Introduction

I thought it would be a simple errand—drive across town, hand over the briefcase my husband forgot, maybe steal a quick lunch together. Instead, I found myself standing in front of a building that looked frozen in time, its windows dark, its doors chained shut. According to the rusted sign out front, it had been abandoned for years. Yet this was the same office my husband claimed to visit every weekday. That moment didn’t just change my afternoon—it changed everything I thought I knew about my marriage.

Ingredients:

One forgotten item (a briefcase, jacket, or set of keys)

A familiar address you’ve never questioned

An unexpected free afternoon

A building that tells a different story than the one you were given

Curiosity stronger than fear

The unsettling silence of unanswered questions

Instructions:

Start your day believing everything is normal. Exchange routine goodbyes and casual smiles.

Notice the forgotten item and decide—out of love or obligation—to return it personally.

Drive confidently to the address you’ve heard mentioned countless times.

Park, step out, and slow down as details begin to feel wrong.

Read the faded notices on the door. Observe the dust, the boarded windows, the lock that hasn’t been touched in years.

Feel the realization settle in: this place has no employees, no offices, no life.

Ask yourself the question that changes everything—If this isn’t where he works, then where does he go?

Serving and Storage Tips:

Take time to process before confronting anyone. Shock needs space to breathe.

Write down what you saw while it’s still fresh; memory can soften uncomfortable truths.

Store your conclusions carefully—assumptions spoil quickly without facts.

Serve the truth only when you’re ready to handle the response, whatever it may be.

Variations: