Without warning her husband, Anna unexpectedly arrived at the cabin. But as soon as she entered the house, she felt like she was about to faint from what she saw….

That conversation with Veronica was the trigger. That’s when a worm of doubt settled in Anna’s chest. Now she looked at Max with completely different eyes.

And she didn’t like this change in their relationship at all. But what to do, the previous trust was gone. Once her husband went to the bathroom, leaving his phone on the nightstand…

Lately, he hadn’t made such slips. He always carried the mobile everywhere, as if afraid to miss an important call. But here he suddenly forgot.

Anna didn’t struggle with doubts for long. Yes, taking someone else’s phone is wrong. But on the other hand, she had valid reasons.

Feeling almost like a criminal, the woman swiped her fingers across the screen. The phone was password-protected. What news.

It hadn’t been like that before, that’s for sure. So, it turns out, Max really had something to hide. Max behaved as if nothing happened.

Anna didn’t notice any coldness in their relationship from his side, no. He still hugged and kissed her before leaving for work. He still tried to take care of his wife.

Only the man was clearly very engrossed in something. Something or someone. Something fully occupied his thoughts.

Anna knew her husband well and saw it. Only the man wasn’t in a hurry to share secrets with his wife. But before, they always told each other everything.

Could it really be a mistress? This thought was sharp, unpleasant, hurtful. And somehow icy. When Anna thought about it, chills ran down her spine.

She didn’t want to believe that Max was doing this to her. Why would he? Everything between them had always been good. Why would he need a mistress? Maybe Veronica is right? Maybe men really can’t be faithful? Even the best of them.

Anna tried to drive the exhausting thoughts away. And when they started circling her again, the woman desperately came up with decent explanations for Max’s behavior. The firm is expanding, lots of work, that’s why business trips increased.

Her husband gets tired, so he became more silent. But he still loves her and Matthew. It’s visible, noticeable.

Only this thoughtful and almost enamored gaze of Max didn’t fit into the neat versions. After all, at that moment, he wasn’t looking at his wife. What’s the reason? Lawyer work never made the man so happy.

He went to law school only because his parents told him to. It turned out just like with Anna. His parents chose the profession for Max.

Because by the end of high school, he hadn’t decided what he wanted to be. Or rather, he had decided. But it was an unserious decision.

And the guy understood it perfectly himself. And Max turned out to be a good lawyer. He had a good way with words, and he thought quickly.

So the man succeeded in the profession. Max tried hard, very hard for the family. He did everything so that his wife and son lacked nothing.

Once Max had to make a tough choice. Anna remembered that moment. She greatly appreciated her husband for how he acted then.

She understood that Max had passed a kind of test. And one could say he even sacrificed his dream for her. And after that, after everything they went through, how could Max do this to her.

It was hard to believe he had a mistress. But all the facts pointed to it. And Veronica often added fuel to the fire with her talks about unfaithful men.

Still, Anna tried not to think about it. She stubbornly invented excuses for her husband one after another. But time didn’t make it easier.

Then again, Max’s texting with someone, or his smile, delays at work, endless business trips, Max was definitely hiding something. Once, it was around the end of September, Anna met Peter, an old friend and colleague of Max’s, at the mall. They worked in the same law firm, just in different departments.

«Hi, you look great,» Peter smiled, seeing his old acquaintance. «Hi. Long time no see.»

«How are things?» «All normal, as usual. Working, laboring,» — «Yeah, your work is over the roof now,» Anna shook her head. «You’re expanding, right?» The surprise that flashed on Peter’s face for a moment didn’t escape Anna’s attention.

Apparently, he hadn’t heard anything about any expansion. But the man quickly composed himself. «Expansion,» he said in a not too confident tone.

«Yes, expansion, lots of work.» The man beamed a smile at his interlocutor and tried to escape. But Anna didn’t intend to let him go just like that…

She already understood that her husband’s stories about changes in the firm were lies. Peter’s reaction was eloquent. «Wait, do you also go on business trips often now, like Max?» Peter froze in confusion, not knowing what to answer Anna without betraying his friend.

It was very noticeable. The man’s face reflected heavy thoughts. Then he nodded and, citing urgent matters, rushed off.

But his behavior told Anna a lot. Of course, there are no business trips. Max invents these trips to… to what? Spend time with a mistress? Anna started watching her husband more closely.

She didn’t like this new role of detective, but what to do? Anna needed proof. She had to be sure that Max was deceiving her before… before talking to her husband about such topics. Anna shared her worries with Veronica.

Who else? Not with her mother, who has a bad heart. And Anna had no other close people nearby. «Nothing surprising,» her friend shrugged.

«You’re not the first, not the last. Common thing. I told you that…» «Nika, not about that now.»

«I know all about your attitude toward men, believe me. I’m interested in something else. How do I get proof?» «Do you need them at all?» «I do,» Anna sighed.

It was hard for Veronica to explain that after so many years of happiness, it’s not easy to suddenly accuse Max of her suspicions head-on. What if she’s wrong? It would hurt Max a lot. And if there really is a mistress? Without proof, Max would wriggle out.

He’d come up with something. Make his wife doubt again. «Well, if you need proof so badly,» Veronica drawled thoughtfully, «if they’re absolutely necessary, I have one plan.»

«I think it should work.» «Go on, tell me,» Anna asked. And Veronica told her.

Yes, in the state Anna was in now, she probably wouldn’t have thought of it herself. You have to disappear from the city. Come up with something…