Nothing Could Be Fixed
Life had split into two uneven parts for Steven Whitmorebefore Emily and after. But now, standing before the locked door of his own home, he realized there was a third part: the “after the after.” And it was empty.
At thirty-seven, Steven was a respected name in the beauty industry, owned a house and flat, and hadnt worried about money in years. None of it had saved his marriage.
Theyd met when he was twenty-two. Claire was just seventeenfresh out of school, her dreams of university still hesitant. She was stunning, and hed liked her instantly. But when, a year later, she told him she was pregnant, his first reaction was fear.
“Maybe not now?” hed asked carefully, avoiding her gaze. “Youve only just started your studies.”
“Ill think about it,” she replied quietly.
Turns out, it was too late to thinkwhether from inexperience or intention, Claire had missed the deadlines. Her parents came to meet the father of their grandchild, polite but cold, demanding nothing. Only as they left did her father mutter under his breath, “Dont worry. Well raise it ourselves.”
Guilt and a dormant sense of duty pushed Steven to propose. He married without joy, only a vague sense it was the right thing.
The first years were a struggle. He was still finishing his degree; she stayed home with the baby. When he started working, money was tight. Claire never complained. Before even graduating, she found side jobs.
“Why?” hed asked, baffled. “Those pennies wont even cover mascara! Ellies only twoshes either at nursery or with her grandparents, barely seeing her own mother!”
“Then earn more!” she snapped, steel in her voice for the first time. “Get a job at a private clinic!”
“With my experience? They wouldnt even hire me to mop floors!” he shot back.
Claire never asked for herself, but her grievances piled up: he didnt help at home, didnt spend time with Ellie, didnt carry his weight financially. A young familys classic struggle in London.
After graduating, she landed a full-time job and rocketed up the career ladder. Late nights, business trips, corporate events. The house grew empty. Steven, in turn, spent more time with their daughter, reassuring himself, “Its just a phase. Shell slow down.” But she didnt. It was as if Claire avoided home on purpose.
One evening, wrapping his arms around her as she cooked, he whispered,
“Lets have another. A son.”
Claire froze, then carefully pulled away.
“Start earning properly first. Then well talk.”
It was during those icy, loveless nights that Emily entered his lifeyoung, cheerful, undemanding, an assistant from the neighboring department. She adored him, laughed at his jokes, was easy and warm. She became his escape. He seriously considered leaving, held back only by thoughts of Ellie.
Years later, when Steven was earning well, the unthinkable happened. His wife brought up a second child herself.
“On one condition,” he said firmly, confident in his career and finances. “Family comes first. Work second. Ill provide.”
Claire agreed. She got pregnant almost immediately and transformed. The house smelled of baking again, warmth returned. Steven was relieved, but it didnt stop him from sneaking off with Emily to the coast, pretending it was a work trip. Emily knew nothing of the pregnancy. Classic deceptionhed convinced her he and Claire slept in separate rooms.
Then Emily started acting strangetoo much perfume, unexplained tears, sidelong glances at his phone.
“How are things at home?” she asked once, feigning casualness.
“Same as always,” he brushed off.
Then came the visit. Claire showed up at his officefirst time in yearsto drop off forgotten documents. Emily saw the bump. The moment the door closed, she erupted.
“You knew! You knew and said nothing!” she screamed, loud enough for three floors to hear.
“Knew what? Calm down!”
“I wrote to your wife! A month ago! I told her everything!”
Steven didnt believe her. Demanded proof. She refused, but he wrestled her phone away. The messages made his blood run cold. Emily had written: *”Steven and I love each other He deserves real warmth Dont stand in our way”*
Claires reply was two words: *”Alright, Emily.”*
That was all.
Now he understood Emilys recent behaviorshed expected a reaction, and hed known nothing. Because Claire had acted perfectly normal, living with a cheating husband for over a month without a single hint.
Steven was stunned. He ended it with Emily on the spot, told her to find another jobhed never expected such betrayal. She sobbed, begged, but it was over. The man she loved wasnt losing his family for her.
That evening, he confessed. Claire sat at the kitchen table, sipping tea.
“You knew?” he asked, heart hammering.
She looked up, surprised. “Knew what? About that girl? You were actually with her? I thought it was a scam or a crush. Didnt realize it was serious. If it is, youre free to leave.”
She asked him to move out. He refused”Were having a baby!”swore it was over with Emily. He stayed in the guest room. Claire asked no further questions but offered no forgiveness, speaking only when necessary. She went into early labor, complications followed. Steven took leave to help, showered her with gifts, devoted every spare moment to his family. He adored his son.
A year and a half later, he thought the nightmare was over, that Claire had forgiven him. Then she announced she was returning to work.
“We agreed!” he snapped. “Family first! James is still tinywait till hes three! We have the money!”
“Our agreement,” she said coldly, “was in the past. Before Emily.”
Steven surrendered. Claire went back to work. A nanny appeared. Life became a blur of calls, petty fights, and brief, false truces.
Then last year, he ran into Emily. Memories flooded back; they grabbed coffee. She was still single, still sweet. Guilt and foolish pride made him offer her a joba friend needed an assistant. She accepted.
A week later, it all started again.
The end came six months later. At a birthday party, his drunken friend raved about his new hire:
“Emilys brilliantgolden touch, easygoing, efficient. Dont know how I managed without her. Bloody legend for recommending her, Steve!”
Clueless about their affair, he sang Emilys praises in front of everyone, including Claire. She smiled, nodded, said nothing. A week later, she handed Steven a stack of printoutsmessages, screenshots, photos.
“Move out,” she said simply. “If you dont, Ill take the kids and go.”
He left. Within a week, he realized he wanted nothing more than to return. He brought toys for the kids, flowers for Claire. She accepted the gifts for the children with cool politeness; the flowers went in a vase by the door, like a forgotten umbrella.
One night, he found her alone, the children asleep.
“Just tell me what to do to fix this. Ill make it right. I dont want anyone but you. Emilys gone.”
Claire looked at him, indifferent.
“You still dont get it, do you? Emily doesnt matter. You broke us years ago, when you asked if Id get rid of our baby. You married me out of guilt, tolerated me, while I wanted you to love me. I spent years trying to be enoughpretty enough, successful enough, the perfect wife. But you, Steven, always just wanted someone easy. Im done trying. Leave.”
He stepped outside, and it hit him. His wife hadnt been silently seething all these years. Claire had simply stopped loving him long ago. Her silence after Emilys letter wasnt forgiveness. It was a verdict, delivered quietly, without drama. Shed been waiting all this time for him to finally read it.
