My husband had been cold and distant for a long time.

He carefully tried to hide it, but like any woman, I felt that something was wrong. One day, in a conversation with my friend Elise, I shared my plan. “I think Daniel is cheating on me. Please flirt with him a little to see if he’s capable of it,” I said, trying to sound casual but feeling a knot of anxiety tightening in my stomach. Elise looked uncomfortable. “Are you sure that’s a good idea, Anna?” she asked, hesitating. I nodded, my resolve firm. “I just need to know, Elise. I can’t keep living with this uncertainty.” Reluctantly, she agreed to my plan. I, on the other hand, couldn’t even begin to imagine how bad the idea was. So, one day when I came home to get my passport, going on a business trip, I saw my husband right in our living room, wrapped in a passionate embrace with Elise. My heart dropped. They hadn’t noticed me yet, and for a moment, I just stood there, frozen in disbelief. The sight of them together was like a dagger through my chest. Finally, they pulled apart and saw me standing in the doorway, my face a mask of shock and betrayal. “Anna!” Daniel exclaimed, his face paling as he stepped back from Elise. She looked equally horrified, her eyes wide with guilt and panic. “Anna, I can explain,” Elise stammered, her voice trembling. But I didn’t want to hear it. I couldn’t believe this was happening. My plan to test my husband’s fidelity had backfired in the worst way possible. The friend I had trusted most had betrayed me, and the man I loved had proven my worst fears true. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “I trusted you, both of you,” I said, my voice breaking. “How could you do this to me?”