A cheating husband gets far more than he bargained for when he discovers his mistress in the shower after arriving home with his wife. He devises a plan to try and keep both women in his life, only for it to backfire on him badly.
The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the suburban landscape as Daniel and Elizabeth drove home. The car’s hum provided the only background noise.
Approaching their home, Daniel felt uneasy due to his recent discovery that Elizabeth had hired a private investigator for her suspicions about his fidelity. He had taken care of the investigator for now, but Daniel had to be careful.
“Did you remember to pay the electricity bill today?” Elizabeth asked, distracting him from his thoughts.
“Of course I did,” Daniel replied, but it was a lie.
They arrived home in silence. Inside, Daniel sensed an odd warmth. “Is it me, or is it warmer in here than usual?” he asked as they entered the living room.
“I’ll check the thermostat later,” Elizabeth replied.
Ascending the stairs, the sound of running water startled Daniel. “Did you leave the faucet running?” he asked.
“No, you know I’m careful about closing faucets,” Elizabeth replied.
Daniel, panicking, redirected her attention. “Honey, I left my laptop in the car; could you fetch it for me?”
Elizabeth declined, but Daniel talked her into it with a promise of a special treat in bed. “You know, we could stay awake till morning. Netflix and chill?”
Elizabeth smiled and left. Daniel entered their bedroom. The sound of running water was coming from the en suite bathroom. “Maybe I left it running,” he thought.
But when Daniel rushed into the bathroom, he found Sophia, his mistress, in the shower. “Surprise, handsome!” she said, revealing her presence and intentions.
“What the hell are you doing here, Sophia? How could you sneak into my house behind my back like this?” Daniel whispered, horrified.
Confused, Sophia replied, “What are you talking about? You showed me where the spare key is hidden.”
Daniel stepped back, panic evident in his eyes. “I’m married, Sophia! I have a wife, Elizabeth, and she’ll be back any minute. I can’t believe what a disastrous situation you’ve created!”
“Married?” Sophia grew pale. “You lied to me, and now you’re blaming me?! You created this situation!”
“I never meant for it to go this far. I’ll leave Elizabeth and be with you. I promise. But you have to hide,” Daniel pleaded.
Sophia, frustrated, retreated into the shower, slamming the door. Meanwhile, Daniel rushed to stop Elizabeth from discovering the affair.
“Daniel, your laptop isn’t in the car. Where did you leave it?” Elizabeth asked.
Panic etched on his face, Daniel stammered, “I-I flooded the bathroom and bedroom! It’s a mess. Don’t go up there. Let’s sit down. I’m in shock.”
Taking Elizabeth’s hand, he led her to the sofa, trying to distract her. Inside the shower, Sophia grew impatient, determined to confront Daniel.
“Daniel, please, you’re scaring me now. You’re being hysterical,” Elizabeth said calmly. “Are you sure the bathroom and bedroom are flooded? I don’t see any water leaking from upstairs. I’m going up to take a look.”
“I’m sorry, Elizabeth,” Daniel insisted, desperate to stop her. “I’ve been under a lot of stress lately, and I didn’t want to burden you with it. Just don’t go upstairs.”
But Elizabeth, unconvinced, went upstairs. She didn’t find any flooding!
“See, Dan, no flooding. Are you feeling all right?” she questioned.
“I must be stressed,” Daniel said, feigning a troubled look. “Maybe I left the faucet on slightly. That’s why the floor is wet,” he added, coming up with a quick lie to cover Sophia’s tracks.
But Elizabeth sensed something off. Before he could stop her, she popped open the shower door. Thankfully for Daniel, the stall was empty, save for a spray of water droplets on the tiles.
“Ma-maybe I left the shower on?” Daniel suggested to her. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I feel like I’m losing my mind! I need a drink. Let’s go downstairs and get a drink, honey.”
“Fine, you go and fix yourself a drink,” Elizabeth said, believing him. “Just take it easy, Daniel; this is not normal behavior. I need a shower.”
“Okay, I’ll go relax with a drink and order food. You have your shower, then join me, okay?” Daniel proposed.
Elizabeth nodded and turned on the shower. As she undressed, she noticed a toiletry bag on the towel rack, unfamiliar to her. Opening it, she discovered a toothbrush, razor, and skin care products, signaling another woman’s presence.
In shock, Elizabeth realized the truth about Daniel’s odd behavior. The investigator she’d hired hadn’t been able to give her evidence of Daniel’s infidelity. Elizabeth knew Daniel had bought the investigator’s silence.
But she’d thought that now that he knew he wasn’t safe, maybe, just maybe, he would put work into their marriage. But that wasn’t the case.
Meanwhile, Daniel, desperate to avert disaster, rushed to the spare room where Sophia was waiting for him.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know things would get so complicated!” Daniel pleaded with her.
“Complicated? You’ve been lying for months, Daniel. You made me believe we had a future,” Sophia yelled.
“Shhh! I’ll divorce Elizabeth, but I need time. I’m doing this for us,” Daniel claimed.
Sophia scoffed. “Either you tell her now, or I will.”
