Before He Cheats

Chapter 1

Vanessa's POV:

I was forced to come home. As a financial advisor, things weren't easy, but I loved my job.

Lately, I'd been staying overtime because of the promotion I'd been working on getting. I was one of the five candidates that were being considered.

But today, I came home early because I got the promotion. I couldn't believe it. All I want to do right now is to relax and celebrate with my husband.

Excited to tell him the good news, I eagerly drove home.

Pulling into the driveway, a smile spread on my face as I realized my husband was home.

We'd lived in this house for over two years, moving in as newlyweds.

Though it's been six years since we've known each other, five years since we started dating, and two years since we've been happily married, the sight of him never failed to make me happy.

There was an unfamiliar vehicle parked behind my husband's car.

That's odd.

I got out of the car and walked up the driveway to the door, a strange feeling passing over me.

Something was off.

Since my vacation a few months ago, we hadn't seen much of each other due to our hectic work schedules.

It had made me feel like we were growing apart.

I hoped that the trip that I planned for our third anniversary would bring us back together.

I hadn't seen much of him. The tax season was nearing. Being an accountant, that put a lot on his plate.

It didn't help that I started working overtime as well.

I carefully got my keys from my purse to unlock the front door. To my surprise, it was already opened.

Narrowing my eyes, I cautiously walked inside.

Something was really going on now.

As I looked around, everything seemed normal, but it didn't feel like it.

I heard faint noises coming from the kitchen, which I figured was Matthew.

I felt slightly relieved, but the closer I got towards the kitchen, the more I tried to ignore the feeling of dread anchored in my chest. Something still wasn't right.

I cautiously walked into the kitchen with my keys stick in hand.

Seeing what was happening in front of me, I nearly gasped in alarm.

My husband was bending some woman over our kitchen counter.

My eyes widened in surprise. I slowly backed away in disbelief, almost tripping over my own two feet.

How could he?

There he was in their kitchen of the house that we'd lived in together having sex with another woman.

My heart broke, seeing him intimate with someone else, something he was supposed to be doing with only me.

I didn't know what to do, never expecting anything like this to happen.

I was too disgusted to do anything other back away further.

I thought that we were happy.

I thought that we loved each other.

I trusted him.

And yet here he was cheating right in front of my eyes.

It was all a lie.

I needed to get out of here.

I rushed out of there with tears running down my face.

The hurt, the pain, disbelief, anger, and sadness I had felt were overwhelming.

It was too much-all of it.

My chest felt like it was going to explode; it was hard to breathe.

Stay calm. I repeated over and over.

I let out a deep grasp once air came into my lungs.

Taking a moment to recover, I tried to regulate my breathing.

Once I was good, I slowly got into my car.

Starting up my engine, I slowly backed out, only crying when I reached the end of the road.