Reborn After Husband's Lies

I was stirring the pasta sauce when I heard the front door open. The sound of Ryder's keys hitting the bowl on the entryway table was followed by his familiar footsteps. My heart quickened slightly as it always did when he came home.

"Dinner smells amazing," Ryder said, appearing in the doorway of our kitchen. He looked tired but handsome in his tailored suit, his dark hair slightly disheveled from the drive home.

I smiled, turning to greet him properly. "How was your meeting?"

"Just another day at the office." He crossed the room and leaned in to kiss me hello.

It was then I caught it—a scent so unmistakable it made me freeze mid-kiss. Roses. Strong, distinct, and clinging to him like a second skin.

I pulled back slightly, my eyes widening. "Ryder, are you feeling alright?"

He frowned. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You smell..." I hesitated, not wanting to sound accusatory. "There's a really strong rose scent on you."

Something flickered across his face—so brief I almost missed it. Anxiety? Guilt? But it was gone in an instant, replaced by his usual confident expression.

"The hotel lobby," he explained quickly, loosening his tie. "Some client had arranged for flowers for a business dinner. You know how these things are—they overdo it with the decorations." He shrugged off his jacket and hung it over a chair. "I had to walk through it to get to the restaurant."

"But roses... aren't they one of your worst triggers?" I asked softly, watching his face carefully.

He waved his hand dismissively. "It was just a brief exposure. I'm fine." He kissed me again, harder this time, as if to end the conversation. "Now, what's for dinner?"

I nodded, returning to the stove, but something felt off. The scent was too strong, too pervasive to be from a brief lobby encounter. And Ryder had never been able to tolerate roses—they were the one flower that guaranteed an immediate, severe reaction.

---

The next evening, the doorbell rang just as I was setting the table for dinner. Ryder was working late—again—so I wasn't expecting anyone.

"Ashley, darling!" My mother stood on the doorstep, holding a beautiful bouquet of red roses. "Happy birthday, sweetheart."

"Mom!" I exclaimed, genuinely surprised. I'd forgotten my own birthday in the stress of the week. "You didn't have to do this."

"Nonsense." She stepped inside, the roses filling the entryway with their rich fragrance. "Every girl deserves flowers on her birthday."

Before I could respond, Ryder's car pulled into the driveway. He must have forgotten something. My stomach tightened as he walked in, his eyes immediately locking onto the bouquet in my mother's hands.

"What is that?" he demanded, his voice suddenly sharp.

"Just some birthday flowers," my mother replied, confusion evident in her tone.

Ryder's face began to contort. He grabbed at his throat, then started sneezing violently. "Get them out," he gasped between sneezes. "Ashley, please—I can't breathe."

I moved quickly, taking the bouquet from my mother's hands.