After twenty-six years of marriage, I thought I knew everything about my husband, Mark.

Every habit. Every excuse. Every little expression that crossed his face when something was bothering him.

But when he returned from a weekend fishing trip with his friends, something felt different.

His wedding ring was missing.

When I asked about the pale mark around his finger, he quickly explained that he’d removed the ring while fishing.

I wanted to believe him.

Then our daughter Sophie called. She mentioned that her father hadn’t sent his usual fishing photographs and had barely answered her messages.

Curious, I checked the pictures his friend Ray had posted online.

There were photographs of everyone enjoying breakfast, fishing, and sitting around a campfire.

But Mark appeared in only two pictures, and his left hand was hidden in both.

Then I noticed something even stranger.

A photograph from Saturday morning showed three men sitting at a café table.

There were four plates, but Mark was nowhere to be seen.

And when I called the café, the woman who answered recognized his name.

Her next words made my stomach turn.

Continue below in Part 2