The Other Side Of Us

The Perfect Life Nadia's POV Do you believe that Daddy loves us more than anything, Mommy? Ruby swung her tiny legs at the breakfast table and asked. I grinned at her gentle brown eyes as I looked up from my tea. "Obviously, my love. "Why would you ask that?" With a shrug, she wrapped her little fingers around the spoon in her cereal bowl. "Because he never stops working. Perhaps he enjoys his company more. I grabbed one of her curls and brushed it away. "Daddy works to provide for our comforts. However, he always returns to us. That's love, sweetie." She gave a nod, but I could see that her gaze remained to the vacant doorway. Paul hadn't arrived for breakfast yet, and it was already past eight. I called to my eldest daughter, "Rose, could you see if your dad is still taking a shower?" Rose remained silent. Her phone was in her face. I am already addicted to it at the age of 13. "Rose!" She rolled her eyes and looked up. "Mom, I'm not his assistant." I calmly answered, "Then put the phone down and be his daughter," even though my heart was aching. On Sundays, Poul never skipped breakfast. With a sigh, she got up and went upstairs. I took another look at Ruby, who was now humming and using her finger to draw hearts on the table. I spent some time observing her. She was simply happy. pure. similar to everything in our lives. lovely house. Lovely kids. A husband who cared for all of us. I thought so. Rose returned downstairs with an unreadable face. "He isn't present." "What do you mean?" I asked, slowly getting to my feet. "No one is in his room. The shower is dry. His vehicle is no longer there. I gazed at her. "Gone?" She gave another shrug. "Perhaps he had an early appointment." "However, he remained silent towards me." His phone rang and rang before going to voicemail when I tried to call him. Trying not to feel my chest tighten, I put my phone down. Telling the girls, "It's fine," "Let's just get breakfast done." We ate in silence. Even though my tea was cold, I continued to drink it. An hour later, Paul entered, appearing too joyful for someone who had departed silently. "Daddy!" Ruby sobbed and rushed into his embrace. "Hey, princess," he said with a smile, effortlessly raising her. His gaze briefly shifted to me before settling. "Where were you?" I asked in a steady tone. Before putting Ruby down, he gave her a forehead kiss. "I had to take care of something first. wanted to avoid waking you up." "You tell me all the time." After tensing up for a second, he grinned. "It was not significant." He approached Rose and tangled her hair. "Hey, pumpkin." She pretended to be irritated as she giggled and withdrew. I took a step back when Paul turned to face me and tried to kiss me. He blinked once and then, as if nothing had happened, turned to pour himself a cup of coffee. However, something had occurred. We ate dinner by the garden pool that evening. Paul prepared his own grilled fish. The girls danced to the soothing music coming from the patio speaker, laughed, and even tossed bread to the birds. I made an effort to have fun. Yes, I did. Paul said, "To my girls," raised his glass. "The source of light in my life." Ruby's juice rose. Rose joined in, rolling her eyes. I grinned. It had the ideal appearance. It sounded ideal. However, it didn't feel flawless. Later, Paul and I sat on the balcony after the girls had gone to bed. I inquired, "Where did you really go this morning?" He gazed up at the heavens. "I told you—" "No, you didn't." He remained silent too long. When he finally said, "I just… had something to check on," "Is there anything you couldn't tell me?" "I didn't want to cause you any anxiety." "We're married, Poul. We don't conceal anything. He made contact with my hand. "It's not as you believe." "Then describe it to me." With a slow, deep sigh, he let go of his hand. "Not tonight." I felt a burden on my chest as I gazed at him. I had trouble sleeping that night. I watched the moonlight on the garden below from the window. Beside me, Paul was sound asleep and snoring softly. However, my heart wasn't at rest. A change in tone, an unreadable expression in his eyes, and the absence of breakfast had all been minor beginnings. Now, though, it was different. Something dangerous and silent. Something I was unable to identify. A car pulled up the following morning while I was watering the flowers by the gate. A female emerged. youthful. Be calm. holding two young girls' hands. She approached me slowly. "Can I help you?" Wiping my hands on my dress, I asked. She gave a quiet smile. "Yes. This, I think, is Paul Smirth's residence. My heart stopped beating. "Who are you?" Her eyes were kind and fearless as she gazed at me. "My name is Salma. These, too, are Paul's daughters. Water spilled onto the floor as the watering can fell out of my grasp. Her words reverberated in my ears as I stood motionless, my heart racing. "Daughters of Paul?" I blinked as if the sun were playing tricks on me and asked slowly. The young girls tightened their grip on her hands. They had the same height and naive eyes as Ruby, and they appeared to be no older. One wore her hair in a messy ponytail, while the other wore it in two buns. But their faces were what really caught my attention. They resembled him. She said, "My name is Salma," again, softly. "My purpose is not to cause trouble. They needed to meet their father, which is why I came. Unsure whether to laugh, cry, or scream, I took a step back. This isn't possible. The front door opened behind me, and I snapped my head around. Paul was standing there with his phone in his hand, his eyes widening as they met Salma's. He let his phone fall. His voice was dry as he whispered, "Salma?" They gazed at him, the girls. One of them shook her voice and said, "Daddy?" Beside him, Ruby showed up at the door, bewildered. "Who are they, Daddy?" Paul remained silent. I raised my hand to stop him as he took a step forward. Then I posed the one query I never imagined I would ever raise aloud: "Paul, how many kids do you *really* have?" * Secrets surface. Truth comes knocking. Nadia's idyllic life starts to fall apart.