e Fo

ur, a top-tier divorce attorney from his firm' s legal department called me. By noon, a secure digita

e investigators wer

Kori' s social media, which she had so foolishly left public, was downloaded and

. The caption read, "My man is a big kid at heart! " I remembered that day. He' d told me he was stuck at the office, pulling an all

other video. My

self in the background, lighting candles on the cake. The video, fi

Kori's voice whispered to the camera. "He said I hav

ar. The same one that now sat

xon, their arms wrapped around each other, grinning. "Tucked a little surprise inside Ben's new bear," she stage-whispered, a malici

one of her friends asked, "OMG

and self-absorbed to notice. By the time

lacial rage. She wasn't just having an affair. She was playin

. He had brought this

d a video posted just two weeks ago. The n

was unmistakable-our cluttered utility closet in the base

she said, her voice dripping with a false sweetness that didn't mask the threat. "And bad boys d

ound. Ben. My Ben. He was crying. A choked, hiccupin

ered. "Mommy didn't leave.

e turning sharp and ugly. "Now you are going to

closet door clicking shut, followed

nd flew to my mouth. That night. I had called Jaxon from the hosp

?" I'd asked, my heart

said, his voice impatient. "He's fine. You n

terror a nightmare while his mistres

long time. The pain was for my son. The pain was for my own blindness. The pain was for the man I thought Jaxon was-the man wh

ed away from the inside, leaving thi

that threatened to consume me, my phon

had just post

on it, my

ped to her hand. Her face was pale (courtesy of a filter, I was sure

w. I just wanted to say... I'm a survivor." She took a shaky breath. "Being with a m

conversation. It was from Jaxon. His profile picture-the

s. I love you. I'll be there with you at the Parent-Teacher Nig

ing to the school event with me tomorrow. To support me. As

idn't know I had confronted her. She still thought she was in control of

eturned. He was playing both sides, tryi

tation on my screen.

ge. She wanted a

d give

legal, and only mother, woul