She was sweet and affectionate, asking about his day and sharing details about her errands. But John couldn’t shake the images of her with the man at the café. Every word she spoke felt like a lie. The next few days passed in a haze of suspicion and paranoia.
Natalie continued to leave the house, sometimes for hours at a time, always with the same vague excuses. John followed her on several occasions, watching as she met the same man in different locations—a park bench, a quiet restaurant, and a hotel lobby.