I was browsing through old emails on our shared laptop when a banking notification suddenly appeared in the corner of the screen. It wasn’t from our usual bank, and the account name didn’t ring any bells. My curiosity piqued, I clicked on the notification. The page was already logged in, which meant Mason must have forgotten to sign out.
At first, I thought it could be a secondary savings account—perhaps something for emergencies—but as I scrolled through the transactions, my stomach dropped. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars had been sent every couple of weeks to the same person: Rina M.
Who was Rina M.? I scrolled back, months of transactions followed the same pattern. Money was constantly leaving our account and going to her. My mind raced, trying to come up with an explanation. Maybe she was a family member in need or a business partner? But Mason and I had always been open about money matters, and he never mentioned her before.
I searched her name on Google, then Facebook. After some digging, I found a profile for a Rina Mendoza—a young, pretty woman who seemed far too familiar. She had worked at Mason’s office.
I remembered him mentioning her briefly a few months ago when she quit. He said, “Rina’s moving out of state. She found something better.” Apparently, she hadn’t moved far enough.
My hands began to tremble as I grabbed my phone. I wanted to confront Mason right away, but I didn’t. Instead, I took screenshots of the transactions. Every dollar sent. Every bit of evidence. I didn’t know what I was about to uncover, but I wasn’t about to go in unprepared.
Confronting Mason
Later that night, when Mason arrived home, I was already sitting at the kitchen table, his laptop open in front of me. He froze in the doorway when he saw the screen.
“Who is Rina?” I asked calmly, even though my heart was racing.
I watched his expression shift from shock to something else—something I couldn’t quite place.
“It’s not… it’s not an affair,” he finally said, his voice sounding heavy with something he hadn’t yet voiced.
I stared at him, trying to remain composed. This was the last thing I expected him to say. My mind was racing, trying to make sense of everything.
Mason stepped toward me, his hands slightly raised as though he was trying to keep me from fleeing. “Before you jump to any conclusions, just—let me explain.”
I folded my arms, my voice cold as I said, “I’m waiting.”
He took a deep breath. “Rina’s in trouble. It started months ago. She needed money. She asked me for help.”
I was skeptical. “You have a secret account. You’ve been sending her thousands of dollars, and you never mentioned a word. So, yeah, I’d say you have some explaining to do.”
Mason sat down across from me, his posture heavy with guilt. “She… Rina… moved away because she was trying to get away from some debts. It’s related to her family. She came to me at the office before she quit, asking for a loan.”
My eyebrows shot up. “And you didn’t think to discuss this with me? You just decided to funnel money through a separate account?”
His voice faltered. “She asked me to keep it private. She was ashamed. And I… I was worried that you’d think I was being taken advantage of. Or that you’d suspect something worse. I didn’t want you to worry, but I also couldn’t just turn my back on her.”
I stared at him for a long moment. Mason wasn’t the type to be reckless, but he did have a soft spot for people in distress. That was one of the reasons I fell in love with him. Still, this felt like more than just helping someone in need.
“You should have told me,” I said, my voice shakier than I wanted it to be.
He nodded slowly. “I know. I’m sorry. I didn’t know how to bring it up.”
Despite my anger, I couldn’t ignore the doubt creeping into my mind. If Mason was having an affair, he wouldn’t have admitted to anything so easily. Still, something about this situation didn’t sit right with me. A secret account, thousands of dollars, no repayment… it was suspicious.
Digging Deeper
The next day, I found myself still not completely convinced by Mason’s explanation. He insisted that Rina was just in a tough spot, and that he was trying to help her, but something felt off. How bad could her situation really be? And why hadn’t he been more upfront with me?
I decided I needed to see the account for myself. Mason agreed to sit down with me that evening and show me the details. “If we’re going to fix this, we need total honesty,” I insisted.
We sat on the couch, his laptop open in front of us. He pulled up the account, and I started scrolling through the transactions. It was worse than I’d thought. Transaction after transaction, almost every two weeks, most labeled “support” or “loan repayment.” The amounts varied, but they often reached as high as $2,500 at a time.
“What’s she using this for?” I asked, scanning the memos. “Is she paying you back at all?”
Mason’s face tightened. “At first, it was supposed to be a loan, which is why I kept it in a separate account like she asked. But she hasn’t paid me back. Once or twice, she sent a small check, but it bounced.”
“So you’re just throwing money at her problems?” I asked, my disbelief growing.
He winced. “I know how it looks.”
Before I could press him for more details, my phone pinged with a message. I normally wouldn’t check my phone while talking, but something urged me to look. The name on the screen made my heart stop: Rina.
I glanced from my phone to Mason, who was just as startled as I was. “How did she get your number?” he asked, confusion written all over his face.
I shrugged, heart racing. “I have no idea.” The message was short but direct: “I need to talk to you. It’s urgent.”
I was torn. Should I call her? Should I block the number? After a moment, I replied simply: “What do you want, Rina?”
She responded almost instantly: “Please, I need to explain. Can we meet tomorrow?”
I looked at Mason, whose face was pale. “It’s up to you,” he said quietly.
Against my better judgment, I agreed to meet her the next morning. I had to know the truth. If Mason was lying, this would be my chance to confront him. If he wasn’t, maybe I’d finally understand what was really going on.
The Meeting with Rina
The next morning, I arrived at The Roastery, a cozy café near our neighborhood. I spotted Rina almost immediately. She was sitting alone at a corner table, looking nervous. Her dark hair was pulled into a loose bun, and she wore a plain sweater. She glanced around as if she were afraid someone might see her.
I approached the table, my heart pounding in my chest. This was it. The moment that could either confirm or shatter everything I had believed about my husband and his secret financial dealings.
As I sat down, Rina looked up at me. There was fear in her eyes, but also a desperate urgency. I had no idea what she was going to say, but I knew it was going to change everything.
