When my husband told me he had to leave on a sudden business trip just two days before Christmas, my heart sank. Shawn said his boss needed him in Boston to manage some emergency client issue, and though it felt unfair, I tried to be understanding. It wasn’t until Christmas Eve that I discovered he wasn’t in Boston at all—he was just fifteen minutes away at a nearby hotel. The truth I uncovered there changed everything I thought I knew.
Shawn and I have always been close—sharing our hopes, fears, and even our most ridiculous jokes. We’d talk for hours, celebrating milestones and holding each other up during the hard times. I truly believed there were no secrets left between us, but that belief shattered on Christmas Day.
It all began in our kitchen that morning. Shawn stood by the counter, tapping his fingers with a tense energy I’d never seen before.
“Andrea,” he said, hesitating. “My boss called. He needs me to fly out to Boston for an emergency meeting with a major client.”
I frowned. “On Christmas? That doesn’t sound fair at all.”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I tried to get out of it, but the client might back out of their contract. No one else can handle it.”
I studied his face, picking up on an unfamiliar mix of guilt and anxiety. “Are you sure there’s no other solution?”
He shook his head. “I wish. This is too important. I promise I’ll make it up to you when I get back.”
His words hung in the air as I helped him pack that night, trying to push away a growing sense of dread. I couldn’t help remembering our past Christmases—like the time he tried and failed to cook a holiday turkey, and the year he convinced me to wear a matching ugly sweater to work. He smiled at those memories, but there was a weight in his eyes.
The next day, Christmas Eve, our home felt too quiet. I baked cookies, wrapped last-minute gifts, and watched holiday movies, but none of it filled the emptiness. Around nine o’clock that night, Shawn called. I could hear dishes clinking and distant laughter on his end.
“Are you at dinner?” I asked, puzzled. “I thought you had to work late.”
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