Their argument intensified, with Daniel urging Sophia to hide in the closet. He promised to devise a plan to get her out without Elizabeth knowing.
In the shower, Elizabeth stood numb, temporarily sheltered from the storm about to descend on her life.
In the spare room, Daniel closed the closet door, knowing his next steps were crucial, his future hanging in the balance.
Daniel hurried downstairs to the kitchen, attempting to regain composure and contemplate his next move. Unaware of Elizabeth’s growing suspicions, he prepared a whiskey and soda.
Elizabeth, wearing a mask of controlled emotions, emerged from the bathroom, holding the toiletries bag. She noticed wet footprints leading to the spare room, unveiling further signs of her husband’s betrayal.
Opening the room door, Elizabeth traced the footprints to the closet. A pink bath towel peeking from the closet sealed the truth. As the towel vanished, Elizabeth stood at a crossroads, contemplating her shattered marriage.
Trembling, she approached the closet door, hesitant to open it. Unable to confront the possibility, Elizabeth sank to the floor, pouring out her despair.
Tears fell as she addressed the empty air, revealing her heartbreak. “I thought we had the perfect marriage,” she confessed. “I tried my best to save this marriage. I thought I was brave enough to face his infidelity. But I’m not, I think. You must be more attractive than me…”
The closet door slowly opened, revealing Sophia. “I’m so sorry,” she uttered. “I didn’t know he was married.”
The two women, bonded by shared pain, sat in silence.
Touched by Sophia’s honesty and regret, Elizabeth felt compassion.
“You have nothing to apologize for. We’re both victims of his lies,” she empathized.
Sophia asked, “What do we do now?”
Elizabeth, wiping away tears, responded with resolve. “I have an idea.”
Meanwhile, Daniel, unaware of the unfolding drama, sat downstairs, troubled and anxious. He scrolled through Netflix options, taking nervous sips of his whiskey.
Suddenly, a hand covered his eyes from behind, and a playful voice murmured, “Guess who?”
Daniel’s heart raced; the touch sent shivers through him. When Sophia revealed herself, tension filled the room.
“What are you doing?” Daniel hissed, fury evident in his eyes.
“I’m tired of being a secret,” Sophia declared, defiant.
“You can’t just walk around like this. What if Elizabeth sees you?” Daniel spat.
“That’s the point. I don’t want to be a secret anymore. It’s me or her,” Sophia challenged.
Daniel, realizing the risk, proposed, “Wait here. We need to be discreet. I’ll come up with a plan.”
Returning with a plan, Daniel said, “I’ll ask for a divorce. Let me drive you home, then I’ll handle Elizabeth.”
As they headed for the door, Daniel handed a blanket and keys to Sophia, instructing her to hide in the car.
With Sophia gone, he panicked when Elizabeth was nowhere to be found. “Where is she?” he muttered.
***
“I can’t find her!” Daniel told the figure underneath the blanket in the back seat of the car. “Stay hidden until I figure this out.”
He went back inside, searching, growing frantic. “Maybe she’s in the garage!” he thought of his missing wife.
But Elizabeth was not there.
“Where is she?” he grumbled and got inside the car. “Maybe it’s for the best that I’m ending it,” he said to the figure underneath the blanket, planning to leave Elizabeth.
Suddenly, Sophia appeared at the window. Elizabeth emerged from under the blanket.
“What’s going on here?” Daniel yelped. “What do you two think you’re doing?”
Elizabeth, tearful, confronted Daniel. “I know something was off for some time. Now I’ve heard it. The whole truth. It’s over for you!”
Daniel pleaded, “Wait, both of you, just wait. I can explain everything!” he cried, pretending like he was innocent.
Sophia laughed and cut him off. “Explain?” she asked. “You’ve done enough explaining. Now it’s our turn.”
Elizabeth raised her phone. “Thanks to Sophia’s evidence and my recording, I’ll take everything from you, including our business!” she warned him.
“Look, let’s not overreact,” Daniel urged. “We can sit down and work this out. It’s just a misunderstanding!”
“A misunderstanding?” Elizabeth scoffed. “Sophia, did you misunderstand my husband’s intentions in any way, perhaps?” she asked.
“Nope,” Sophia said. “I understood him perfectly. He said he loved me and wanted to divorce you and be with me. But I don’t want this man near me any longer! He is dead to me.”
“That’s pretty much what I heard, too,” Elizabeth said. She stepped out of the car and stood where Sophia had been moments before, looking down on Daniel.
“You have your divorce, Daniel. I’ll get our business lawyer to draw up the papers. I’m sure she’ll be happy to do that. I hope you can afford her with what little you’ll have left when we’re through.”
Feeling defeated, Daniel suggested, “I’ll pack a bag and stay with my brother. We can figure things out later, okay?”
Elizabeth dismissed him. “Goodbye, Daniel! And yeah, keep the car. You can live in it if your brother doesn’t help!”
“Elizabeth, please don’t do this,” Daniel begged.
“It’s done, Daniel. Goodbye,” Elizabeth concluded, leading Sophia towards the front door.
“How about a drink?” she asked Sophia, and they walked away hand-in-hand.
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