This article appeared in housecultures.com and has been published here with permission.
Sometimes, occasions can turn into a day where, instead of you and your partner getting closer, you only move further apart.
This is one such story, in which a birthday brought a husband’s truth out in front of his wife. And when she learned of his massive betrayal, she decided to get revenge! Here’s the story of the Robinsons…
The Perfect Wife
Emma Robinson had it all – at least it seemed that way from the outside. The New York City gal had a swanky apartment, a handsome and successful husband, and her dream job as a manager at a construction company.
On paper, Emma had everything, and there was no need for complaints in her life. She was comfortable in her life and had everything going for her.
But sometimes, what we see isn’t the reality, and such was the case of Emma and her husband, Dominic.
The Husband
Dominic Robinson was a man who had everything. He was handsome, successful, and the envy of many of the people he encountered.
Dominic worked as a surgeon at one of the best hospitals in the city. He was a dream come true for Emma’s parents, who had wanted a well-settled man exactly like this for their daughter.
But sadly, their picture-perfect life was soon going to take a bad turn.
The Love Story
Emma and Dominic first met when they were young. Emma had just graduated from college and was just coming out of a relationship when she met Dominic.
Despite the circumstances, the surgeon charmed her, and before she knew it, she was in love.
Emma and Dominic had been together for five years when Dominic popped the question. Years later, the two went on to celebrate their seven-year marriage anniversary, marking what is a great milestone for any couple.
Despite their 12-year-long relationship, Emma was feeling the need for more.
A Bigger Family
Emma loved being married to Dominic, but she was feeling the need to be a part of something bigger. Notably, she wanted a bigger family.
She felt that there was no point in a good and stable household if kids weren’t a part of it.
With all of this on her mind, Emma was ready to take the plunge and be a mother. However, Dominic wasn’t as ready as Emma to be a father, and something was holding him back from committing to parenthood.
A Career Above All Else
Dominic felt that he wasn’t at the peak of his career, and there was a long way he had to go before he could think about starting a family.
The surgeon wanted much more from his professional life and was waiting for the promotion that would make him the chief of surgery at the hospital.
However, Emma’s plans for the future didn’t seem to follow Dominic’s timeline.
A Divergence in Timelines
Emma wasn’t ready to wait for Dominic’s career to be where he wanted before having kids. Instead, she wanted to have them right away, and she had a good reason to be impatient.
She had just turned 33, a number that made her painfully aware that her biological clock was ticking.
With every year that passed by, Emma knew her chances of conceiving were becoming lower and lower, and that wasn’t a risk she was ready to take, hence the urgency.
Nobody Budging
However, Dominic wasn’t ready to hear Emma’s reasons for having a baby. He didn’t like the pressure he felt from his wife and thought it was unfair of her to put it on him.
However, Emma wasn’t ready to give up. She continued hoping for the best and believed that the moment the promotion was in Dominic’s hand, he would be on board with her plans.
One day, however, everything changed when she noticed some warning signs.
The Warning Signs in the Laundry
It was during laundry one day that everything changed for Emma. While she was busy separating clothes to put them in the washer, she came across one of Dominic’s shirts that immediately grabbed her attention.
The white button-down sported some stains that had Emma looking twice – they were lipstick stains. Even though it might not be a big deal to find lipstick on your husband’s shirt, to Emma, it was – and there was a reason why.
An Aversion to Lipstick
The reason why Emma was instantly suspicious about the lipstick stain was because she hated lipstick and never wore it.
Emma believed that lipstick made her lips look weird, and she’d always preferred to go au natural when it came to lip colors.
Hence, it was quite a shock to see the stains on the shirt. Even though she tried to convince herself she was mistaken, Emma knew that something very shady was afoot with Dominic.
The Arguments in Her Head
Emma went back and forth over the incident for the next couple of days, but she couldn’t find a valid solution or explanation for what she’d seen.
All she could think about was the stained shirt and the fact that Dominic might be cheating on her.
Even though she tried to argue with herself that it was probably her insecurities, she knew in her heart that the possibility of cheating was high, which is why she decided to talk to her best friend, Jennnifer, about it.
An Eye for an Eye
Emma’s plan was simple, and she put it into motion immediately. Without thinking much, she grabbed Dominic’s work laptop and opened his email.
There, she uploaded the photos that the detective had sent her and forwarded that email to all of Dominic’s colleagues.
She paid extra care to ensure that she added the most important email address – that of Dominic’s boss, the husband of the mysterious brunette.
Emma hit send and breathed a sigh of relief. Then, Emma moved on to the next stage of her revenge plan.
A Phone Call to the Past
Before the next phase of her plan, Emma had a flurry of doubts arise in her. But she squared her shoulders and dialed the number that she never thought she could dial – until now.
When Rick picked up the phone, Emma rushed into her explanation, asking her ex-boyfriend out for a coffee.
While Rick was still processing the invitation, Emma giddily dropped the biggest bombshell of all – she’d just left her husband!
A Chance Too Good to Be Missed
To say that Rick was shocked was an understatement, but he was no fool. He’d been thinking about Emma for a very long time, and he wasn’t going to let this opportunity pass him by.
He immediately accepted the invitation, promising to see Emma at 8:00 the next day. He couldn’t believe his luck, that he’d just bumped into Emma the day before and it had led to this!
Planning for the Date
With everything done and out of the way, Emma started to plan for the next phase – her date. Going through her wardrobe, she came across the very dress she had worn with Rick on their very first date.
The body-hugging dress had been a favorite, not just of hers but also of Rick, back in their college days.
She knew she couldn’t have found a better outfit to wear to her date with Rick.
A Second Chance at Life
With her husband’s infidelity out in the open, Emma knew that she needed a clean break. The moment she saw the photos from the detective, she knew there were only two options.
The first was to wallow for days in self-pity, feeling sorry for herself. And the second option was to take the road less traveled and settle the scores by taking revenge.
Now everybody knew what kind of a man Dominic was. Even though Emma’s picture-perfect life had burned down to ashes, she was happy she had stood up in the end with dignity.
Planning for the Future
Emma might have been dealt a hard hand in marriage, but she knew that her first priority was saving herself, and that’s what she did.
Her story reminds us that we should always listen to our guts and that looking out for ourselves is never a bad thing.
Not to mention, she did the best thing she could’ve done and served her ex-husband his own affair on a silver platter in front of the whole hospital.
Now, her wild ride would take her to different places, and Emma was ready to see what the future held for her!
