When I handed my gift to Adam, he opened it with a smile.
“Wow, that’s perfect. Thanks, Nat.”
But before I could say anything, the waiter returned with a cake, which he placed in front of Adam. I looked at the cake and saw the words written in the frosting: “Unfaithful . “
“What is it?” Adam asked.
I couldn’t hold back any longer. “I know what’s going on. I know you’re cheating on me.”
“What? No, that’s not true,” he said quickly. “That’s crazy, Nat.”
“I saw the message. The one from ‘Baby’. I followed you yesterday. I saw you with her. I saw everything.”
“It’s not what you think. You’re jumping to conclusions.”
But I couldn’t let him explain. I couldn’t listen to any more lies.
“Of all the women you could have cheated on me with… You chose MY SISTER!”
The whole restaurant fell silent. All eyes were on us.
Adam sighed. “Come on, let’s go.”
” Or ? “
“To show you the truth.”
He called a taxi, and within minutes we were on our way to the house where I had seen him earlier.
When we arrived, I felt my heart race again. We got out of the car, and before I could ask anything, the door opened. It was Lily, my sister. She looked shocked to see us standing there.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
Adam looked at me before turning to her. “I tried to keep it a secret, but I’m not going to lie anymore, not when it affects my marriage.”
I took a step forward. “What’s going on, Lily? You lived in another state for years, and now you’re here, sleeping with my husband.”
Lily hesitated. “That’s not true. I… I moved here. I didn’t think I had a choice. Nat, you don’t understand…”
“Yes, you’re right, I really don’t understand what’s going on here.”
“I thought you would never forgive me.”
“Forgive you for what? For sleeping with my husband?”
“No! I would never have hurt you.”
Adam intervened. “Her husband… he was abusive. She needed to get away.”
“Violent?” I repeated. “I warned you, Lily. I told you he wasn’t good for you. I begged you to leave him. But instead, you decided to leave me.”
“That’s why I didn’t tell you,” she yelled. “Because I knew how you’d react! I didn’t want you to be ashamed of me!”
I stood there in silence, trying to take it all in. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a little boy walking towards us. He was about four years old.
I turned to Adam, confused. “Who is it?”
“That’s the ‘baby’ you saw in the message,” Adam said. “That’s Lily’s son.”
“Do you have a child?” I asked, looking at my sister.
Lily nodded. “Yes. I didn’t know how to explain everything. But… I didn’t know where to go.”
“You should have told me, Lily. We’re sisters. Why didn’t you trust me?”
“I was afraid you would judge me.”
„Ich werde dir helfen, Lily“, sagte ich und sah sie beide an, Adam und sie. „Aber ihr müsst mir beide versprechen, dass es keine Geheimnisse mehr geben wird. Verheimlicht mir nichts mehr. Wir sind eine Familie, und ich kann keine Lügen mehr ertragen.“
„Versprochen. Keine Geheimnisse mehr.“
Adam drückte meine Hand. „Wir stecken jetzt zusammen drin. Alle.“
