Daphnée stumbled upon her husbands infidelity purely by chance
As is often the case, wives are the last to find out. Only afterward did Daphnée grasp why her coworkers exchanged odd glances and whispered behind her back. Everyone at the clinic knew that her dear friend Claire was having an affair with her husband, Nicolas. Yet nothing in Nicolass behavior had ever raised Daphnées suspicions.
She learned the truth that evening when she unexpectedly returned home. Daphnée had been working for years as a physician at a Paris hospital and was scheduled for a night shift that day. Near the end of her shift, a younger colleague, Pauline, asked for a favor:
Daphnée, could you swap shifts with me? Ill work tonight and you cover for me on Saturday, unless you have other plans. My sisters wedding is Saturday.
Daphnée agreed. Pauline was pleasant and helpful, and a wedding was a valid excuse.
That night, Daphnée came home, eager to surprise her husband. The surprise, however, was on her. As soon as she entered, she heard voices from the bedroomNicolass and another she recognized, though she never expected to hear it then or there. It was Claires voice. What Daphnée overheard left no doubt about the nature of their relationship.
She slipped out of the apartment as silently as she had entered. She spent the night at the hospital, unable to sleep. How could she face her colleagues, who now knew everything, while she had been blinded by love for Nicolas and placed total trust in him? He had become the center of her world, to the point that she set aside her own dream of having children whenever Nicolas claimed he wasnt ready, insisting they should wait and enjoy life. Daphnée now realized he saw no future for their family.
That night she made what seemed the only possible choice. She wrote a leave request followed by a resignation, returned home, packed her belongings while Nicolas was at work, and rushed to the train station. She had inherited a modest country house from her grandmother and thought no one would look for her there.
At the station she bought a new SIM card and discarded the old one, cutting every tie to her former life and embracing the new one.
Twentyfour hours later she stepped off the train at a familiar stop. The last time Daphnée had been there was ten years earlier, at her grandmothers funeral. Everything felt unchangedquiet and deserted. Exactly what I need right now, she thought. After a brief carshare ride and a twentyminute walk, she reached the house. Overgrown bushes made the front door hard to find.
It took her several weeks to sort out the house and garden. She wouldnt have managed alone, but the neighbors, who remembered her grandmother Adelinea schoolteacher for over forty yearsoffered valuable help. Daphnée was surprised by their warm welcome and felt grateful.
News that a doctor had arrived in the village spread quickly. One day a neighbor, Marie, rushed to Daphnée, looking panicked:
Daphnée, Im sorry, but I cant help today. My little one ate something bad and is suffering from indigestion.
Lets take a look, Daphnée replied, grabbing her medical kit.
The child, Mathilde, had food poisoning. Daphnée provided the needed care and instructed Marie on preventive measures.
Thank you so much, Daphnée, Marie said, moved. Youre our doctor now. The nearest hospital is sixty kilometres away. We had a nurse, but he left the village and was never replaced.
From then on the villagers turned to Daphnée for medical aid. She could not refuse, given how kindly she had been received.
Local officials learned of her work and offered her a position at the district medical centre.
No, Ill stay here, Daphnée said firmly. But if you assign me to run the local dispensary, Ill gladly accept.
The authorities were pleased that a Parisian physician with her experience would serve a modest clinic, yet Daphnée held firm. A few months later the dispensary reopened, and she resumed consultations.
One night someone knocked late at her door, which didnt surprise herillness respects no schedule. She opened to a stranger.
Mrs. Daphnée, he began, Im from Villefranche, fifteen kilometres away. My daughter is very ill. I thought it was a cold, but her fever hasnt dropped for three days. Please, examine her.
Daphnée hurried to gather her supplies while the man described his daughters symptoms. Upon arrival she found a pale, bedridden girl struggling to breathe. After a quick exam she announced:
Her condition is serious; she needs to be hospitalized.
The man shook his head.
I live alone with her. Her mother died shortly after birth. Shes everything to me I cant lose her.
The hospital has the equipment a sick child needs. I dont have the medication here.
Tell me what you need; Ill get it. But please dont take her to the hospital. Theres an oncall pharmacy in the district I can reach. I have no one to watch her while Im gone.
Seeing the desperation in his eyes, Daphnée noted his appearance: a tall, thin man with dark chestnut hair and deep green eyes that shone with resolve.
Ill stay with your daughter, she said. Whats her name?
Juliette, he answered softly. Im Antoine. Thank you, doctor.
Antoine went to fetch the medicines with Daphnées prescription.
Juliettes fever persisted; she was restless, crying, calling for her father. Daphnée held her, rocking gently and humming a lullaby until the girl calmed a little.
Hours later Antoine returned with everything needed. Daphnée administered the treatment and, weary, said:
Now we just have to wait.
Both kept watch through the night. At dawn Juliettes temperature finally began to drop, and beads of sweat dotted her forehead.
Thats a good sign, Daphnée noted. Exhausted, she felt a surge of satisfaction from having turned the illness around.
You saved my daughter, Antoine repeated, grateful.
A year passed. Daphnée kept working at the dispensary, caring for locals and nearby residents. She now lived in the spacious house she had inherited, shared with Antoine. They had married six months after that harrowing night when Juliettes life hung by a thread.
It took several more weeks for Juliette to fully recover. The girl grew attached to Daphnée, who loved her deeply, while occasionally reflecting on the child she had postponed for herself.
In the evenings, tired yet fulfilled, Daphnée returned home to the two people she cherished. That night Antoine welcomed her at the doorway, smiling, and asked:
Did you get your leave? Ive planned everything; the three of us will go on vacation.
Daphnée gave a mysterious smile and replied:
My leave is approved, but we wont travel as threewell go as four.
Antoine paused, then lifted his wife into his arms, joyfully embracing her.
