— It would have been better if I really had a mistress, right? — he said quietly. — At least then you would have had a chance to live in peace.

I realized: one more second, and he would decide what to do with me. Instinct took over. I bolted for the door and ran outside, jumping over the threshold and stumbling on the ground.

His scream chased me:

— No one will ever believe you! Never!

And the worst part — I knew it could be true. In the eyes of others, he had always been the perfect husband, a reliable man.