Merry Christmas

In March of 2024, I accepted a consulting engagement in Istanbul. The assignment was to last six months with my tasks to improve efficiency, reduce cost, and improve security for the back office and branch locations. 

At the end of the first month, it was clear that the assignment would take much longer than expected but yield larger rewards for the bank. 

My contract called for being onsite for six weeks, and off for one, for as long as the assignment lasted. Realizing that there was a possibility that I might not be able to be home during Christmas and New Year, I began to prepare my wife months in advance of this possibility. 

During one of my home visits, I brought up the subject and was met with a barrage of accusations and complaints. Out of the blue, my wife accused me of many things. She started with: “How do I know that you don’t have a girlfriend living with you in that hotel? You say you’re working all the time, but how do I know that’s true?” 

“Sophia, why are you saying these things? I don’t have a girlfriend. And yes, I do work all the time. I want to finish this assignment and get back home as soon as possible. I miss you.” 

“You don’t care that I must be here alone for weeks at a time. I want a man who is here with me, not someone who could be doing anything behind my back.” 

“Do you not trust me? I took this job so that I could earn enough money for us to be able to do some of the things we talked about. This job pays me about three times more than what I was making before. I noticed that you like the extra money. There are a lot of things being charged to our credit cards that we couldn’t normally afford.” 

“Now it’s on me? You twisted what I was trying to say. The money’s good, but I’m lonely,” 

“So am I, but we need to get through this together.” 

“FINE!” 

The rest of the week was awkward. For someone saying she was lonely, Sophia distanced herself from me completely. She went out shopping often, getting her nails done, and wasn’t around for many meals. I felt more lonely home than I did while I was away. 

December rolled around and it was nearing the Christmas holiday. I spoke with my counterpart at the bank and floated the idea that I wanted to alter my schedule to surprise my wife and arrive home for the holiday. He agreed. 

I booked my flight and set off for home. There was an unexpected layover in Paris, but I would still be able home on Christmas Eve. 

At 8 pm, I silently unlocked my front door and saw a bottle of Champagne and two half-empty glasses. Entering the bedroom, I froze. Seeing her with another man broke my heart. I now understood her true character.