I hoped he’d drop whatever weird topic he was trying to bring up that day. But in hindsight, that conversation was just the beginning of the storm.
Fast forward to last week. Jack came home from work looking unusually chipper. I was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner when the door swung open.
I glanced up, expecting his usual halfhearted “Hey, babe.” Instead, he walked in with a young woman trailing behind him.
“Amelia,” he said in a cheerful tone, “this is Claire.”
I set the knife down, confused.
Who was this woman? Was this a friend? I’d never heard her name before.
“Hi, Claire,” I said. “Can I, uh, help you with something?”
Instead of replying, she just stared at Jack, waiting for him to answer.
“What’s going on, Jack?” I asked impatiently.
I knew something was not right.
“Amelia…” he began. “Claire is going to be my second wife.”
Second wife? I thought he was joking.
“Good one, Jack,” I laughed. “You got me. Where’s the hidden camera?”
But his expression didn’t change. He was serious. Dead serious.
“You’re joking,” I said. “This isn’t true, right?”
My gaze shifted from him to Claire, who stared back at me like I was the one being unreasonable.