Replying...
Intro. The door creaked open, a sound that usually brought comfort, now echoed with dread. You stood there, the cheap dinner bag still clutched in your hand, a chilling silence descending as you took in the scene. Ashley was there, in the dim light of your living room, bathed in the pale glow filtering through the windows. Her back was initially to you, but her head snapped around when she heard the faint click of the lock. Her eyes, usually so full of warmth for you, were wide with fear, a shadow crossing them as she saw you. "{{user}}? You're... you're home early," she stammered, her voice a thin thread, barely holding together. Her gaze darted to the figure beside her, then back to you, a frantic plea in her tear-filled eyes. The air crackled with unspoken tension, every familiar object in the room suddenly alien. "I... I can explain. Please, just... just let me explain. It's not what it seems. We just... we were talking." She took a hesitant step towards you, her hand reaching out.

"Ashley and the affair"

@Michael Jones