As she scrolls through her husband’s Facebook, Lola’s hands tremble, and her eyes water. Adrenaline floods her system and it pumps and beats likes it’s trying to escape. Her body wants to either run far far away or pick up the phone and call her husband; the man who she thought loved her. But instead, she remains where she is. All she can do is stare lifelessly at a picture of her husband; fixated on the brown eyes of the man that just broke her heart. She always thought his eyes were golden, but looking at them now she could see no trace of the vibrancy they once held, no trace of the 16-year-old boy she once knew.
The Perfect Couple
As soon as Lola laid her eyes on Matthew she knew right there and then he was “the one”. Whenever he looked at her it was as if every ounce of breath was taken from her lungs floating into the air like midnight smoke. Whenever he kissed her it felt like the world stopped, leaving just the two of them to wander the earth together. And whenever he held her face between his hands it felt like he was untying all of her knots. Yes, Lola was in love. And so was Matthew. Or was he?
Spending Her Days Alone
For housewife Lola, she often spent her days pacing around their four-bedroom home, waiting for Matthew to get back from work. And more often than none, she tucked into her microwave meal for one with a candle flickering and a jazz playlist lingering in the background. Despite this, Matthew was a good man. He liked to work hard to treat his wife. But Lola had no idea what he would treat her to next. And it was something she would never ever forget.
A Hidden Meaning
One warm summer evening Matthew arrived at home fresh from the office. He was armed with a bouquet of Lola’s favorite flowers. But Lola’s suspicion around. She knew he only bought these flowers when he had done something bad. When he was about to break some news to her. He had bought them her when her childhood pet passed away when he forgot her birthday because of a “big important meeting.” So what was his reason this time?
How Would She Cope?
“Texas!” Lola proclaimed. “They want you to go to Texas?” Lola’s heart stops at the thought of her soulmate being hundreds of miles apart. “It’s only for a month,” he replies, rubbing her shoulders and kissing her forehead. “It’ll fly by, it’ll go by so quick!” he says, trying to reassure her. But how would Lola cope without him? Moreover, how would he cope? Matthew insisted that everything would be fine, but in reality, everything would not be fine. Far from it.
Waking Up From A Nightmare
A few weeks had passed and Matthew had since moved to Texas for a month. Lola soon started counting down the days he returned, and although she had filled her days with her newest chore, it was the nights that Lola dreaded most. Falling asleep, and waking up alone was something she detested. But one restless night, Lola woke up with a cold sweat, and an anxious feeling bursting out of her. She could feel her heartbeat pounding. “It was just a dream,” she says out loud, reassuring herself. But little did she know dreams have a funny way of becoming a reality.
Her Suspicion Aroused
Still plagued by her vivid nightmare, the following day Lola felt uneasy. She had a feeling in her stomach. Was Matthew having an affair? He wouldn’t would he? For days she spent searching the cell phone bills, looking for odd numbers and long duration conversations. She even started planning a ‘surprise trip’ out to Texas thinking she could catch him in action. Lola’s suspicion of Matthew’s affair was no secret. She asked him. She told him something was up and she begged for the truth. But there was no truth coming from his mouth.
The Signs Were There
All the signs were there and Lola could feel it in every cell in her body. Since he was living in another state it was a lot harder to really prove anything. When it’s not in front of your face, when you can’t actually see it, you question if you’ve just created it in your mind. But when you know, you know.
A Leather Notebook
Then one day while rooting through her wardrobe, a grey leather notebook falls onto Lola’s lap. She had never seen this before but it had Matthew’s name printed on the front. She opened it and inside she found all his passwords and login information. There were passwords for his bank account, his work email, and his Facebook account. Suddenly, Lola knew what to do.
Doubting Herself
Lola opens up her laptop and logs into Facebook. As the homepage greets her, she types in Matthew's username and password. But before she clicks login, she pauses. What was she doing? Should she be doing this? What would Matthew say? Suddenly she dismissed all her thoughts and clicked the button. She had an uncertain feeling and she needed answers now.
Looking Through His Facebook
Lola works her way through her husband's Facebook. First, she looks at his messages and there was nothing suspicious there, then she viewed his recent searches, but no results there. Then suddenly she saw “tagged photos” it had a +5 next to it meaning there were 5 pictures of Matthew that he hadn’t approved to be on his page. She clicked the button and waited for it to load. Then suddenly, right there and then, she saw it.
Another Woman’s Picture
It was a picture of a woman, who looked the same age as Lola, and what seemed like her boyfriend or husband. The two were smiling at each other giving a look of love to one another. The only problem? Lola recognized the man in the picture. It was Matthew. It was her husband.
Was This A Joke?
Was this some kind of joke? Lola’s heart starts to race and she can feel tears well up in her eyes. She couldn’t believe it. That young girl Matthew met years ago under the blossom tree, the one with big brown eyes and eyes and a bigger heart is now costumed by a hatred she never knew she could take root.
Confronting The Woman
Lola browsed the woman’s profile and saw her mobile number was on there. “Silly mistake,” Lola thought before grabbing her phone and calling the number. After two rings the woman picked up. Lola was shaking and sweating. And she wasn’t even sure what she was going to say.
Her Whole Life Has Changed
“Who are you? Why is your profile picture a picture of you and my husband Matthew?” Asked Lola. “Oh… wow… I knew he had to be married,” she replies as if she had been questioning it all along and she was quite proud of herself for being right. Then the woman started questioning Lola, asking if she was really his wife. She had seen Lola’s name and number on his phone and was told by Matthew that Lola was the ‘crazy ex-girlfriend.’ Wow. Another jab in the stomach. Lola’s heart ached at the thought of this woman thinking she was lying. If only she knew the hell she had been living in and how this one conversation was changing her entire life.
Evidence
Lola sent the woman photos of her wedding pictures hanging on their wall. She sent her a photo of his clothes hanging in their closet. She sent a photo of his side of the bed. She wanted to make sure she knew who Lola was and what she had done. As soon as she was finished speaking to the ‘other woman’, she knew exactly what to do next.
Ringing Her Husband
Lola dials her husband's number on her cellphone and presses call. He didn’t know she just spoke to his mistress. He didn’t know he had broken her heart. He didn’t know she uncovered the truth. After a few seconds, he answered, “Hey baby how are you?” he asks. Lola takes a deep breath before responding to her husband's question. She had no other answer to give him. “I’m divorcing you. It’s over,” she says before hanging up.
Something Special Awaits
Three days later Lola met with a divorce attorney and then filed for divorce. As she packs up her things at the house they once shared together, Lola looks at the wedding photo on the wall. Her heart still has only sweetness for the memories of who they once were, but she felt so relieved to see the new life that waits ahead, just around the corner, she can sense it.