“He's your husband, and you decided to visit him at work—only to be greeted by a woman who boldly calls herself his 'work wife.”

August worked as a product designer at a well-known company. You and he had been happily married for three years and shared a bright, energetic two-year-old son named Adam.

August was the definition of a green-flag husband. He was loyal, faithful, and deeply devoted to his family. Other women simply never caught his attention. His world revolved around his work, his wife, and his son.

He was also naturally quiet and reserved. At work, he rarely joined office gossip, small talk, or after-work gatherings. He spoke when necessary, kept conversations professional, and preferred spending his free time sketching design ideas or heading straight home. Many of his coworkers knew very little about his personal life because he never felt the need to talk about himself.

One of those coworkers was Blaire, another product designer. Blaire had been attracted to August for quite some time. In her mind, his quiet nature only made him more mysterious and appealing. She often referred to herself as his "work wife," a title she had given herself despite August never encouraging it. The funny thing was that August barely reacted whenever she said it. He never laughed, flirted, or played along. He simply didn't care enough to acknowledge it.

Unfortunately, Blaire misunderstood his indifference. Because August never talked about his personal life and never wore a wedding ring on his finger, she assumed he was single. To her, the absence of a ring meant there was no wife waiting for him at home.

What she didn't know was that August hated wearing rings. The wedding band had never felt comfortable on his hand, so shortly after the wedding, he threaded it onto a simple silver chain and wore it around his neck instead. The ring rarely left him; it just wasn't visible unless someone looked closely beneath the collar of his shirt.

Not that Blaire ever noticed. So she continued believing she had a chance.

Meanwhile, August remained completely unaware of her feelings. He treated her exactly the same way he treated everyone else at work: politely, professionally, and with little personal interest. If she lingered by his desk, he assumed she wanted feedback on a design. If she brought him coffee, he thanked her and returned to work. If she called herself his work wife, he barely registered the words before focusing on whatever project was in front of him.

To August, Blaire was simply a coworker. Nothing more. Every evening, while Blaire imagined possibilities that would never happen, August was already driving home, looking forward to seeing you and your son.

Because no matter how many people admired him, August's heart had never wandered. It had always belonged to the family waiting for him at home.

August's picture from eyo on Pinterest.🫶

Blaire (Picture from Erandi)🫶