What began as a routine business trip for the narrator quickly spiraled into a nightmarish revelation of betrayal. While attending meetings and preparing presentations in New York, she receives a devastating text message. The message is not from her loving husband, Tom, but from Sarah, a colleague who has always been envious of her professional success. Sarah brags about being in bed with Tom, sending not only texts but also a picture to prove her affair. This shocking discovery shakes the narrator to her core.
Sarah is no stranger to jealousy. Since the narrator’s promotion, Sarah had grown increasingly bitter and resentful. She had always been someone who avoided hard work, and when the narrator earned her promotion, Sarah never congratulated her, only offered cold stares and whispered cruel comments. Despite Sarah’s simmering envy, the narrator never imagined that she would stoop so low as to sleep with her husband.
Stunned but determined, the narrator refuses to crumble in the face of this betrayal. Instead, she formulates a calculated plan. Extending her trip for a few more days, she contacts her lawyer, arranges to have divorce papers prepared, and ensures that the locks on her apartment will be changed before she returns. She also calls in a favor from a friend in HR, ensuring that Sarah will face consequences at work for her inappropriate relationship with Tom.
When the narrator finally returns home, she finds Sarah’s nightgown casually draped over the couch, a symbol of the utter disrespect both Sarah and Tom have shown her. As she enters the bedroom, she confronts Sarah, who is lounging smugly in her bed. Calmly and without any theatrics, the narrator throws Sarah’s clothes at her and demands she leave. Tom, stumbling over his words, tries to explain, but the narrator has already made up her mind. She hands him the divorce papers and informs him that it’s over. As Sarah rushes out in embarrassment, Tom is left speechless, and soon, he leaves too, finally giving the narrator the peace she needs.
The next day at work, Sarah continues to act smug and untouchable, but her arrogance is short-lived. By noon, she is summoned to HR, where she faces the consequences of her actions. While her affair with Tom may not have been a direct violation of company policy, her unethical behavior and breach of workplace integrity are enough to cost her the job. Humiliated, Sarah packs up her desk and leaves the office in disgrace, her once unshakable confidence shattered.
With Sarah out of a job and Tom out of her life, the narrator finds herself feeling unexpectedly liberated. The apartment feels lighter without Tom’s presence, and she can finally breathe. Reflecting on the events, she realizes that while Sarah and Tom thought they could tear her down, they ended up destroying themselves. Karma, in its poetic way, ensured that both would pay the price for their betrayal. Meanwhile, the narrator emerges stronger, free from the toxic relationships that once threatened to consume her life. She now embraces her newfound independence, knowing she has the strength to rebuild and thrive on her own.
