In a small suburban locality, where the homes were like close friends, Alex and Mia lived with their small daughter, Lily. Alex believed that their life was ideal. He was a teacher, and she was a nurse, and each night they told stories during dinner.
Lily, who was the joy of their house, with her bright eyes and giggles. “We are so blessed,” Alex would say and would hug Mia to her.
She would smile and nod, and her eyes were soft, like the morning light.
One nice day, Alex was sitting at his computer to check his credit history. This was something he did every few months just to be on the safe side.
When the page was loaded, his heart jumped. He had a new line of credit in his name that was maxed out at $10,000.
He gazed at the screen in perplexity. “I did not do this,” he said. The funds were utilized in payments to a person named Sarah.
Who is Sarah? His fingers trembled, and he printed the report and hurried to see Mia.
The woman was in the kitchen, preparing vegetables to cook. Lily was playing with her toys in the living room, singing happily.
What is this, Mia? “What is that, Alex? I said, holding up the paper. His voice was low but strong. Mia looked at it and looked away.
She made no denial of it. Instead, she laid the knife aside and heaved a sigh.
“I opened it,” she said in a low voice. “I had to pay Sarah. She has the secret video of you.” Alex thought that the ground had given way.
“What video? What do you mean?” gone words. Mia turned her face away, and tears sprang to her eyes.
The YouTube video with another female, I have known you have been cheating on me for months. Sarah explained to me all about it.
I said nothing, though, because I love you; I did not want to screw up our family, our gorgeous life with Lily.”
In Alex’s mind raced, “Cheating?” He had done a horrible thing. It was a brief union with a colleague that was a result of solitude when Mia worked long hours.
He had finished it, all guilt-ridden, and vowed not to do it again. Mia, how did she know? And this video? “I… I do not see how it can be,” I said, stammering. “I do not see how it can be.”
A red spot appeared on the face of Mia. You have betrayed us! For what? Some fling? Times milleton? hard heart sixty-question mark.
She brought her hand up and struck him across the face. The voice was like thunder in the silent home.
With a shocked touch, Alex touched his burning face. He did not strike in reply; he only stood there, with the tears in his eyes.
“I am sorry,” he said in a low voice. I did cheat. It was in error. It is something I hate about myself.” Mia drew back and caught her breath.
They both were silent as Lily peeped in with big eyes. “Mommy? Daddy?” Mia smiled. That is fine, honey. Play, Go.” That night, they slept in different bedrooms, and the atmosphere was saturated with unspoken hurt.
Weeks slipped by in a mist of embarrassing silences and polite conversation on Lily’s account. Alex did what he could to make things okay: flowers, apologies, and even the counseling idea. Mia nodded but appeared to be soulless, like a ghost of her past self.
One night, when Mia was taking a shower, her phone buzzed on the table. Alex grabbed it to shut it up and found a video file in her gallery. Curiosity and fear compelled him to play.
The video was short, with no sound initially. It depicted Mia accusing him of cheating on her, her voice trembling: “You cheated on me!” Then the slap, clean and distinct.
Alex said, “Yes, I cheated.” It ends there on the video background, with no complete narrative. Alex appeared to be the bad guy who accepted his wrongdoing when hit.
However, it put Mia in the position of a victim and him as erratic, possibly even an abuser.
His pulse was beating wildly. Why make a record of this? For the court? Divorce? The custody of Lily?
His heart beat violently. Mia had emerged with a towel around her hair, and he placed the phone down. What are you up to more? She snapped.
Alex could not keep it in. I watched the video. Why, Mia? Why make a record of that?” She stopped in her tracks, and then her features set.
To guard myself, we break up. I want evidence that you are the villain. Monetary spending on your affair. Unstable emotions acknowledging raises the risk of losing my temper.”
And I did not spend any money on an affair! Alex cried. And you smacked me! Streams of tears came down his face.
Mia smiled with great bitterness. You earn it. What have you done?” The discussion progressed into a heated argument, which turned into an argument till Lily started crying upstairs.
They both paused, both out of breath. Alex headed out of the house to take a walk, his world falling apart.
Weeks afterward, the truth came unraveling like a loose thread. Alex could not get Sarah out of his mind.
What was she in reality? He recalled the names of the old friends of Mia. He made a wild guess, and by phoning an old friend of both of them, he was able to put the story together.
Sarah was not a blackmailer with a videotape. She was her college best friend. There was no secret video of the Alex affair.
Mia had called in Sarah to research him, as she was suspicious after noticing that he was staying late at work.
She gave her thousands on the secret credit line to stalk Alex and prove the infidelity.
However, this is where the twist comes in, to make Alex confess that she fabricated the entire setup, that there is a video.
She said to him, “Sarah had evidence, which she knew would frighten him into admitting it.” This was a setup.
Sarah, feeling guilty, had told a friend, and this got back to Alex. When he confronted Mia the second time, she melted down.
I had to know,” she wept. You were drawing back, and I felt loneliness. They would have to pay Sarah to be certain.”
Alex experienced a tumult of feelings—betrayal, anger, and sadness. Spied on me? Has he lied to me? Suppose he calls me to wreck me in the courts?”
He walked the room in clenched fists. Mia dotted her eyes. You were the first to cheat! You lost our confidence.”
They were sitting on the couch, and the burden of their sins weighed heavily between them. Lily came in, holding her teddy bear.
Why are you depressed?” Asked innocently, she, Alex, drew her to him, and his heart ached. Adults are not perfect, baby. But we love you.”
The marriage was suspended by a hair’s breadth. Alex went out to stay awhile. Sessions of therapy were brutal and painful.
Mia told me that her manipulation was out of great insecurity because she feared being lost, as her parents had gotten divorced.
Alex was in charge of his unfaithfulness and promised to restore confidence. The video haunted them—it was a representation of how far the lies had reached.
Months later, they thought to do it again, this time in honor of Lily. Dinners were warmer; laughs were slow to come back.
But the scars still exist. Alex would check his credit frequently, and Mia would delete the video. They discovered that love is not only beautiful, but it is also being able to look ugly together.
Their tale was not a fairy tale after all. It was true, all the pain, pardon, and faint hope. Life continued, a step at a time, very emotionally.