Richard was convinced that his wife was being unfaithful to him. Determined to catch her out, he hatched a planand the result took him by surprise.
Darling, arent you going to be late? Emily asked her husband, who was busy chatting on the phone. Your flights in two hours, you know.
Oh, didnt I mention? Richard looked at his wife with feigned surprise. The business trips been postponed. Looks like I wont be going for another few days.
I see, Emily replied, hurrying quickly to the kitchen to fetch her phone. After sending a text to someone, she returned to the living room as if nothing had happened. That one action only deepened Richards suspicions that Emily had a lover. She hardly minded when he went out with his mates or travelled for work. She never argued when he staggered home from the pub. All his friends agreed that such women were a rarity, with not a flaw to be found. Yet Richard still felt troubled.
He was eight years older than Emily. Perhaps she had found someone more her own age or even younger, he worried. At the very least, Richard kept these concerns to himself. It wouldnt do to accuse her of anything without proof. He wanted to be absolutely sure. So, he couldnt think of a better solution than to install cameras all around their flat in London.
Richard left on his business trip feeling quite out of sorts. Even Emily commented on how tense he seemed, almost offering him some of her herbal tea to help him relax. Touched by her kindness, Richard almost persuaded himself that everything was perfectly fine.
He didnt watch the camera footage immediately; there was simply too much on his mind. Only in the evenings did he have the opportunity to open the app and view the recordings. After five minutes of watching, he would close it and put his laptop asidedetermined not to give in to his paranoia.
The work trip passed quickly. On his return, Richard waited until Emily left for work before sitting down with his laptop, ready to see the weeks revelationsthough he still felt uneasy about what he might learn.
He opened the laptop and clicked through the recordings. At first, nothing seemed amiss. Emily got up, made herself some breakfast, and tidied up around the flat. But later in the afternoon, Richard noticed something odd. His impeccably dressed wife lounged about in his baggy T-shirt and shorts, sitting at her computer, utterly engrossed in a video game. He could even hear the voices of other players from her headset. As it turned out, Emily was thoroughly hooked on online games.
Well, thats not the healthiest pastime, Richard reasoned, but everyone needs a hobby. He flicked through the rest of the footage at double speed, seeing nothing unusualjust Emily, her computer, and chores. Most importantly, not a single unfamiliar man had set foot in the flat.
Exhaling with relief, Richard shut the laptop. Now, he felt only guilt for having suspected his wife. He made up his mind to buy Emily a huge bouquet of roses and take her out for a romantic dinner. Yet, he hesitated at the thought of removing the cameras just yet. He didnt realise that sometimes, our doubts reveal more about ourselves than others. Trust, once stretched, is mended best with honesty and understanding.
