The Snowman Secret My Wife's Five-Year AffairChapter 1
We had a pact: on New Year's Eve, we would watch the first snowfall together.
I left the office early—a rare move for me—and spent hours in the kitchen preparing a feast of Tessa's favorite dishes. I checked the clock repeatedly until my phone finally rang.
"Oliver, I'm stuck at the office. Overtime. Sorry."
Her voice was clipped, dismissive. Before I could respond, the line went dead.
Outside, snow lashed against the windows. Worried she'd go hungry, I packed the food into a thermos and drove through the storm to find her.
I pulled up near her office, headlights cutting through the white haze. That's when I saw a flash of bright red.
It was Tessa. My wife—the woman who claimed she was too delicate to wash a dish—was out in the freezing cold, building a snowman.
She wasn't alone.
Carter Wiley stood behind her, arms wrapped around her waist. Intimate. Possessive. He laughed as he snapped photos of her posing with their creation.
The thermos tipped over on the passenger seat. Rich, savory soup flooded the cabin. The smell turned my stomach.
My vision sharpened. I shoved the door open and stepped into the snow.
"We're getting a divorce."
——
Tessa spun around. Her smile froze, then cracked into annoyance. "Oliver? What the hell? Divorce?"
"You heard me."
Carter unwrapped his arms and crossed them, watching me like I was a circus clown.
"Is this about missing our date?" Tessa frowned. "I know I broke our plans, but you don't need to be dramatic." She softened into that practiced, spoiled whine. "Alright, don't be mad. We'll watch the next snowfall together. Okay?"
A month ago, that tone might have worked.
But the sight of Carter—combined with an anonymous email I'd received weeks earlier—turned my blood to ice. My fists clenched, leather gloves creaking.
"It doesn't matter. Watch it with whoever you want. I'm done."
A courier pulled up—I'd placed the rush order the moment I saw them together. The runner handed me a thick envelope. I signed the divorce agreement against my car hood and thrust it at her.
"Sign it."
Tessa snatched the papers and ripped them to shreds, throwing the confetti into the wind.
"You're insane! Why are you doing this? If you're unhappy, just say so!"
I pointed at the mound of snow behind her. "Because of that. The snowman you built with your own hands."