Returned home early, saw my wife embracing another man

I walked into the house, my thoughts still tangled in what I had just witnessed.

Asuka had never once mentioned having a friend that wealthy. And no matter how I looked at it, that hug—they didn’t look like just friends.

…Then what was it?

Was Takeshi-san right, after all?

No.
What was I even thinking? Maybe it was just the exhaustion catching up to me. I hadn’t been sleeping well lately, and with work piling up, my mind was bound to wander into dark places.

How could I doubt Asuka?
She’s always been honest with me. Faithful. Steady.
This wasn’t like me. It had to be my own paranoia… sparked by the things Takeshi-san said.

I shook my head hard, trying to clear the thoughts, and stepped into the kitchen, placing the pudding I brought into the refrigerator.

I glanced at the foldable table near the wall. No note. No message was left behind.

I checked the pots on the stove—rice and soup were ready, but the main dish hadn’t been cooked yet. Chopped vegetables waited silently on the counter.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding, walked to the bathroom, and rinsed my face. After changing into more comfortable clothes, I made myself a cup of tea, the warmth calming my hands if not my heart.

Still, the image of that man—her and him—played over and over in my mind.

I had to ask her.
Not accuse her.
Just… ask.

I tapped on her name and brought the phone to my ear.

It rang.

And rang.

No answer.

I stared at the screen, frowning. Was everything okay?

Before I could redial, the phone lit up again—Asuka.

I picked it up quickly, “Hello, Asuk—”

[Ah, Yuto-kun, I’m at Akari’s place. I don’t think I’ll be coming home tonight. She is unwell and need my help. Please eat without me, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.]

Beep.

She hung up.

Just like that.

I stood there, still holding the phone, frozen in place.

Akari.
Fujimoto Akari-san—her friend who lived only a block away. They were close, yes… but Asuka had never stayed over at her place before. Not once.

And the car she left in… there was no way it belonged to the Fujimoto family. It was far too luxurious. It didn’t fit.

And what about that man? The one she hugged like someone who meant more than just “a friend.”

No matter how I tried to spin it, no matter how I tried to give her the benefit of the doubt…

There was only one conclusion left.
Asuka lied to me.

….

I didn’t have an appetite.
Still, I forced myself to eat a few bites of rice before laying out the bed.

This wasn’t normal.
This… distance between us.

We’d been married for two years now. Before that, we dated for a year. And even before all that, we were friends.
Good friends who had met online—randomly, through a game.

Back then, it was simple.
We clicked. We shared the same hobbies and genuinely enjoyed each other’s company.
We used to game together every night. That’s where it all began.

At first, we were just teammates—talking only about raids, experience farming, and timing our logins to climb the ranks efficiently.
We had great synergy, and before we knew it, we were ranked among the top ten.

But after six months of playing together, the tone of our chats slowly began to shift.

We exchanged Instagram handles. Hers was a new account—no pictures, no bio.
For a long time, I genuinely thought she was a guy pretending to be a girl in-game. Happens all the time.

And then one day… she sent me a photo.

The moment I saw her, I nearly fell for her.

After that, our chats weren’t just about games anymore. We started talking about life—her work, my family, the weight I carried on my shoulders.
She was curious. She listened.
And because she listened, I opened up more than I ever thought I would.

Soon we moved from messages to voice calls. Then video calls.
I got to know her voice, her laugh, and the little frown she made when she focused too hard on something.

And then, after a whole year of virtual companionship—we finally met.

I still remember that day.

I showed up in a formal suit.
Why?
Because it was the only thing I looked good in. But walking beside a girl in a light summer dress through an amusement park? Yeah, it felt ridiculous.

People stared.
But Asuka didn’t care. She laughed, held my hand, and dragged me to every ride she could find.

We had fun—real, unforgettable fun.

Back then, everything felt so certain.
So simple.
So true.

But then…what happened so suddenly that Asuka ended up lying to me for someone else?

Despite how much I tried I wasn’t able to fall asleep that day.

I suddenly started to feel regretful about coming back home early today.

*******

A/N:- Thanks for reading.