Having not much to do on a particular day, Julia decided to visit her husband at work and bring him his favorite dish, lasagna. Happy to prepare a surprise for him, she rushed to his office, but there, she was met by a co-worker who told her that Ban took two weeks off of work.
Julia was confused. How could he be on vacation when he was leaving the home in the morning and was getting back late with the excuse of having a lot on his plate regarding his job.
She asked yet again if they were certain her husband wasn’t there, and the answer was the same.
She returned home, wondering what could her husband be doing when he claimed he was at work.
When he got home that evening, she decided not to confront him but to follow him the following morning.
After she arranged with her mother to take the kids to school, Julia entered her car and drove after Ben. As he drove across town, he finally made a stop, and Julia’s heart sank when she saw he parked in front of her sister’s house. Could Ben be having an affair with her own sister?
Julia couldn’t believe her eyes. She knew Ben and her sister Kate were close, but she couldn’t understand why he would go to her place instead of work.
Before making any conclusions, she lurked around and saw Ben and Kate sitting at the table, with a bunch of papers right in front of them.
Not knowing what to do, she called the family lawyer, Carla, who had handled a few legal matters for them before because she trusted her judgement. After she explained everything to her, Carla said, “Julia, before you jump to conclusions, gather some concrete evidence. It’s important to be sure before taking any legal steps.”
Julia knew Carla was right so she returned to Kate’s home and took some photos of her and Ben. Judging from their faces, it was obvious the two were planning something. But were they up to?
Once back in the car, Julia called James, Kate’s husband. She was visibly distressed when she told him that she suspected Ben and Kate were having an affair. “James, it’s Julia. I need to talk to you about Ben and Kate,” she said.
There was a pause. “Julia, calm down. What’s going on?”
“I think they are having an affair,” Julia blurted out. “What should I do?”
“Julia, don’t be ridiculous, they not cheating on you. I swear it. What makes you think that?”
“I have my reasons,” she replied. “You’ll see, I’ll prove it!”
Unable to control her anger, Julia returned to Kate’s house and looked through the window when she heard her sister talking to her husband over the phone. “Julia just called me,” James could be heard saying. “She’s worried sick, thinks you two are having an affair.”
Ben nodded. “So, she is unaware of everything.”
“That’s great!” Kate replied, her tone filled with excitement.
“Our plan is working,” Ben added.
Julia had it enough, she entered the place and confronted her husband and her sister.
“You lying, cheating traitors! How could you do this to me?”
Ben stood from the chair and tried to calm her down, begging her to let him explain her what was going on. “Explain what? That my husband is cheating on me with my sister?” Julia screamed, unable to control her tears.
“Julia, it’s not what you think,” Ben repeated. “I took a vacation to work on a surprise for you.”
“A surprise? Meeting at Kate’s house every day is a surprise?” Julia said bitterly.
“Yes,” Ben said with a steady voice. “I was planning to make your dream come true. You always talked about owning a coffee shop, right?”
It was then that Kate stepped forward, holding a bunch of papers in her hand. “Ben has been using his inheritance to buy a coffee shop for you. We’ve been working on the business plan and all the legal paperwork here.”
Julia was left speechless. “A coffee shop? For me?”
Ben nodded and explained that he needed Kate and James’ help to put his plan into action. “Look, these are the documents. The lease, the renovation plans, everything. I wanted it to be perfect before I told you. James and Kate are co-investors, so I wanted to make sure they are completely onboard.”
Julia couldn’t believe what she was hearing. A coffee shop! For her! It has always been her dream to own such a place, and now her husband was making that wish come true.
“Oh my goodness, Ben… I’m so sorry. I thought…I thought you were…”
Ben said, “I know,” as he hugged her tightly. “I should have told you, but I wanted it to be a surprise, I wanted to see your face when I handed you the keys.”
“I’m such an idiot,” Julia sobbed into his chest. “I’m so sorry.”
“Shh, it’s okay. I understand why you felt that way. But Julia, I love you. I would never betray you.”
The following morning, Julia, Ben, Kate, and James all went to sign the final papers. She couldn’t believe she finally owned her coffee place. The smell of the freshly baked coffee reminded her of the love her husband had for her.
Together, they transformed the coffee shop into a magical place, where dreams became reality and love and trust were the secret ingredients in every recipe.
Looking back at everything, Julia knew she should never suspected her husband.
