“You don’t do date nights?” Jill looked surprised.
Mandy laughed. “What is a date night? Usually when I suggest going out, Cory’s too tired and we settle on getting takeout and an hour later, he’s fast asleep on the sofa.”
“What do you think he is up to?” Emma asked.
“I can’t think of any other possible explanation. I was in denial about it all afternoon, but there is just no good reason why he’d need a phone under a different name.”
“Are you going to ask him when he gets home?” Jill asked.
“I put the bill on our bedroom dresser, so he will see it. And yes, I am very curious to hear his explanation.”
Cory called to check in a few times while he was away and Mandy had to restrain herself from asking about the bill. She wanted to do that in-person so she could look into his eyes and see his expression.
She’d had a lot of time to think about her marriage while Cory was away in Vegas. She still loved him and it was beyond painful to think of him with someone else. She didn’t want to believe it, but she didn’t want to be na?ve either. As she thought about the past six months she saw a few things differently. Like the extravagant gift he’d given her on her thirty-fifth birthday a few months ago.
He’d had a sleek, white Mercedes convertible delivered and when she stepped outside, the car was in the driveway wrapped in a big red bow. She’d been shocked. Even though they could easily afford it, Cory had never given presents like that before. She’d been thrilled at the time as it was so unexpected and it was a beautiful car.
But now she wondered if it was because he’d been cheating then and felt guilty. He’d worked a lot of late nights the week before her birthday. And he’d been grumpier than usual with her. He’d been short with her more recently, too, easily annoyed. But when she’d asked what was wrong, he’d said nothing, and that everything was fine. But obviously things were not fine.
His flight was due in at four on Thursday, but around noon, he called to let her know he’d be coming in later, and that he’d just grab an Uber from the airport and would see her around nine. That’s when Mandy decided to do what she’d been thinking about all week.
She went upstairs and opened the mysterious cell phone bill. There were only three phone numbers on it. She punched in a code to block the caller ID on her phone and dialed the first number on the list. The call was answered after the first ring by a woman with a perky voice. “This is Margie.”
“I’m sorry, I think I dialed the wrong number.” Mandy hung up quickly and looked back at the bill. There were several calls to Margie in the first two weeks of the month. She took a deep breath and dialed the next unfamiliar number. This time the call went to voice mail. “You’ve reached Sharon Jones and I’m sorry I missed your call. Leave a message.”
Sharon was mostly in the second half of the month. And in the last week, there was one more number. She dialed it and waited. It rang four times, and she thought it was about to go to voicemail when a breathless voice answered.
“Hello?”
Mandy froze for a moment. “I’m not sure I have the right number. Is this Nancy Smith?”
“No, it’s Anna Davis.”
“I’m so sorry.” Mandy hung up and sat down on the bed to catch her breath. She was out of tears. She’d cried enough so far, and now she was mad. She grabbed a piece of paper and jotted down their names, so she wouldn’t forget.
It was a quarter to ten by the time she heard Cory’s Uber pull into the driveway. The house was quiet, as the kids were in bed. Mandy had curled up in the living room, watching a movie and sipping a glass of chardonnay. She was trying to stay calm, but since nine, she’d been watching the clock and jumping every time she heard a car outside. She was dreading the conversation with Cory. Mandy had never enjoyed conflict or arguments of any kind. She liked everyone to be happy and get along.
The front door opened and Cory walked in, with his travel bag slung over his shoulder. He looked tired and smiled when he saw her.
“I wasn’t sure you’d still be up. I thought I’d be home earlier.”
Mandy looked at him carefully. “How was your trip? Did you have a good time?”
He grinned. “We did. Vegas was a blast. I can’t believe I waited so long to go there.”
“Your conference was good too?” She had no idea what it was about or who he was with.
“It was fantastic. A great exchange of ideas and good networking.”