My name is Emily Thompson, living in a peaceful suburban area of New York City. My husband, John, is a typical American software engineer – tall, blond-haired, and always smiling as if life were a comedy movie. We have been married for five years, and our married life is quite peaceful, except for one strange habit of his. Every day, regardless of sun or rain, summer or winter, John comes home and immediately rushes straight into the bathroom. No greeting, no hug or kiss, just throwing his briefcase down on the floor and locking the door. Then the sound of water flushing echoes – icy cold water, because I once checked the hot water valve. He bathes for a full hour, not missing a single second. At first, I thought he was tired after work and needed to relax. But gradually, suspicion crept into my mind.

I tried asking John many times. “Darling, why do you bathe in cold water like that? Is it because of work stress?” He just smiled dismissively: “My love, it’s just a habit. It helps me stay alert.” But his eyes avoided mine, and I sensed something was wrong. I started imagining all sorts of things: Maybe he’s having an affair, and bathing to erase the traces of his mistress’s perfume scent? Or he’s addicted to drugs, needing cold water to sober up? Those thoughts made me lose sleep. I even secretly checked his phone, but there was nothing suspicious. Just work emails and messages from friends about football.

One Wednesday afternoon, everything changed. I work at an advertising office, and that day the boss let me go home early because the project was completed. I decided to surprise John with a romantic dinner. I got home at 4 PM, instead of 6 PM as usual. The house door was locked, but John’s car was already parked in the garage. Strange, he came home earlier than me? My heart pounded heavily. I gently opened the door, stepping into the house without making a sound. The sound of water flushing came from the bathroom – just as expected. But this time, there was something strangely accompanying it. Not singing or muttering, but… moaning? Or whispering?

I pressed my ear against the bathroom door, trying to listen. “That’s right… keep it like that… deeper…” John’s voice! My heart felt like it shattered. Is he having an affair right in our own house? With whom? The bathroom has only one door! I trembled as I pushed the door – luckily, he forgot to lock it. The scene before my eyes made me freeze in shock. John was standing under the cold shower, eyes tightly closed, holding a… wireless microphone? No, it was a strange device, like a Bluetooth headset but larger, attached to his ear. Cold water poured down relentlessly, but he wasn’t shivering. And on the bathroom wall, a small screen hidden behind the tiles was displaying an image – a woman!

“John!” I screamed. He startled, nearly slipping and falling. The device dropped to the floor, the screen went completely dark. “You… you’re home early?” He stammered, his face pale. I rushed in, grabbing him. “Explain! What is that? Who is she?” John sighed, turned off the water, wrapped a towel around himself and pulled me to sit down. “My love, I’m not cheating. But this secret… I didn’t want you to worry.” He told everything. It turns out, John is not an ordinary software engineer. He is an undercover CIA agent! His daily job is just a cover. Every evening, he bathes in cold water to activate a “special communication device” – an advanced technology that only works at low temperatures, to avoid being hacked. The cold water helps him endure strong electromagnetic waves, and one hour is the necessary time to receive missions from superiors.

I was heavily shocked. “Why did you hide it from me?” John hugged me: “Because it’s dangerous. I didn’t want you to get involved.” But the surprises didn’t stop. When he picked up the device, the screen turned back on – that woman was not a mistress, but his boss, Agent Harris. She was transmitting orders: “John, urgent mission! There’s a traitor in the team. Your sister has been kidnapped!” Sister? Does John have a sister? He never mentioned it! It turns out, John has a twin sister, Sarah, living in Europe under a different cover. She is also an agent, and now captured by a terrorist organization because she knows too much about the plan to attack New York.

We had no time to think. John pulled me into it. “You have to help me. We need to rescue Sarah.” I, an ordinary wife, suddenly became an ally. We rushed out to the garage, where John hid a secret car with hidden weapons. On the way to the airport, the next surprise hit: My phone rang, an unknown number. “Emily, don’t trust John. He’s the traitor!” A man’s voice. I panicked and told John. He smiled bitterly: “That’s a trick. That organization hacked your phone.” But when we arrived at the airport, police surrounded us! It turns out, John was falsely accused of being the traitor. Agent Harris was the double agent, selling information to the enemy in exchange for money.

We escaped thanks to John’s crazy driving skills – he used to be a professional racer before joining the CIA. We flew to Paris, where Sarah was held. On the plane, John told his entire past: He grew up in an orphanage, Sarah was separated from him since childhood. They only reunited when joining the CIA. I was touched, but another surprise: I discovered I was pregnant! The test strip in my handbag confirmed it. “John, we’re going to have a child!” He was overjoyed, but the worry doubled.

Arriving in Paris, we infiltrated the enemy’s building. John used cold water from a fire extinguisher to activate the door-hacking device. Inside, Sarah was tied up, but she wasn’t the victim – she was the leader of the organization! “Brother, I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.” Sarah smiled maliciously. It turns out, she set a trap for John to eliminate him, out of jealousy for our happy life. Agent Harris was her accomplice. The battle erupted: John fought hand-to-hand with Sarah, I used the pepper spray hidden in my bag to defeat Harris.

We won, saving New York from the plot. Sarah was arrested, Harris was caught. Back home, John quit the CIA, choosing a normal life. Now he bathes in hot water, and we wait for our child to be born. Life is full of surprises, but our love remains strong.