The morning Jack called in sick for the first time in our marriage, I knew something was off—but I never imagined I’d find a life-sized statue of him standing on our porch. It was so detailed it felt like it could breathe: the crooked nose, the scar on his chin, even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. When Jack saw it, he turned ghost-white and dragged it inside without saying a word.
The kids were as confused as I was, but he begged me to take them to school, promising an explanation when I got back. Then, just before I shut the car door, Noah handed me a crumpled note he found under the statue. The moment I read it, everything I thought I knew about my marriage cracked open like glass under pressure…