3: 3

3

In the end, the baby couldn't be saved.

Lewis was full of regret.

"You were pregnant. Why didn't you tell me?"

Yes. I'd been two months along.

I'd planned to tell him tonight, the moment I got home from my trip.

Seeing my tears, Lewis was consumed with guilt.

"It's all my fault, Thelma. I'll make it up to you, I promise."

But I didn't want it anymore.

While the nurse was going over the aftercare instructions, Lewis's phone rang.

Lily's voice came through the receiver.

His face changed all at once, his voice flooded with panic and urgency.

"Where are you? I'm coming right now!"

He hung up and spoke in a rush.

"Lily's being harassed outside a hotel. I'll go over and be right back. Wait for me!"

And with that, he bolted out of the room without looking back.

The nurse couldn't help muttering.

"His girlfriend just lost the baby, and he's off worrying about someone else."

I pushed down the cold spreading through my chest. Worn out in body and mind, I drifted off without meaning to.

When I woke, the room was still empty.

Lewis hadn't come back.

I reached for my phone. A friend request had popped up on the screen.

I accepted it without thinking and tapped into her posts.

The latest one was from an hour ago.

On the rumpled hotel sheets, two hands with fingers laced together.

I knew that faint scar on the back of the man's hand better than anyone.

It was the wound Lewis had gotten years ago, driving off the thugs who'd been hassling me.

He'd once said, "This scar is my badge of loving you!"

And now I was lying in a hospital because of him, having just lost our child.

While he was tangled up with another woman in a hotel.

Pain stabbed through my chest, over and over.

With trembling hands, I kept scrolling.

Three days ago, she'd written: "Best friend's away on business, and I'm the one worn out. That dog of a man is strong!"

A week ago, she'd shown off a screenshot of a fifty-two-thousand transfer: "Don't care if it's not official. The man and the money are both mine!"

A month ago: "Best friend working in the study next door, and me and her boyfriend one wall away! So exciting!"

The photo was the bedside lamp in my bedroom.

When I scrolled back to a post from two months ago, my fingers froze.

In the picture, the necklace Lily was wearing was the exact style I'd wanted for so long, the one that was always out of stock.

"I just said I liked it, and he gave me the birthday gift that was meant for my best friend. So happy!"

That day had been my birthday.

Lewis had apologized to me, guilt all over his face, saying he'd been too busy at work and forgotten to get me anything.

I hadn't been angry. I'd even told him kindly not to worry about it.

So it turned out that from that day on, the two of them had already been carrying on behind my back.

Lewis didn't get back to the room until the next morning.

He was still in the clothes from the night before, carrying a grease-stained paper bag.

"Work called me in last night. I went out of my way to swing by the South Side to get you a breakfast sandwich."

Looking at the stone-cold breakfast, I gave a bitter little laugh.

The one who loved breakfast sandwiches was Lily.

I didn't call out his lie. I just had the aide bring me a bowl of oatmeal.

Three days later, I was discharged and went home to recover.

Just as I was about to punch in the code, the door opened from the inside.

Lily and I came face to face.

I stared at her, unable to believe it.

"Why are you still in my house?"

4: 4

4

Behind me, Lewis stepped in fast to smooth things over.

"You're still weak right now. Lily's just being kind, staying to look after you."

I let out a cold laugh. "No need. I'll hire someone myself. You two can leave."

Lewis frowned.

"Thelma, we're getting married soon. What are you throwing a fit about now?"

He was so sure of it—seven years together, and I couldn't live without him.

What he didn't know was that the moment I caught him cheating, whatever we had was over for good.

I was about to throw them both out when my phone rang.

It was a colleague from the office.

"Ms. Sullivan, we're really going to miss you, but marriage is a big deal. Everyone's so happy for you!"

I had no idea what she meant. Only after pressing did it come out.

Lewis had gone behind my back and filed my resignation, saying I was getting married and needed to focus on the home!

I rounded on him, furious, but he brushed it off like it was nothing.

"We're both busy with work. After the wedding, one of us has to give up their career for the family."

"You need to rest anyway. Once we're married, just settle into being a full-time housewife."

He loosened his tie and walked straight into the bedroom to change.

"I've got an important project signing this afternoon. You stay home and rest. I'll take Lily with me."

I was shaking with anger.

Lily leaned close to my ear, her voice tinged with smugness.

"You always used to say we were the best of friends, that you'd share anything good with me…"

"I don't mind sharing one man with you, so why get so upset?"

She patted my shoulder and put on that fake, sweet tone.

"Sweet Thelma, don't worry. I'll keep an eye on Lewis for you, make sure no other woman gets near him."

After the two of them walked out arm in arm, I smashed everything in the apartment to pieces.

You want me to play some cozy two-wives-one-husband game with you?

Dream on.

Lewis. Lily.

What you owe me, you're going to pay back—every bit of it.

Cutting your losses in time is the smartest thing an adult can do.

I sorted through the screenshots and videos on my phone.

Then I made a call.