On Our 8th Anniversary, He Went to His Mistress

On the night of our eighth anniversary, my boyfriend Fernando suddenly went off the grid when he was supposed to be with me.

I called him countless times. No one answered.

The next morning, just as I was about to call the police, Fernando called back:

"Last night my coworker Ellis's mother-in-law suddenly passed away. I went to help out. Left my phone in the car, didn't notice."

I breathed a sigh of relief, but something felt off.

After hanging up, I sent Ellis a message:

"I heard your mother-in-law passed away. My condolences. Is there anything I can help with?"