3: 3
Isabel and Arthur lost their color at the same instant.
Then Isabel snatched the photo out of my hand and slapped it down on the coffee table.
"Since when did you get so impossible? If you don't want it, don't look at it!"
"Arthur was only trying to cheer you up. Is that a crime now?"
I wanted to argue. My mouth opened, but I couldn't put a single sentence together.
All through my life, whenever I was wronged or picked on, it was Arthur who stood up for me.
Later, once I started dating, Isabel took over the place Craig had held.
Countless times I'd thanked the heavens for how lucky I was, to have both of them at once.
And it was these two people, of all people, who could betray me at the same time.
Arthur came over and stepped in front of me,
his other hand steadying Isabel's arm.
"All right, all right, why are you being so fierce?"
"Go easy. It's bad for my little godson in there!"
Isabel let out a sigh, taking the cue,
"My tone was out of line."
"But Ulysses, you shouldn't throw Arthur's good intentions and mine back at us like this."
"The mole was probably just the AI glitching, a coding error."
My stomach, uneasy all along, turned over again, and I shook off Craig's hand and rushed to the bathroom to throw up.
When I finished I was nearly wrung out.
Arthur went pattering off to pour water and came back with quick little steps to hand it to me.
I rinsed, spat it out, and lifted my eyes.
His handsome face was drawn tight, and the ache flickering in his eyes didn't look faked.
Seeing me steady again, he let out a breath and helped me over to sit on the couch.
Half joking, he said,
"How is it Isabel's the pregnant one but you're the one throwing up? Hardly seems worth it."
"Yeah. It's not worth it."
I leaned back on the couch, turned my face toward him, and spoke in earnest.
"All through my life, you were always the best to me."
"Whatever you want, just tell me. I'm slow, but I'll give it to you even if it kills me."
Arthur looked away, flustered.
"Ugh, why are you suddenly getting so sappy on me!"
Isabel raised both hands in surrender.
"Okay, okay, Ulysses's stomach's off and I'm pregnant."
"So today we'll just sample Arthur's cooking, then."
Arthur jumped right in, and the two of them played off each other all the way into the kitchen,
the mood so cozy there was no room for an outsider to break in.
After dinner, we each went back to our rooms.
Arthur used to say the two of us were the closest, so I had to keep a room for him in my wedding home too.
Back then I'd nodded hard and pleaded carefully for a long time before Isabel finally agreed to leave him the second bedroom, the one with the best light.
Now it turned out I'd never needed to grovel for it at all.
Isabel went to shower in the master bathroom.
Listening to the water running, I walked over to the clothes she'd changed out of.
Her underwear carried the heavy scent of men's cologne,
and I never wear cologne.
I pushed the clothes aside, picked up her phone. The lock screen was the photo we took the day we got our marriage license.
I thought for a moment, keyed in Arthur's birthday as the password, and it unlocked.
【Arthur: Let's set the wedding for that lucky date Ulysses picked. Also, I want to see the new lingerie you bought.】
【Isabel: Sure, I'll show you tonight.】
My vision went blurry again, and I quickly dug my nails into my palm to steady myself.
Ulysses Simmons, this time you have to stand up for yourself.
I scanned the login code into the messaging app on the tablet, then put her phone back.
Isabel came out of the shower, and I crouched down carefully and rubbed stretch-mark oil and moisturizer onto her belly.
"Babe, Larry asked me to cover a shift. I'm heading out now."
My nails bit into my palm. "Is it really just covering a shift? Can't you skip it?"
Isabel ruffled my hair.
"Don't think carrying your kid means you get to control me. I've got real work to do. Quit throwing a fit."
She gave my forehead a perfunctory kiss and left without looking back.
A few minutes later, Arthur pushed the door open without a care in the world.
"Ulysses, big brother's got plans tonight. I'll come find you tomorrow."
My heart was already bleeding, but my hands didn't stop as I messaged the lawyer.
"I want to file for divorce. What do I need to prepare?"
……
