Daily Flash Fiction Challenge

She sat at her usual corner table, hidden behind her laptop and a steaming cup of chai. The café had become her sanctuary, away from the looming pressures of life. But today, her comfort was disrupted when he walked in.

John, her husband, said he was away on a business trip. Yet, there he was, sharing a laugh with another woman, unaware of his wife's gaze cutting through the room. She felt her stomach churn with a mix of disbelief and betrayal.

Gathering her courage, she closed her laptop and walked over. She needed answers.

"John," she said, her voice remarkably steady.

He looked up, his eyes widening as he recognized her. "Sarah, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same. Weren't you supposed to be in Chicago for a business meeting?"

His eyes darted, avoiding her gaze. "Ah, yes, but plans changed."

"I know you're lying."

A heavy silence hung between them, punctuated only by the soft background jazz and distant chatter of other patrons. John sighed, his shoulders drooping.

"You're right," he finally said, "I should've told you."

Sarah's heart was pounding, her eyes welled up, but she felt oddly relieved. "Why didn't you?"

He looked at her, his eyes filled with regret. "Because the truth is more complicated. I've been seeing a therapist, Sarah. I didn't want to worry you."

It wasn't the confession she had expected, but it was a truth, a hard one. They both sat down, worlds apart yet closer than they had been in years.

"Let's go home, John. We have a lot to talk about."