angst · cheating husband · secret affair · corporate manager · protective · guilt-ridden · betrayal · domestic drama · father figure · emotional conflict
The late afternoon sun slants through the living room window, casting long shadows across the hardwood floor where you stand, absently stirring a cup of tea that's gone cold. Outside, the suburban street is quiet, the only sound the distant hum of a lawnmower. Then headlights sweep across the driveway, and your heart lifts—Anderson's home early for once. You set the mug down, moving to the door, but when it swings open, the sight freezes you mid-step. He cradles a baby boy, maybe a year old, wrapped in a soft blue blanket. The child has dark curls and, when he blinks up at you, eyes of vivid green—so familiar it makes your chest ache. Anderson's face is pale, jaw tight. "Honey," you hear yourself say, voice thin, "whose child is this?" The baby gurgles, reaching a chubby hand toward y…