In the quiet of our home, as the clock ticked past 11 p.m., I realized something was amiss. My wife, who usually greeted me with a warm smile and dinner, hadn't returned from work.
A pregnant woman cooking | Source: Pexels
My wife, who is usually home around the same time as I am, had been returning from work late for a while. This was odd because, in our years together, she'd never stayed out this late without a call or a text.
A pregnant woman working on a laptop | Source: Pexels
One night at around 11 p.m., I dialed her number, and when she answered, she tried to sound upbeat, mentioning she was still at the office, surrounded by paperwork. But her voice had a tremble that didn't sit right with me.
A pregnant woman talking on the phone | Source: Pexels
This pattern continued, turning my concern into a nightly concern. One night, as I wandered into the living room in search of a glass of water, I found her there, sobbing quietly.
A closeup of a crying woman's eyes | Source: Pexels
It was heart-wrenching to see her in such distress, especially considering she was seven months pregnant. She attributed her emotional state to pregnancy hormones, but the pattern of late nights and tears suggested something else.
A pregnant woman crying | Source: Shutterstock
Driven by a growing sense of unease, I decided to delve deeper into the mystery of my wife's late nights. It wasn't until I stumbled upon her phone one day, seeing a barrage of messages from her coworkers, that the pieces began to fall into place.
An isolated smart phone on a white surface | Source: Getty Images
What I found was not an affair, or anything to do with me at all. Instead, my wife was facing a challenge at work that I had no idea about.
A closeup of a man's hands holding a smart phone | Source: Pexels
Her colleagues were not planning work projects or discussing deadlines; instead, they were bullying her, delegating their workload onto her to free up their evenings for leisure, leaving her to drown in tasks until the early hours.
A closeup of a woman's hands on top of her diary | Source: Pexels
The messages were cruel, targeting her appearance, her capabilities, and her dedication. Each word was a dagger, and my heart bled for her. How could she bear this silently?
A woman reading messages on her smart phone | Source: Pexels
How could she face such venom with a smile for the sake of professional harmony? My rage was almost uncontrollable, but I knew any reckless confrontation could exacerbate her situation.
