Later that night, Sarah sat on the edge of her bed, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. The soft glow of the bedside lamp cast long shadows across the room, mirroring the uncertainty swirling inside her. Her thoughts were racing,Oliver's words from earlier that day echoing in her mind. "John might not be as faithful as you think."
She didn't want to believe it. She couldn't believe it. John had always been a good man, loyal, and committed to her no matter what. But the doubt Oliver had planted in her mind gnawed at her, and now she needed to hear John's voice, to reassure herself that nothing had changed.
She dialed John's number, her heart pounding as she waited for him to pick up. After a few rings, his familiar voice came through the line.
"Hey, Sarah," John said, sounding tired but happy to hear from her. "How are you?"
"Hey," Sarah replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "I'm okay. Just… had a long day."
There was a pause on the other end, and then John asked, "Everything alright?"
Sarah hesitated for a moment, then decided to tell him what she had done,at least part of it. "I got a job," she said quietly.
John's voice immediately brightened. "That's great news! I'm so proud of you, Sarah. Where is it?"
Sarah's stomach tightened, and she looked down at her hands. She didn't want to lie to him, but she wasn't ready to tell him the full truth about where she was working,especially not after everything that had happened with Oliver. "It's… a management position," she said vaguely. "I'll be overseeing operations at one of the local companies."
John's curiosity was obvious in the pause that followed. "Which company? You didn't mention you were applying for anything."
Sarah swallowed, trying to keep her voice even. "It's just something that came up last minute. A contact from my past reached out." She quickly changed the subject before he could press her further. "But enough about that. What about you? What exactly have you been doing out there?"
John hesitated this time, and Sarah immediately sensed the tension in his voice. "It's just… regular work," he said slowly. "Nothing exciting."
Sarah frowned, feeling the unease that had been lingering all day start to creep back in. Just regular work? John had been gone for over a week now, and he had never been specific about what kind of job Oliver had forced him into. He always danced around the details, saying it was nothing special.
But now, after Oliver's insinuations, Sarah couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right.
"Are you sure, John?" she asked, her voice soft but probing. "It's been a week, and you still haven't told me much about what you're doing."
John cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable. "Yeah, I'm sure. It's just… you know, odd jobs here and there. I'm trying to make the most of it."
Just as Sarah was about to ask another question, she heard something in the background,a sound that made her stomach drop.
It was faint, but unmistakable. The sound of a woman's voice, laughing.
Sarah froze, her heart skipping a beat. She didn't know what to make of it, but the timing,after everything Oliver had said,sent a cold wave of doubt washing over her.
"John," she said, her voice tightening. "Who's that? In the background?"
There was a pause, and for a brief moment, the only thing Sarah could hear was the pounding of her own heart.
Then John spoke, but his voice sounded strained. "It's nothing, Sarah. Just some people at the hotel. They were having a conversation near the hallway."
But Sarah's doubt had already taken root. She didn't want to believe it, but the laughter she had heard didn't sound like it had come from a distant hallway. It sounded close,too close. And now, with John being so vague, so distant, the suspicion was growing stronger by the second.
"Are you sure?" Sarah pressed, her voice barely a whisper now.
"Yeah, I'm sure," John repeated, but there was something off in his tone. He didn't sound convincing. In fact, he sounded like he was trying to convince himself as much as her.
Sarah sat in silence for a moment, her mind racing. She wanted to trust him,she needed to trust him. But Oliver's words, the things she had seen today, and now this strange moment on the phone… it was all too much.
She didn't want to accuse him of something without proof, but the doubt was there, and it was growing.
"Okay," she finally said, her voice tight. "I just… I miss you, John. I hope you're being honest with me."
"I am, Sarah," John said, but his voice sounded distant again, as if he were distracted. "I'll be home soon. Just a few more days, okay?"
Sarah nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Okay," she whispered. "Be safe."
As they ended the call, Sarah sat in the darkness, her phone still clutched in her hand. The weight of what she had just heard pressed down on her chest, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong.