When Madison first noticed a note on the bathroom mirror, she thought it was a sweet gesture from her husband, Ryan, after their night out. The message read, Miss you already, last night was amazing! XOXO. At first, it warmed her heart, thinking Ryan had left a cute little surprise. After years of marriage, these small things kept the spark alive, right?

The night before, they had gone out to dinner, and Madison had indulged in a few too many cocktails. By the time they got home, she collapsed into bed without even removing her makeup. She didn’t see the note until the next morning while getting ready for the day.

Feeling excited, she quickly texted Ryan: Hey Babe! I saw your little note on the mirror. So cute! I loved it! 😘 A few minutes later, she saw the familiar three dots of an incoming message. Smiling, she waited for his response, expecting something equally sweet.

But when his reply came in, her stomach dropped. Uh, what note, Madison?

Confused, Madison thought maybe Ryan had forgotten about it. After all, mornings weren’t his strong suit. She snapped a picture of the note and sent it to him. A few minutes later, his reply came in: Oh! Haha! Yeah, right, I left that for you! I totally forgot! Something in his tone felt off—no emojis, no casual affection. Ryan loved using emojis, and the abruptness of his response felt strange.

Madison brushed it off and tried to focus on work, but a nagging suspicion started to creep in. What if the note wasn’t for her at all? Could Ryan be cheating?

As much as she tried to push the thought away, it stuck with her all day. She kept thinking, Ryan wouldn’t do this to me, right? We’ve been solid, haven’t we?

When Ryan got home that evening, he seemed completely unaware of the turmoil boiling inside her. He kissed her on the forehead, asking casually, “What’s for dinner?” Feeling tense, Madison snapped back, “I’m behind on work. Can you make something tonight?”

Ryan smiled, nodded, and headed to the kitchen. Everything about him seemed normal, but Madison couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. It felt like he was hiding behind a mask.

Later that night, while Ryan slept, Madison did something she never thought she would. She went through his phone. She checked his messages, his call logs, and even his emails. There was nothing—no signs of an affair, no hidden texts. His phone was too clean. But her gut still told her something was wrong.

Days later, Madison’s suspicions finally came to a head.

Ryan came home early from work, just as she was about to head to the gym. He seemed tense, and when she asked him what was wrong, his answer felt rehearsed. “My dad’s coming over. He needs help with his laptop,” Ryan said.

His dad, Bob, had been coming over more often lately, especially on days when Madison wasn’t home. Later that week, Ryan’s mom, Claire, called Madison sounding a little off. “Darling, have you seen Bob lately?” Claire asked.

That’s when things started to click. Bob had been around far too often lately.

The next time Bob came over, Madison decided to investigate. She pretended to leave for errands but parked around the corner, out of sight. After a few minutes, she saw a woman walk up to her front door and let herself in.

Madison’s heart raced as she snuck back into the house. She heard the shower running and crept towards the bathroom. What she saw through the crack in the door shattered her. Bob was in the shower with the woman—someone who was definitely not Claire.

Furious, Madison flung the door open. Bob and the woman froze in shock. The woman grabbed a towel and fled the house, and Bob stumbled over excuses. But Madison didn’t want to hear it. The truth was out: Bob had been using her home as his secret hideaway for his affair.

That night, she confronted Ryan. His face went pale as she told him what she had seen. At first, he tried to deny it, but eventually, he admitted that he had known all along. “He’s my father, Madison. He asked me to cover for him, and I did,” Ryan said. “It’s safer here. This way, Mom wouldn’t see Dad with his mistress.”

Madison was furious. While Ryan wasn’t cheating, he had been lying to her, using their home to hide his father’s affair. They argued for hours, but Ryan still didn’t seem to understand why Madison was so hurt.

The next morning, Madison called Claire and told her everything. Claire was calm but firm. “Pack your bags, Madison,” she said. “We’re leaving.”

By the end of the week, both women had filed for divorce. Claire couldn’t stay with Bob, and Madison couldn’t stay with Ryan after his lies. Now, they’re living together in a cozy apartment, free from deception.

What would you have done in my shoes?