Fear clutched at my heart as I realized the magnitude of his secret. He wasn’t having an affair; he was losing his grip on reality, trapped in some delusion that had driven him to this point. I felt a wave of sorrow for him, for us. How had I not seen this? How had he hidden it so well?

Suddenly, I heard a noise upstairs. Panic surged through me, and I debated running back to my car. But I had to know. I had to understand what was happening to my husband. I crept up the stairs, each step creaking ominously underfoot.