My husband was constantly visiting our surrogate mother to make sure she was okay. I hid a tape recorder, and what I heard ended our marriage.

She blinked. “What are you implying?”

“I’m not implying anything. It just feels… strange.”

She laughed. “Honey, she’s pregnant with our baby. I just want her to have a peaceful pregnancy.”

I nodded. I smiled. I changed the subject.

But the discomfort never left me: the feeling that my husband was spending too much time alone with our surrogate mother.

The next day I did something completely out of the ordinary.
Just before Ethan left to visit Claire, I slipped a small voice recorder into the inside pocket of his jacket.

My hands were trembling as I did it.

I stood in the hallway with my jacket in my hand and thought, “Why am I doing this?”

For a moment I almost took it off.

But the knot in my stomach was stronger than the guilt, so I left it where it was.

That night, Ethan returned.

I left Claire’s house and she hung up her jacket as usual. She gave me a goodnight kiss and went to bed.

I waited until the house was completely silent.