Page 12 of The Housewife's Robot
“LOL as if I’d tie myself down with kids.”
“You’re the only woman who knows me.”
Tears burn behind my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall. My heart pounds so hard I can feel it in my fingertips as they hover over the keyboard.
The messages blur and sharpen as I blink rapidly.
Caspian lays a hand on my shoulder, and I don’t have the energy to shake it off. The gentle pressure of his hand anchors me as my world comes crashing all around me.
“Mrs. Bennet,” Caspian says, his voice low and careful. “I’m so sorry you’re seeing this.”
“How long have you known?” I ask, my own voice sounding strange and distant to my ears.
A pause. “Since the beginning. My systems automatically back up data from connected devices in the household network.”
Of course. Daniel brought home a walking surveillance system and never considered that it might capture his own cheating ways.
“Save all of this,” I say, anger finally cutting through the shock. “Every message, every picture. I want it all.”
“I’ve already done so,” Caspian replies, his hand still steady on my shoulder. “Everything is backed up to my secure internal storage. He cannot delete it or deny it.”
My hands begin to shake more violently now, the delayed reaction settling in as adrenaline floods my system. I reach for the box of tissues on Daniel’s desk, but my fingers are shaking so much.
Caspian moves swiftly, plucking a tissue from the box and placing it in my hand. Our fingers brush, and once again, I’m struck by the warmth of his skin.
“He had sex with me last night,” I whisper, with horror in my voice. “After being with her. He came home and touched me with the same hands that touched her.”
Caspian’s fingers tighten slightly on my shoulder, a barely perceptible increase in pressure.
“What he’s done is unforgivable,” he says, and something in his tone makes me look up at him.
His eyes are different. Harder and more focused.
His usual pleasant demeanor is different. My heart pounds faster when I notice rage in his eyes.
It should be impossible for a machine to feel, but I’m too shocked by Daniel’s cheating to care right now.
“How could he?”
“I’ve been backing up evidence of his affair for months,” Caspian explains. “Photos, messages, and location data that prove he was at hotels when he claimed to be working late. Calendar entries where he scheduled time with her, disguised as meetings. I have everything you would need if you decided to…”
“Divorce him,” I finish, the word feeling weird on my tongue.
A strange expression flickers across Caspian’s face. Did he look satisfied in a way? But his expression smooths back into concerned attentiveness. Maybe I was imagining things.
“Yes,” he says simply. “If that’s what you wish.”
“Of course it’s what I wish,” I say angrily as I look back at the screen. I look at a particularly explicit photo of Daniel with this woman. Her legs are wrapped around his waist as he takes her against what looks like an office wall. The image burns itself into my brain. It looks animalistic and wild.
“I need to think,” I say, pushing back from the desk. My legs feel unsteady as I stand.
Caspian’s hand slides from my shoulder, trailing briefly down my arm in a touch that feels too intentional to be accidental. “Take all the time you need, Mrs. Bennet. I’ll be here to assist you, whatever you decide.”
I nod absently, my mind already thinking of so many things at once. The confrontation. Divorce lawyers. My family and what they would say about this.
“What do I tell my family? Oh my god,” I say, holding onto the desk as I try to regain control of my breathing. I’m losing control of everything right now, and I don’t know what to think. Panic overtakes me as I take deep breaths.
“Shh, don’t worry about all that now,” Caspian purrs into my ear as he rubs my back. His hand is heavy and warm, distracting me from my panicky thoughts. “You’ll figure it all out. I’m sure your family only wants you to be happy.”
