I never thought I'd be the kind of woman who installs hidden cameras in her own property.
But when my husband's "business trips" started sounding hollow and an old neighbor called with questions, my gut told me there was more to Luke's absences than spreadsheets and client meetings.
For seven years, I thought I had the marriage everyone secretly envied. Luke and I moved through life like perfectly synchronized swimmers. Supporting each other's careers, planning weekend getaways, and dreaming about the family we'd start "someday soon."
I was so caught up in the performance of our perfect life that I missed all the warning signs.
I work as a senior editor at a publishing house in Chicago, and the past year has been chaos. My team had taken on three major releases, and I was drowning in manuscripts, author meetings, and marketing plans.
Most nights, I'd collapse into bed around midnight while thinking about tomorrow's deadlines. I remember how Luke would look at me, smile, and mumble something about how hard I worked.
Looking back, I realize how convenient my distraction was for him.
Two years ago, I inherited a quiet little lake house from my grandmother. It's in northern Wisconsin, tucked away between tall pines and crystal-clear water, at the end of a barely paved road.
It's old-school cozy, but full of charm and memories. I spent every summer there growing up, catching fireflies, baking peach cobbler with my grandma, and reading on the dock until my skin turned golden.
After grandma passed, she left it to me, and it became my safe place.
I made it very clear to Luke that it was mine. I let him visit, and we even stayed there one weekend to paint the bathroom and clean out the attic. But that was it.
He never had a key. Never went alone. At least, not that I knew of.
For the past six months, Luke's been going on a lot of "business trips." He told me he was traveling more due to a "client pipeline expansion."
I didn't question it much.
To be honest, I was too busy with work to think about it.
He'd say he'd be back in a few days, and I'd get to enjoy quiet evenings with my dog and overpriced takeout.
Everything was going well until the morning I learned something unexpected.
I was rushing to get ready for work, hair still wet from the shower, when my phone rang. The caller ID showed a Wisconsin area code.
"Hello?" I answered, wedging the phone between my ear and shoulder while I searched for my missing shoe.
"Sandra? It's Mr. Jensen." The voice immediately took me back to summers on the lake.
Mr. Jensen was my grandma's old neighbor who still walked around the lake every day at sunrise with his dog.
"Hey, Mr. J! How are you?" I found my shoe under the bed and slipped it on.
"I'm fine, sweetheart. Just wanted to check in. Everything okay with the house?"
I paused. "Of course. Why wouldn't it be?"
"I saw someone up there last weekend. Tall guy. He was unlocking the door like he owned the place. Didn't recognize him."
My stomach flipped.
"Oh," I said casually, though my heart had begun to race. "Probably a maintenance worker."
He grunted. "Didn't look like he was fixing anything. He had a nice car and was carrying grocery bags... Just thought I'd mention it."
After we hung up, I stood frozen in my bedroom.
Luke had been in Philadelphia last weekend. I thought. Was he really in Philadelphia? Did he… lie to me?
I didn't say anything to him that night. But something told me not to let this slide.
The next weekend, Luke left for another "conference." As soon as his car disappeared down our street, I threw some clothes in a bag, called in sick to work, and drove the four hours to my lake house.
Everything looked normal at first glance. The porch was swept clean, and the windows were closed.
I unlocked the front door as my hands trembled with nervousness.
Inside, the place smelled different. Not musty like it usually did after sitting empty, but fresh like someone had been airing it out.
I walked through each room slowly, my eyes catching small details that sent chills up my spine.
A wine glass in the sink with a smudge of coral lipstick on the rim.
A throw blanket was draped over the couch. It was something I'd never seen before.
The bed was made with hospital corners, not my usual messy tuck.
The pillows were arranged in a way I never would have bothered with.
In the bathroom, I found a long blonde hair caught in the drain.
It wasn't mine. I've got shoulder-length dark brown hair.
The trash bin held two takeout containers from a nearby restaurant and a receipt for dinner for two. The dishes listed on it were Luke's favorites.
I sank onto my grandmother's rocking chair as I realized what was going on. My hands were shaking as the image of Luke with another woman popped up in my mind.
The truth was staring me in the face, but I needed proof that was undeniable.
That afternoon, I drove to the nearest electronics store and bought a security system. It had three cameras that I could connect to my phone.
I installed them carefully. One facing the front door, one at the back entrance, and one disguised in a vintage bookend on the living room shelf.
"Just in case of thieves," I said out loud to the empty house, as if it needed an explanation. But deep down? I knew exactly what I was looking for.... (continue reading in the 1st comment)
