The Marriage I Outgrew

Absurd

“How is your body?”

George asked softly. The woman who had spent nearly a week lying in his bed gave a faint smile. She was now busy in front of the stove, while he sat watching her figure from behind.

“I’m better now. Thank you for taking care of me.”

This time, her smile curved like a crescent moon. The way she spoke was gentle and sweet. George found himself unable to ignore her. A sense of sympathy and the urge to protect her kept surfacing without him even realizing it.

“You got hurt because of me.”

“It’s alright, I’ve recovered. In fact, I’m very grateful for your kindness in letting me stay in this house—ah… it needs more salt.”

Every now and then, she turned to respond to George, while her hands remained busy flipping the pan. George smiled at her behavior. It felt as though a fresh breeze had settled in his heart. He watched her for a long time, until she began arranging the food on the table. She seemed to struggle a little, her leg still in recovery. Then, without warning, she lost her balance. Several plates slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor. Her body fell along with the broken glass. Her calf was cut, blood seeping from the wound. George jolted in shock, his eyes widening.

“Be careful. I told you to stay still, didn’t I? Don’t push yourself!”

His voice rose slightly this time. Worry dominated his tone, but because he was used to sounding indifferent, it came out as if he were scolding her.

“Ah… s-sorry.”

George was startled to see her struggling, tears welling in her eyes. Guilt spread through him, leaving him at a loss.

“Milani…”

The anger that flared within him was not directed at her, but at himself for making the woman before him cry. Without thinking, his arms pulled her small body into an embrace, holding her close in warmth, offering an unspoken apology through his actions. Even George didn’t understand where such an impulse came from. It was the first time he had shared such intimate physical contact with a woman. His heart pounded rapidly.

“Hic… I broke your things.”

“No, that’s not it, Milani. Look at your leg, it’s injured. From now on, don’t do anything, okay?”

George gently pulled back, looking at the owner of that beautiful face, then wiped away her tears. Milani nodded before burying herself against him once more. Truthfully, that embrace made George forget everything, including the fact that he was already married. He forgot about his wife. No. Ever since he let Milani stay in his house, he had not thought about Aghta at all. Somehow, even though he had always been able to be honest with Aghta about anything without fear, Milani’s presence was something he kept hidden tightly. The urge to conceal her existence in his home had never been planned. Yet he was unwilling to admit it.

“I’m sorry, Milani. I didn’t mean to raise my voice. I was just worried.” This time, George stroked her long hair, caressing it slowly, letting Milani sink into the comfort.

“You don’t need to feel guilty at all. I feel like my life has been saved because of you. Thank you.”

Once again, the words that left Milani’s lips seemed to carry a kind of magic. George’s heart always raced at everything about her, ever since the moment they first met. The desire to keep her to himself began to grow. His sympathy and protectiveness slowly shifted toward something they were never meant to become.

***

After lunch, I crossed paths with Ustin. The bespectacled man gave me a slight nod, a gesture of distant respect. What struck me as odd was that I hadn’t seen George at the office all day. Usually, Ustin was always by his side but this time, it was only Ustin. Wasn’t that a little strange? Noticing the faint disturbance in my expression, he stopped walking after we had passed each other.

“Good afternoon, Miss Lera.”

Oh… so it was nothing more than polite formality. I suppressed my curiosity. Just as before, I had no right to interfere in George’s personal matters. So I offered him a faint smile and continued on my way. He gave no further response, yet I could feel the edge of his gaze lingering on me, as if he were quietly devouring my presence, assessing me. Then a subtle smirk touched the corner of his lips. It was unsettling, but I chose to ignore it. Other people’s judgments had never mattered to me. I had always drawn attention wherever I went. And Ustin’s attention meant nothing at all.

When I arrived at my office, I immediately immersed myself in the reports submitted by the employees. Marketing strategies, product quality, consumer responses, and sales reports that had risen quite significantly. A smile curved on my lips at the results. Then a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in.” I quickly smoothed my expression into neutrality, erasing the smile that had just been there.

“My apologies for disturbing you, Ma’am. This is regarding your new assistant candidate. I’ve brought him.”

Zora handed me a folder containing detailed information about the candidate. As before, with the workload steadily increasing, I had decided to bring in additional help for the position closest to me. It was a crucial role. One that couldn’t rely solely on Zora, considering her own limits. My schedule, which I had once hoped to keep manageable, had become overwhelmingly full. So I entrusted the selection to Zora, who understood every little detail about me. I believed her choice would closely match my needs.

“Is he here already?” I looked at Zora, who stood straight before me. She smiled, perhaps surprised by my quick response without the usual careful consideration.

“He is right outside the door.”

“Bring him in.”

I skipped reading the document she had given me. I thought seeing the person directly would tell me whether they were suitable to stand beside me or not. Zora nodded and turned to call the new employee in. But like a scene from a film, I hadn’t expected it at all. Standing before me was a man with an arrogant smile. His hair was neatly combed, yet I still remembered those dark eyes that once looked at me with a teasing glint. Only one person had ever dared to look at me like that and honestly, it wasn’t a pleasant memory. Zora stood with her back to me, positioned at the edge of my desk, so her presence didn’t block my view.

“Ah, it’s a pleasure to meet you again, Ma’am.” He deliberately emphasized the word again, making Zora instantly shoot me a sharp look. As for me, I remained composed, though inwardly I cursed my own carelessness for summoning him without checking his profile first.

“I’m Ansel Bryer. I believe that name isn’t unfamiliar to you.” Once again, he dragged the memory of that night into this moment. I fixed him with a sharp gaze, while Zora cleared her throat softly, trying to ease the tension filling the room.

“Is there something I wasn’t informed about beforehand, Ma’am?” Her tone was neutral, but knowing Zora as I did, she was clearly demanding the story behind this. I exhaled slowly. The situation was almost laughable, yet I couldn’t bring myself to laugh. It was absurd.

“Very well, Sir Ansel. Welcome to our company. We’re glad to have you.” My words were a clear signal. I wanted Ansel out of my sight as quickly as possible. Zora nodded and gestured for him to leave the room.

“Thank you, Ma’am. I hope you haven’t forgotten about paying me for that time.”

I was stunned. The audacity of that man was almost admirable. Zora nearly jumped, clearly desperate to hear every detail from me right then and there. But she restrained herself and slowly guided Ansel out of my office.

Good heavens… today was truly exhausting.