catherine the truth. I couldn’t live with this secret, and she deserved to know. No matter the consequences, I owed her honesty.

I sat on the couch, staring at the door, wracked with guilt. My mind replayed the events of last night over and over. I felt like I was about to break apart. Catherine would be home any minute, and I had to tell her the truth.

The sound of the front door opening snapped me out of my thoughts. “Mike, I’m home!” Catherine called out, her voice full of joy. She walked into the living room, smiling brightly.

She dropped her bag and rushed over to hug me.

“I missed you so much,” she said, wrapping her arms around me.

The warmth of her embrace made me feel even worse. How could I have betrayed her?

“I missed you too,” I managed to say, my voice trembling.

I hugged her back, holding on a little tighter, knowing what I was about to do would change everything.

Catherine pulled back slightly, looking into my eyes. “What’s wrong, Mike?” she asked, her smile fading as she noticed my distress. “You look so tense.”

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the truth pressing down on me. “Catherine, we need to talk,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Her expression turned serious, concern filling her eyes. “What happened?” she asked, sitting down beside me. She reached for my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

Taking a deep breath, I began. “Catherine, I need to tell you everything,” I said, my voice trembling. “It all started with a text message from an unknown number. They told me to check my email, and when I did, there were photos of you and my boss…”

Catherine’s eyes widened, but she stayed silent, waiting for me to continue.

“The photos showed you two together–at restaurants, in a car, entering a hotel, and… in bed,” I said, my voice breaking. “I was so hurt and angry. I didn’t think clearly.

“I went to see the boss’s wife. We drank, and I was in such a bad place… I made a terrible mistake.”

Tears filled Catherine’s eyes.

“Mike, why didn’t you come to me first?” she asked, her voice trembling. “Why did you believe those photos without talking to me?”

“I was blinded by anger and jealousy,” I admitted. “I should have trusted you. I should have talked to you. I’m so sorry, Catherine. I love you more than anything. I respect you, and I regret what I did.”

Catherine looked away, tears streaming down her cheeks. I felt my heart breaking, knowing I had caused her this pain. But then she turned back to me, her eyes softening.

“Mike, I… I forgive you,” she said, her voice shaky. “But it’s going to take time to heal.”

Relief washed over me, and I reached for her hand. “I promise, Catherine, I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right.”

She nodded, squeezing my hand. “We’ll get through this, Mike. Together. And we need to expose that woman for what she did.”

In the end, my boss didn’t fire me, but he did divorce his wife when he found out her truth. Catherine and I had sufficient evidence.

Despite the betrayal, Catherine and I began to rebuild our relationship, stronger and more honest than before. And we are happy and together.

What would you have done?

If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one: When Clara grabs the wrong luggage at the airport, she doesn’t expect anything to go wrong… until she finds a mysterious envelope inside.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.