Uncharted Waters
By Sally Hepworth, first published in Amazon Original Stories
On a charter through islands in Australia, an accountant meets the woman her husband has been having an affair with.
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Plot Summary
Ella boards a wellness retreat experience on a charter. She's been a guest before, but usually she is with her husband Mac — who didn't join this time because his business partner had an accident. Ella meets Chloe, the only other person who came by herself. Chloe says she is there to recover from a broken heart, from an affair with a married man. Ella reflects on Mac and how he makes her feel less anxious and more funny. She had met him while she was married, then they started dating after his wife passed away. While she is thinking in bed, she sees the corner of a note being slipped under her door. Once she gets out of bed, however, the note is taken away. The next day, Chloe says something to her that stops her in her tracks: a quote about sunscreen that Mac says all the time. While in the water, Ella realizes that Chloe is having an affair with Mac. Ella isn't sure if Chloe knows that she's Mac's wife. Ella asks Chloe how she met Mac. They met at Chloe's pilates class, after which they had coffee, and then later, wine. She says Mac ended things with her because he was still in love with his wife. This makes Ella cry and feel tired. Chloe walks Ella back to her room. To her surprise, Chloe kisses her. Ella says she's married and it ends there. But the next night, they have sex. They have a nice rest of the trip together. But at the end, they part, never to see each other again. Chloe sits in her seat on the airplane. She thinks about she didn't plan to seduce Mac's wife, but it happened. She had taken a picture of their last night together. She sends it in a text to Mac. Mac picks Ella up from the airport. He seems nervous and tentative. Ella says she won't go on the charter again without him. He doesn't want to either. Ella feels a sense of understanding pass between them.
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