We stayed indoors. Silent.
Every tap on the window made me jump. Every phone buzz made my chest tighten.
Adrian stayed calm — until he broke.
He smashed his phone one night. "I hate what she's done to us."
"She didn't do this," I said. "We let her stay in our marriage too long."
He looked at me with tears in his eyes.
"You don't deserve this," he whispered.
"Neither do you."
That night, we decided:
No more hiding.
No more fear.
Tomorrow, we would speak up.
Together.