Shadows at the Office
I became a detective—or a self-flagellating madwoman. Started tracking their schedules. Meetings were easy to check. Once, Ethan claimed a two-day supplier trip to a nearby city. I checked the company's latest notice: Sophia was scheduled to speak at an industry forum there that same day. Too coincidental? Or had their "joint trips" been routine all along? My chest constricted. I searched the forum online—agenda, speakers...
Fingers shook scrolling the mouse wheel. Sophia's name stood bold in the speaker list, photo radiant beside hers: Co-founder and CMO of NestIQ. A voice screamed in my head: Enough, Lily! Stop looking! But my hand disobeyed. I clicked the live photo link. Loading circles spun. A stage shot appeared. Sophia stood spotlighted, poised and elegant. Front-row audience—camera panning—a familiar profile. Ethan. Head tilted up, watching her. That gaze... focused, admiring, almost... proud? Entirely unlike his indifferent "nice" when I wore a new dress. Stomach churning violently, I rushed to the bathroom, gagging over the toilet.
Emma's Question
"Mommy, where's Daddy?" Emma asked without looking up from drawing on her bedroom rug. She'd been asking more often. "Daddy's busy with work," I knelt, gathering scattered crayons. A green one snapped. "Is he living at Aunt Sophia's?" Emma suddenly lifted her head, clear eyes meeting mine.
"Aunt Sophia told me that when she picked me up from daycare." Thud—a hammer blow to my temple. Darkness swam. "Wh-when?" My voice floated unnaturally. "That rainy day," she poked a large blue raindrop on her paper. "All the kids were gone! Aunt Sophia said Daddy was meeting at her house, so she came to get me!" Rainy day? I strained to recall. Was it when Ethan claimed an emergency supplier issue and returned drenched at eleven? On the paper, the blue raindrop bled menacingly.
NEXT >>
I became a detective—or a self-flagellating madwoman. Started tracking their schedules. Meetings were easy to check. Once, Ethan claimed a two-day supplier trip to a nearby city. I checked the company's latest notice: Sophia was scheduled to speak at an industry forum there that same day. Too coincidental? Or had their "joint trips" been routine all along? My chest constricted. I searched the forum online—agenda, speakers...
Fingers shook scrolling the mouse wheel. Sophia's name stood bold in the speaker list, photo radiant beside hers: Co-founder and CMO of NestIQ. A voice screamed in my head: Enough, Lily! Stop looking! But my hand disobeyed. I clicked the live photo link. Loading circles spun. A stage shot appeared. Sophia stood spotlighted, poised and elegant. Front-row audience—camera panning—a familiar profile. Ethan. Head tilted up, watching her. That gaze... focused, admiring, almost... proud? Entirely unlike his indifferent "nice" when I wore a new dress. Stomach churning violently, I rushed to the bathroom, gagging over the toilet.
Emma's Question
"Mommy, where's Daddy?" Emma asked without looking up from drawing on her bedroom rug. She'd been asking more often. "Daddy's busy with work," I knelt, gathering scattered crayons. A green one snapped. "Is he living at Aunt Sophia's?" Emma suddenly lifted her head, clear eyes meeting mine.
"Aunt Sophia told me that when she picked me up from daycare." Thud—a hammer blow to my temple. Darkness swam. "Wh-when?" My voice floated unnaturally. "That rainy day," she poked a large blue raindrop on her paper. "All the kids were gone! Aunt Sophia said Daddy was meeting at her house, so she came to get me!" Rainy day? I strained to recall. Was it when Ethan claimed an emergency supplier issue and returned drenched at eleven? On the paper, the blue raindrop bled menacingly.
NEXT >>
Comments