Suspicious Wife Got into a Cab and Offered Whatever Price for Following the Car Ahead – Story of the Day(2/3)

“No problem, madam, I am at your service,” Musa replied.

They settled into silence but didn’t have to wait long.

Soon, Jason and the blonde woman walked out of the building. They turned right and continued together on foot.

“Follow them, please, Musa,” Jessica said.

Musa pulled the taxi out of the parking space and crawled down the street a few steps behind the pedestrian couple. No sooner had they set off than a horn barked at the slow-moving cab.

Jason looked sharply in their direction.

Jessica turned her head away quickly.

“Did he see me?” she asked Musa. “Do you think he saw me? Is he still looking this way?”

“I think he didn’t see you.

No, he’s looking away again.

But I think they will see us if we keep up like this. Maybe I should speed up?” Musa suggested.

The driver in the car behind them leaned heavily again on the horn as if to answer that question.

“Okay, go ahead,” Jessica said, “but stop and let them catch up. I want to see where they are going.

Musa did as instructed, pulling the cab over a few hundred feet ahead.

Jessica lay down on the back seat to avoid being seen when Jason and the woman drew alongside.

They were deep in conversation and paid no need to the taxi cab, walking on.

Jessica sat up again and watched them trundle on down the busy street. Just as they were about to disappear from view, they stopped, and Jason motioned with a hand toward the building alongside them. Jessica knew it: Luigi’s was their favorite Italian restaurant.

“He’s taking her out to dinner at Luigi’s,” Jessica said sadly.

“So, this is it then.”

“Looks that way, madam.

What do you want to do?” Musa asked.

Jessica sat silently for some time, thinking it through. “I want to be sure, Musa.

Maybe they are just discussing work over dinner,” she said, and added, “Are you hungry?”

“Madam?” Musa asked, confused.

“How about I buy you dinner?” Jessica asked. She reached into her handbag for her purse, took out a fifty-dollar note, and handed it to Musa.

“Dinner’s on me.

Go into that restaurant where they are, take a table as close as you can to them, order dinner, and then come back and tell me how they behave towards each other.”

“Madam, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Musa asked.

“I’m not sure at all! I feel like I’m losing my mind,” Jessica said. “But I have to do something!”

“All right, madam, I’ll help you, don’t worry,” Musa said.

He took the fifty-dollar note and crossed the street to the restaurant.

Jessica watched him enter. Not two minutes later, she saw him walk out again.

He walked back to the cab, climbed back into the driver’s seat, turned around, and handed Jessica her cash back.

“They wouldn’t give me a seat,” he said. “The manager said I didn’t have a reservation.”

“What!” Jessica exclaimed.

“That is totally unacceptable.

Jason and I eat there often without a reservation. I’m going in myself.”

Jessica popped the door open and marched down the street into the restaurant. She was met by the maître d’, a small, friendly man named Dimitri, who greeted her with a worried look on his face.

He glanced over to where Jason and his companion were seated at a table at the window.

“Um, er, hello, ma’am,” he stammered, “will you be joining us for dinner this evening?”

“Dimitri, that man who was just here alone, asking for a table, did you tell him he needs to have a reservation and can’t be seated?” Jessica asked angrily.

“Um, ma’am, yes, sorry, is he your guest?

I am so sorry! As you can see, the restaurant is full, but I would be happy to find a space for you both.

Will you be joining your husband?” he added nervously.

“No, I will not be joining my husband!” Jessica replied rather more loudly than she intended, raising looks from some of the diners, including Jason. He looked up from his plate of pasta and went pale with shock.

Jessica stood her ground at the entrance and stared at Jason defiantly.

He stood up and approached his very angry wife.

“Jess, what are you doing here?” he asked nervously.

“What am I doing here?” Jessica challenged back.

“What am I doing here, you ask? The question is, what are you doing here? You told me you were working late and having pizzas at the office.

And I find you here with another woman!

Who is that woman with you, Jason?”

“Jess, I can explain everything, everything. Please.

Why don’t you join us, please,” he put a hand on Jessica’s shoulder, but she brushed it off brusquely. “Dimitri, please set up a place for my wife at the table,” Jason asked the maître d’.

“Don’t bother, Dmitri, this won’t take long,” Jessica said, shooting a look at the young woman at the table who was watching the scene with interest.

Jessica walked over calmly, not looking at Jason.

She sat down and examined the woman across from her.

She was about twenty in Jessica’s estimation, very pretty, with hazel-colored eyes and a lovely, freckled nose. Jessica saw the likeness immediately.

“Jessica,” Jason said formally, “I’d like you to meet Skylar. My daughter.”

Jessica said nothing.

She looked one to the other, from Jason to Skylar and back again, taking this all in.

It was unmistakable: Skylar was a younger, prettier female carbon copy of her husband.

“I know this must be a terrible shock to you,” Jason said. “It must be such a big surprise.

I promise you, I was going to tell you all about it and introduce you in good time. I—” he waved a hand at Skylar, “we just needed some time to come to terms with this ourselves.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Jessica,” Skylar said gently.

“Jason has told me so much about you already, and I feel like I know you.”

