I watched Klarisse bustling about, pouring water, mixing things, peeling fruit, and suddenly, I found it all laughably absurd.
So Klarisse had known all along, and she was even helping to cover it up.
In the past, whenever she came over, it was me running around serving her. The moment something displeased her, she would scold me without mercy.
“Does Lennon know about this?” My voice was steady, cold enough to cut.
Without even raising her head, she replied, “Of course, he knows. Otherwise, how could I just bring someone here so casually?”
“Why are you still standing there? Move your things to the guest room. Tiffany should stay in the master bedroom; pregnant women need comfort.”
As if using my car and my husband wasn’t enough, now she wanted to use my house too.
I had already made up my mind about Lennon. Without another word, I seized their bags and flung them out the door.
“Get out.” My voice shook with fury. “Get out now.”
Klarisse screeched, “Have you lost your mind? She’s pregnant! You can’t give birth, so you’re jealous the moment you see a pregnant woman, is that it?”
Terrified, Tiffany shielded her belly with trembling hands. I pushed them out and slammed the door behind them.
Less than twenty minutes later, the lock clicked.
Lennon burst in, panting, his tie askew. He had left work early again, for her.
“Wife, I’m sorry. I should have explained earlier. Mom means well. Tiffany is pregnant, a stranger here, unfamiliar with everything. We can’t treat her coldly; we have to show at least basic kindness.”
He reached out, trying to take my hand, his tone still as gentle as ever, yet I could hear the reproach beneath it. He was blaming me for being petty, for casting out a pregnant woman.
I stepped back, my voice trembling but clear. “Lennon, that call last night wasn’t from the company, was it? The child in Tiffany’s belly is yours, isn’t it?”
Lennon’s expression froze instantly. He parted his lips as if to explain, but at that moment his phone rang.
Klarisse’s shrill voice burst through the receiver. “That jealous shrew of yours threw us out! Tiffany was frightened, Now her belly hurts, we’re on the way to the hospital!”
Lennon was silent for a few seconds. Then, without a word of defense, he turned and poured me a glass of water, pressing it gently into my hand.
“Wife, calm down first. When I come back, I’ll explain everything properly.”
I lifted the glass and drained it in one gulp, thinking this would be the last thread binding us together.
But the moment I set it down, a violent dizziness crashed over me. My body swayed, and Lennon’s face twisted, blurring before my eyes.
What was he trying to do?
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself tied up on the balcony. Outside, heavy rain poured down in sheets.
Just then, the sound of the lock turning echoed again. Klarisse and Lennon entered, supporting Tiffany.
She clutched her belly, her face pale, looking as if terror had hollowed her out.
Lennon carefully settled her down, speaking softly as though he were comforting some fragile treasure.
After soothing Tiffany, he finally walked toward the balcony.
“Wife, you’re awake. Have you calmed down yet?”
His tone remained gentle, as if I were merely being childish, not bound here like this.
“Wife, don’t blame me. This is what you owe Tiffany.”
He sighed, reaching out to wipe the rain from my face.
“You shouldn’t have thrown her out. The wind outside was fierce. She’s pregnant. What if something had happened?”
I stared at him, my throat parched, unable to force out a single word.
“Don’t worry, Tiffany won’t replace you.”
His voice was relaxed, almost dismissive, as if this was nothing at all.
“You don’t want children, do you? Then this works out. When her child is born, we’ll raise it as ours. To the world, it will be yours. My mother won’t pressure you anymore, and you can focus on your work. Isn’t that the best of both worlds?”
“So don’t be angry anymore, alright? Let’s go back to how we were.”
He said it as though his infidelity had been an act of kindness, a way to free me from pressure.
“I love you, truly. I can’t live without you.”
Leaning in, his fingers grazed my cheek. “So don’t fight Tiffany anymore, okay?”
For the first time, the man before me felt utterly foreign, so much so that I found him frightening.
Just then, the ground shook violently, an earthquake.
Lennon froze, his hand halfway to my ropes. But before he could move further, Tiffany’s shrill cry rang from inside the house. “Lennon! I’m so scared! Save me!”
He hesitated for only two seconds before pulling his hand back. His words came rushed, almost breathless.
“Wife, Tiffany is pregnant now. Be considerate. I’ll have Mom untie you.”
Without another glance, he turned and ran inside, scooping Tiffany into his arms without a moment’s pause.
Klarisse followed close behind. As she passed the balcony, her cold eyes swept over me, but she never stopped.
They left me there, abandoned.
The tremors grew stronger. Cracks split across the walls, dust rained from the ceiling, and the building groaned as if ready to crumble.
I fought against the ropes with all the strength I had, but they wouldn’t yield.
And just before everything came crashing down, I heard Lennon’s voice echoing in the distance, his voice calling Tiffany’s name with trembling worry, without the slightest mention of me.
Boom.
The building collapsed.
And my heart collapsed with it.
