His ex wife

Chapter two

ELENA

Mira’s apartment smelled like cinnamon and vanilla, warm and comforting in a way Elena’s house hadn’t felt in months. Her sister opened the door in pajamas, took one look at Elena’s face, and pulled her inside without a word.

“Sit,” Mira ordered, guiding her to the couch. “I’m making tea.”

Elena sank into the cushions and stared at nothing. Her phone kept buzzing in her purse. She didn’t look at it.

Mira returned with two mugs and sat down close, their knees touching. “Talk to me.”

So Elena did. She told her everything. The birthday dinner that never happened. The photos. The video. Julian’s words about playing house. The pregnancy test she’d left on his plate like a accusation.

When she finished, Mira was quiet for a long moment.

“You’re pregnant,” she finally said.

“Five weeks.”

“And he doesn’t know.”

“Not yet.” Elena wrapped her hands around the warm mug. “He’ll see the test when he gets home. Whenever that is.”

“What are you going to do?”

The question hung in the air. Elena didn’t have an answer. She’d spent the drive over here with her mind completely blank, running on autopilot, just trying to get somewhere safe.

“I don’t know,” she whispered. “I don’t know anything anymore.”

Her phone buzzed again. Then again. Then started ringing.

Mira leaned over and pulled it out of Elena’s purse. “Julian’s calling. Fifth time.”

“Don’t answer it.”

“Elena…”

“Please. I can’t talk to him right now.”

Mira silenced the phone and set it on the coffee table. It lit up almost immediately with a text. Then another. Then three more in rapid succession.

“He’s losing his mind,” Mira observed.

“Good.”

They sat in silence, drinking tea. The clock on the wall ticked past midnight. Past one. Elena felt hollowed out, like someone had scooped everything important out of her chest and left behind just skin and bones and exhaustion.

“Stay here tonight,” Mira said finally. “We’ll figure everything out in the morning.”

But Elena couldn’t sleep. She lay in Mira’s guest bed, staring at the ceiling, one hand on her stomach. The baby didn’t feel real yet. It was too early for movement, too early for her body to change in obvious ways. But it was there. A tiny life, depending on her to make the right choices.

What were the right choices?

Stay with Julian for the baby’s sake? Try to fix a marriage that might already be broken beyond repair?

Or leave? Start over as a single mother?

She’d given up so much to marry him. Her job at the marketing firm where she’d been climbing the ladder. Her friends who lived too far away now. Her own dreams of starting a business someday. Julian had convinced her they didn’t need two incomes, that she should focus on making their house a home. That her job was stressful and she’d be happier without it.

She’d believed him. She’d thought she was making the right choice for their future together.

‘Playing house.’

The words kept echoing in her head.

Around three in the morning, Elena gave up on sleep and crept out to the living room. Her phone sat on the coffee table where Mira had left it. Twenty-three missed calls. Thirty-seven text messages. Taking a deep breath. She picked it up.

Most of the texts were from Julian, growing increasingly frantic.

Where are you?

Elena, answer your phone.

We need to talk about this.

I saw the test. Is it real?

ELENA. WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?

This is ridiculous. Come home so we can discuss this like adults.

I’m worried about you. Please just let me know you’re safe.

The last message had come ten minutes ago.

There was also one from an unknown number. Different from the one that had sent the photos earlier.

Hello, Elena. We haven’t met, but I’m Vanessa. Julian told me about the baby. Congratulations. I think we should talk, woman to woman. I know you’re upset, but there are things you need to understand about your husband. About us. Call me when you’re ready.

At the end of the message there was a phone number.

Elena stared at the message. The audacity of it was almost funny. Almost. Vanessa wanted to talk? Woman to woman? To explain about her relationship with Elena’s husband.

“Can’t sleep either?”

Elena jumped. Mira stood in the hallway doorway, wrapped in a robe.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t. I’ve been listening to you toss and turn through the wall.” Mira came over and sat down. She glanced at the phone in Elena’s hand. “Anything interesting?”

“Vanessa wants to talk to me.”

“The other woman?”

Elena nodded.

“That takes some nerve.” Mira’s voice was carefully neutral. “What did she say?”

Elena handed over the phone. Mira read the message, her expression darkening with each word.

“Woman to woman,” she repeated flatly. “She wants to explain about her relationship with your husband. Like you’re old friends catching up over coffee.”

“Maybe I should talk to her.”

“Absolutely not.”

“I need to know what’s going on, Mira. I need to understand what I’m dealing with here.”

“You already know what you’re dealing with, a cheating husband and a woman who doesn’t respect boundaries.” Mira handed the phone back. “Talking to her won’t change that.”

“But what if there’s more to it? What if I’m missing something?”

“Like what? What could she possibly say that would make this okay?”

Elena didn’t answer. Because Mira was right. There was nothing Vanessa could say that would excuse Julian missing his own birthday dinner to be with her. Nothing that would explain away those photos, that video, those words about playing house.

But Elena still needed to hear it. Needed to look this woman in the eye and understand what she had that Elena didn’t. What was so special about Vanessa that Julian had chosen her over his wife?

“I’m calling her,” Elena said.

“Elena, no.”

But Elena was already dialing the number. It rang twice before a soft voice answered.