“I don’t know you, Skylar,” Jessica said.

“This is unbelievable. Why did you never tell me you have a daughter?”

Jason’s face twisted in pain. “I never knew,” he said, “I, I—” he broke off again.

“I’m so ashamed.” He hung his head and couldn’t say more.

“Skylar, how old are you?” Jessica asked.

“I’m twenty-one,” she replied.

Jessica did the math in her head instantly.

“Twenty-one,” she repeated, “that means—” she broke off and looked at Jason. “That means we were already married when she was born,” she said.

Jason looked up, shaking his head.

“Jess, I am so, so sorry you had to find out like this.”

“Who is your mother, Skylar?” Jessica asked, ignoring Jason.

“Her name is Muriel,” she replied. “We live in the next state.

I insisted that she reveal to me one day who my father was, and I tracked him down.

That day is finally here. Jason has let me intern at his work so we can spend time together and see if we can make this work. I want to get to know my father and have him in my life.”

“It was at that national work conference, Jess,” Jason explained.

“Twenty-one years ago.

I am so sorry you had to find out like this. It was a one-night stand with a woman I met there.

I swear, just that one night.”

Jessica said nothing as she processed this information. “How many times have you cheated on me?” she asked Jason.

“I swear on my life, it was just that one time.

I’ve been so ashamed of myself ever since, but now I must face it.

And make it up to both of you. Skylar, I am not ashamed of you. You are my flesh and blood; I will do right by you.

Jessica, I’ll do whatever you want me to do to make this right.”

Jessica shook her head.

“This is too much for me to take in right now,” she said. “I don’t know what happens now.

I just don’t know.”

Dmitri came over to the table, topped up the empty wine glasses in front of Jason and Skylar, and placed one for Jessica. “Ma’am?” he offered, showing her the bottle of red wine in his hand.

“No, thank you,” Jessica said distractedly, deep in thought.

“Would you like to place your dinner order now, ma’am?” Dmitri asked.

“I’ll have what he’s having,” Jessica said, pointing at Jason’s plate.

“Certainly, ma’am,” Dmitri said and started walking away.

“Dmitri,” Jessica clarified, “I meant that literally; please bring it to me in a take-away box.”

“Ah, okay, I see, sure,” Dmitri said and removed the barely touched plate in front of Jason.

“I’ll see to it right away.”

“We’ll talk about it when you get home, Jason.

But I can’t be here right now. You can sleep in the spare room tonight,” Jessica said. “Skylar,” she continued, “I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances.

I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of each other, but please excuse me right now.”

“Of course,” Skylar said.

“I’m sorry, too. I hope we can be friends.”

Jessica nodded and stood up.

She met Dmitri halfway across the floor with the takeaway box. “Dmitri, I will be back to discuss what happened with my friend you didn’t find a seat for.

I’d hate to think that this restaurant discriminates against anyone for any reason,” she said.

Dimitri hung his head in shame.

“Madam, you have my word. From now on, I will make space for everyone and anyone,” he said.

Jessica nodded. “Good,” she said.

Climbing back into the cab, Jessica reached over the seat and handed Musa the takeaway box.

“I promised you dinner, Musa,” she said.

“Sorry about the presentation, but here it is. And if you ever go back to that restaurant, they will give you the best seat in the house.”

“Thank you, madam,” Musa said.

“Back home then?”

“Back home,” Jessica confirmed.

That night, Jessica decided to wait up for Jason. He came home not much later than she did.

She padded down the stairs in slippers and a dressing gown, put the kettle on, and sat down at the kitchen table.

Jason sat opposite her.

“I knew you’d find out eventually,” Jason began. “I just didn’t want to hurt you at the time, and then years passed, and I somehow thought I had gotten away with it. Jess, I can’t tell you how sorry I am about this.”

“I feel like you’ve been lying to me all these years.

A lie by omission.

When did you find out about Skylar?” Jessica asked.

“About a month ago,” Jason replied. “Out of the blue, I received an email from her telling me her story.

I hadn’t heard a word from her mother since that night at the conference. It was such a terrible mistake.

Too much to drink, a hotel room within stumbling distance from the conference venue, temptation.”

“Why didn’t you tell me about Skylar sooner?” Jessica asked.

“We could have had it out then. Instead, you lied to me about working late and then went sneaking around with a young woman whom I thought you were having an affair with. Have you any idea how much this hurts!”

“I know.

I should have come clean about everything a long time ago.

I was afraid. I was afraid that you would leave me.

I was afraid that you couldn’t forgive me,” Jason said.

“I can’t believe you kept this from me. We’re supposed to be a team.

We’re supposed to share everything with each other.”

I made so many mistakes here. I’m so sorry.”

“I don’t know if I can do this, Jason. I don’t know if I can come back from this,” Jessica finished saying.

She left the table and took herself to bed.

Jason spent two weeks in that spare room before the couple could come to some agreement on a way forward: they would seek counseling together and individually with a therapist.

Jessica sat across from the therapist, her heart heavy with betrayal.

She couldn’t believe that Jason had kept his affair and daughter a secret from her for so long.

“I feel like I’ve been living a lie,” she said.