His Favorite Mistake

Chapter 7

ESTHER

I woke up with a start.

My eyes burned. My throat felt raw and dry. For a few seconds I didn’t know where I was. Then the weight of last night settled back onto my chest, heavy and familiar, like it had never left.

My phone was still warm from holding it. The house felt too still. I didn’t mean to fall asleep. After he hung up, I had just sat there in the dark with the phone in my hand, crying quietly until my eyes burned and my body gave up. The other woman’s soft laugh kept echoing in my head. That low, satisfied sound so close to him.

I pushed the covers off slowly. My body felt heavy. Every movement took effort. No footsteps. No sound of him moving around.

I walked straight to the front door.

My hand shook slightly as I reached for the handle. I opened it carefully, heart beating hard against my ribs, hoping… just hoping that maybe he had come back while I was asleep. Maybe he had knocked, and I didn’t hear it. Maybe his car was outside.

The driveway was empty.

No car. No sound. Nothing.

I stood there for a long moment, the cool morning air touching my face, staring at the space where his car should have been. Then I closed the door quietly and locked it again.

My bare feet moved slowly across the floor as I walked back inside. Every step felt heavier than the last. I kept seeing the way he had looked at me the night he left. The disgust on his face. The way he wiped his hand across his mouth like touching me had been a mistake. And then that laugh on the phone. Soft. Comfortable.

He had spent the night with her.

I knew it. Deep in my bones, I knew it.

I went into the kitchen and poured a glass of water, my hands unsteady. I didn’t drink it. I just held it and stared at the counter. The same counter I had cleaned yesterday while waiting for him. The same house that felt too big without him in it.

I caught my reflection in the small mirror above the sink and quickly looked away. My eyes were swollen. My hair was a mess. I tried to smooth it down with my fingers. If he came back now, I didn’t want him to see me like this. Even now, I was still trying to look okay for him.

Even after everything, a part of me still wanted him to walk through the door. I hated that part of myself. I still wanted the version of him that used to look at me with warmth. The version that used to call my name softly. But that version felt farther away every day.

I walked back to the bedroom. My phone was still lying on the bed where I had left it. It buzzed just as I picked it up.

Maya’s name flashed across the screen.

For a second I almost didn’t answer. I didn’t want her to hear my voice. I didn’t want her to know how broken I felt. But if I didn’t pick up, she would keep calling, and that would only make her worry more.

I answered.

“Hello?”

“Esther?” Maya’s voice came through warm and familiar. “I’ve been thinking about you since yesterday. How are you? Is everything okay?”

I forced a small smile into my voice even though my eyes were already stinging again.

“I’m fine, Maya. Really. Just woke up a few minutes ago.”

“You sound tired.”

“I went to bed late, that’s all.”

There was a short pause on her end.

“Did Frederick come home last night?”

My throat tightened. I swallowed hard and kept my tone light.

“Yes. Everything is fine. Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know… You just sound different. Quieter than usual. I’ve been worried about you.”

I walked slowly to the window and looked outside again, even though I already knew the driveway was empty.

“I’m okay, Maya. Truly. You worry too much.”

“I can’t help it. You’re my sister. You know I always notice when something feels off with you.”

I stayed quiet for a moment, trying to keep my voice steady.

“Nothing is wrong. I’m fine.”

Maya let out a soft breath.

“Alright… if you say so.” She paused, then her tone lightened a little. “Anyway, I ran into Jessica last weekend.”

“Jessica?”

“Yes. Your old friend. I saw her at a café with her husband. They looked really good together. She asked about you. She said she lost your contact a while ago and hasn’t been able to reach you.”

I felt a small, genuine smile touch my lips for the first time that morning.

“Oh… I haven’t heard from her either for a long time. I’m glad she’s doing well.”

“She has a little boy now. Almost two. She showed me pictures.”

I closed my eyes for a second. The words landed gently, but they still found the soft place inside me that still hurt.

“I’m really happy for her, Maya. Tell her I said congratulations when you see her again. She deserves that kind of joy.”

Maya was quiet for a moment.

“Esther… are you sure everything is alright with you and Frederick? You can tell me, you know. You don’t have to carry everything alone.”

I leaned my forehead lightly against the cool window glass.

“Nothing is wrong,” I said, keeping my voice steady. “I’m happy. Everything is fine between us. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Alright,” she said finally, though she didn’t sound fully convinced. “Just… take care of yourself, okay? And call me if you need anything. Anything at all.”

“I will. I promise.”

“I love you, Esther.”

“I love you too.”

I stayed on the line, listening to the soft sound of her breathing, trying to hold myself together. Outside, the morning was bright and ordinary. Inside, everything still felt heavy.

Then someone knocked on the front door.

Three firm knocks.

I froze.

My heart jumped hard against my ribs.

“Hold on, Maya. I’m coming,” I said quickly. “Someone is at the door. Let me call you back later, okay?”

“Okay. Talk to you later.”

I ended the call.

I walked toward the door, phone still in my hand. My steps were slow. Careful. The same way I always moved when I wasn’t sure what was waiting on the ot

her side.

I reached out and placed my hand on the door handle.

My fingers tightened around it.

I began to press it down.