Nothing Can Be Fixed
Life for Simon Everett had split into two uneven parts: before Emily and after. But now, standing before the locked door of his own house, he realized there was a third part”after the after.” And it was hollow.
At thirty-seven, Simon was a well-known specialist in the beauty industry, owned a house and a flat, and hadnt worried about money in years. Yet none of it had saved his marriage.
Theyd met when he was twenty-two. Grace was just seventeen, fresh out of school, with timid dreams of university. She was stunning, and hed liked her immediately. 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 studying.”
“Ill think about it,” shed replied softly.
It turned out there was no time left to thinkwhether from inexperience or by choice, Grace had missed the deadlines. Her parents came to meet the father of their grandchild, polite but cold, demanding nothing. Just before leaving, her father muttered through gritted teeth, “Dont worry, well raise it ourselves.”
Guilt and a dormant sense of responsibility pushed Simon to propose anyway. He married without joy or excitement, just a vague feeling it was the right thing to do.
The first years were a struggle. He was still finishing his studies; she stayed home with the baby. Money was tight when he started working, and they relied on grandparents for help. Grace never complained. Before even graduating, she found part-time work.
“Why?” Simon genuinely didnt understand. “Those pennies wont even cover lipstick! Our daughters only twoshes in nursery or with her grandparents, barely seeing her own mother!”
“Then earn more!” she snapped back, steel in her voice for the first time. “Get a job at a private clinic!”
“With my experience? They wouldnt even hire me as a cleaner!” he shot back.
Grace never asked for anything for herself, but her reproaches became routine: Simon didnt help at home, didnt spend time with their daughter, didnt pull his weight financially. The classic struggles of a young family scraping by in London.
After graduating, she landed a full-time job and shot up the career ladder. Late nights, business trips, corporate events. The house grew empty. Simon, meanwhile, spent more time with their daughter, telling himself, “Its fine, her work frenzy will pass, and things will settle.” But they never did. Grace seemed to avoid home deliberately.
One evening, hugging her as she cooked, Simon whispered,
“Lets have another. A son.”
Grace froze for a second, then carefully pulled away.
“Start earning properly first. Then well talk.”
It was during those cold, distant months that Emily entered his lifea young, cheerful, undemanding assistant from a neighbouring department. She adored him, laughed at his jokes, was warm and easy. She became his escape. He seriously considered leaving, held back only by thoughts of his daughter.
Then, years later, when Simon was finally earning well, the unthinkable happened. His wife brought up a second child herself.
“On one condition,” he said firmly, confident in his money and position. “Family and the baby come first. Work comes after. Ill provide.”
Grace agreed. She got pregnant almost immediately and transformed. The house smelled of baking again; warmth returned. Simon was relieved, but it didnt stop him from sneaking off on “business trips” to the coast with Emily, who knew nothing of the pregnancy. Classic lies: hed convinced her he and his wife slept in separate rooms.
Then Emily started acting strangetoo much perfume, unexplained tears, side-eyeing his phone.
“How are things at home?” she asked once, feigning casualness.
“Same as always,” he brushed off.
Then came the visit. Grace showed up at his officefor the first time everto drop off forgotten documents. Emily saw the bump. The moment Grace left, she exploded.
“You knew! You knew and said nothing!” she screamed, loud enough for three floors to hear.
“Knew what? Calm down!”
“I messaged your wife! A month ago! I told her everything!”
Simon didnt believe her. He demanded proof. She refused, but he wrestled her phone away. The messages stunned him. Emily had written: *”Simon and I have been in love for ages He deserves real love and warmth Dont stand in the way of our happiness”*
Graces reply was two words: *”Fine, Emily.”*
That was it.
Now Simon understood Emilys recent behaviourshed been waiting for a reaction he knew nothing about. Because Grace had acted perfectly normal, living with a cheating husband for over a month without a single hint or reproach.
He was shaken. He ended things with Emily on the spot and suggested she find another jobhed never expected such betrayal. She sobbed, begged for forgiveness, but it was over. The man shed loved unconditionally wouldnt throw away his family.
That evening, he confessed. Grace sat at the kitchen table, sipping tea.
“You knew?” he asked outright, heart pounding.
She looked up, puzzled. “Knew what? About that girl? You were actually with her? I thought it was a scam or just a crush. Didnt realise it was serious. If it is, youre free to pack your things.”
She asked him to leave. Simon refused”Were having a baby!”swore it was over with Emily. He moved to the guest room. Grace asked no more questions but kept him at arms length, speaking only when necessary. She gave birth prematurely, with complications. Simon took leave to help, showered her with gifts, dedicated all his free time to the family. He adored his son.
A year and a half later, Simon thought the nightmare was behind them, that Grace had forgiven him. Then she announced she was returning to work.
“We agreed!” he snapped. “Family comes first! Bens still tinywait till hes three! Weve got the money!”
“That agreement,” she said coldly, “was in the past. Before Emily.”
Simon faltered. He gave in. Grace went back to work. A nanny appeared. Life became endless chaos, calls, petty fights, brief truces, and false peace.
Then, last year, he bumped into Emily. Memories flooded back; they went for coffee. She was still single, still sweet and warm. Guilt and foolish pride made him offer helpa friend needed an assistant. She jumped at it.
A week later, they were back where they started.
The end came six months later. Simon and Grace attended a birthday party where his tipsy friend raved about his new assistant:
“Emilys brilliantgolden hands, easygoing, efficient. Dunno how I ever managed without her. Cheers, Simon, for this gem!”
Clueless about their affair, he sang her praises in front of everyone, including Grace. She smiled, nodded, said nothing to Simon. Just pretended not to hear. A week later, she handed him 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 wanted nothing more than to return. He brought toys for the kids, huge bouquets for Grace. She accepted the gifts for the children with icy politeness; the flowers went in a vase by the door, like a forgotten umbrella.
One night, he caught her alone. The kids were asleep.
“Just tell me what to do to make you forgive me. Ill fix everything. I dont want anyone but you. Emilys gone.”
Grace looked at him blankly.
“You still dont get it, do you? Emilys irrelevant. You broke us years ago, when you asked if I wanted an abortion. Then you married me out of guilt, tolerated me, while I just wanted you to love me. I spent years trying to be good enoughlook good, earn well, keep house. But you, Simon, always just wanted an easy, warm, compliant girl. Im done trying. Leave.”
He stepped outside, and it hit him. His wife hadnt been stewing anger all these years. Grace had simply stopped loving him long ago. Her silence after Emilys message wasnt forgiveness. It was a sentence, delivered quietly, without drama. Shed just been waiting for him to read it.
