Episode2
1229 Words
"Who is she?"
I could not help but say those words out loud.
It was raining heavily outside, pounding my huge windows.
Damian was standing in the doorway, covered in raindrops in his black coat.
For a few seconds, he did not move, did not say a word.
Then his gaze shifted to the dining table behind me.
To the burnt-out candles.
To the untouched dinner.
To the two empty chairs.
Some kind of emotion flashed in his eyes.
Just for a brief second.
"Her car broke down," he explained. "That's why I brought her home with me."
Celeste smiled politely next to him.
"Sorry for the late visit." She said
Late visit??
As if she just dropped by in my marriage and brought memories that I would never be able to compete with.
"That's alright."
My voice sounded unnaturally calm, even to me.
Celeste stepped forward, holding her hand out for me to shake.
"It's been a while, Aria."
I stared at it for a while.
Then shook her hand.
Her hand was warm.
Mine seemed cold to touch.
"You know each other?" Damian asked.
Celeste laughed gently.
"Our families used to attend the same charity events long ago."
Of course.
People like Damian and Celeste came from the same environment.
Old money.
Expensive private schools.
Summer holidays in fancy places that I knew only from magazines.
While I used to grow up helping my father pay the debts to the creditors at the kitchen table.
Two worlds apart, connected by a temporary bridge.
The temporary bridge was me.
Maria appeared from the hallway.
"Mr. Crowe, should I make the guest room ready?"
Guest room??
The words stung.
Damian loosened his tie.
"Yes," he answered.
"I will just call a taxi," Celeste said at once.
"The rain is pouring heavily."
"No, I don't want to bother anyone."
"It doesn't bother us." The answer was too quick and too natural from Damian.
I turned away.
Because suddenly I felt like a guest in my house.
Maria quickly left.
Finally, Damian took a look at the dining table.
"You've been waiting?"
I almost laughed.
But I simply crossed my arms.
"It was our anniversary."
Silence.
For the first time since he entered the house, Damian was really surprised.
His gaze flickered.
Back to me.
"I have forgotten." he said.
Three words.
Simple and true, but sharp as a knife.
Celeste looked at us.
"Oh."
Weirdly quiet.
Damian rubbed his forehead.
“The office meeting turned out to be longer than expected.”
I nodded.
Was there anything else to say?
Should I have said Well done for not forgetting about your wife?
Or for returning home before midnight, perhaps? I thought to myself
"I'm tired," I mumbled.
And then I went upstairs.
No one tried to stop me.
As if I was expecting someone to do it. I chuckled softly as I left them.
I closed the bedroom door behind me quietly.
And rested against it.
Inhaling deeply.
Then, looking around the room.
Our room.
Gigantic bed.
Two nightstands.
Two wardrobes.
Two reading lamps.
Indication that two people lived here.
However...
Damian seemed to be everywhere.
His watch lay on the nightstand.
His books occupied the shelf.
His suits took space in the bigger wardrobe.
His laptop was on the table by the window.
While mine was squeezed into the corners, small and temporary places.
Almost like a guest who overstayed his welcome.
Going towards the dresser, I picked up our wedding photograph.
Again.
It really was time to stop doing it.
The woman from the photo seemed certain.
Hopeful.
She just had no idea what was waiting for her.
A light knock brought me out of thoughts.
"Mrs. Crowe?"
It was Maria.
And she carried a dinner tray.
"You haven't eaten."
"I'm not hungry."
"Even broken hearts need food."
I raised my eyes sharply.
Maria gave me a sad smile, then put the tray on the table by the window.
"Sleep well."
Maria said and left the room.
I stared at the bowl of soup for a while.
And then sat down.
The first bite tasted cold.
Not because of its temperature.
But because it was hard for me to taste.
My phone buzzed.
Lily, my friend
And I answered immediately.
"How terrible was it?" she asked.
I chuckled softly.
"Am I that easy to read?"
"We've known each other for fifteen years," she said.
I leaned back into the chair.
"He forgot."
Pause.
"The anniversary?"
"Yes."
"Oh, Aria."
The sympathy in her voice almost broke me.
Staring outside the window, I watched the raindrops falling down there.
"He brought her home."
For a second, Lily kept silent.
"Who?"
"Celeste."
"What?” she said with a loud voice.
"Yeah."
"Are you alright?" She asked calmly.
I looked toward the door.
To the hallway beyond it.
To the guest room downstairs somewhere.
"No," I whispered.
For the first time, I opened up.
I ended the call immediately and lay quietly in bed.
Sleep would not come.
By midnight, I finally gave up.
The mansion was quiet.
Far too quiet.
I slipped out of bed and headed downstairs.
The floors were cold under my bare feet.
Lights flicked on automatically as I wandered the halls.
Beautiful technology, beautiful loneliness, twelve bedrooms,
Three sitting rooms.
Indoor swimming pool.
Wine cellar.
Personal movie theater.
More rooms than memories.
I paused outside the family room.
Unwatched television.
Untouched piano.
Shelved books nobody reads.
A house built for a family who did not exist.
I headed towards the kitchen.
Dishes from dinner had been put away already.
No trace remained.
No sign of tonight had ever occurred.
No trace of me sitting in the dark watching candle wax drip for hours.
The fridge opened.
Maria had neatly packed the leftover meal.
Food enough for three.
I closed the kitchen door.
The sound reverberated off the walls.
Someplace above, another door creaked open.
Footsteps followed.
I looked up.
There was Damian standing at the end of the hall.
Our gazes met.
Neither of us said anything.
After some time, he came towards me.
"You're awake."
"So are you."
Silence.
He looked at me and said
"You should go to sleep."
"I could tell you the same thing," I answered.
He nodded.
"I'm sorry."
Those words surprised me.
Because Damien Crowe never apologized.
I studied him.
He looked tired.
As if there were lines etched around his eyes.
They were dark and prominent under the lights.
For a moment, I wanted to believe him. Really did.
But then, I heard a soft voice calling from upstairs.
"Damian?"
Everything froze.
Celeste was standing near the stairs dressed in one of his extra shirts.
His shirt??
Her hair was a little disheveled.
She looked relieved when she saw him.
"There you are."
He turned towards the sound of her voice.
"I heard voices," she said.
Her gaze fell upon me.
For an awkward moment, all three of us stood motionless.
But I noticed something.
Something very small.
Something that twisted my insides in painful knots.
Because Celeste looked at Damian like she belonged here.
And when Damian glanced at her...
He did not seem to be surprised to see her in his shirt.
My fingers clenching into fists at my sides.
Because suddenly, a question began to repeat in my head.
How many times has she visited here before??
- Writer
