Chapter 2: The Other Woman’s Door
898 Words
Maya parked at Lucas’s office building. It was a little past nine in the evening. The glass high-rise was half asleep, its only three floors illuminated.
She frowned. Meeting? Tonight?
She went in with her purse in her hand. The empty lobby had a receptionist typing on a computer. Maya walked over, attempting to sound nonchalant.
"Hi. Mr. Vale in the office?”
The receptionist looked up, surprised to see her. "Oh, Mrs. Vale. Hi. Mr. Vale has left about an hour ago."
Maya blinked. "He… left?" he said in his confused state “He” The woman paused.” He said he had an appointment elsewhere.”
"Yes." The woman paused. "He said he had an appointment elsewhere."
Maya's stomach turned. He mentioned he was still in a meeting. Why would he lie?
She smiled politely. "Okay. Good thank ya."
She spun about and reentered the car. She could even just go home and wait. Otherwise I could run after him.
Her phone was ringing. It was Tessa calling, again.
"Maya? Did you find him?" n you (lm)Vjh Us
"No," Maya whispered. "I can’t. Away’. vs”They said he’d left an hour ago.”
Tessa groaned. “I TOLD YOU, he’s playing games with you. THE PRESIDENT: Don't let him fool you again.” “I TOLD YOU, he’s playing games with you. THE PRESIDENT:
Maya nibbled her lip. "What if it was actually work…"
“At nine o’clock? No way.” Tessa's voice was crisp. ’ Following him. 'You need to know where your husband is.'
Maya clutched the wheel with greater force.”Tessa…”
"Don't struggle with it. Just go. If I were you, I'd already be on his car's tail."
Maya hung up the phone without a word. She loathed this. She despised having to sneak. But there was something in her heart that didn't compel her to return home.
---
About twenty minutes later, Maya spotted Lucas’s car turning down a deserted street lined with high-rise apartment buildings. Heart pounding, she decelerated and came to a halt several blocks away.
She saw him get out of the car. He appeared calm, not jittery as one might be after a "meeting." He wasn't even carrying his laptop briefcase, which is coming across as too much.
And so she stood still.
A slender, tall woman dressed in a silk blouse emerged from the apartment complex to greet him. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail and a smile that made Maya feel nauseous. Evelyn.
Maya’s eyes widened. It couldn't be. Evelyn Scott. This was a long time ago. Evelyn had covered their wedding, both crashing and shooting photos of their dance.
And now here she was, standing in front of Lucas with a smile on her face like she owned the place.
And the rest was even worse. —A little girl, just six or seven years old, ran out of the building, her curly brown hair blowing in the wind like ribbons, two shiny earrings glittering in each ear, two round cheeks flushed with warmth and excitement. She bolted right for Lucas and took his hand as if she had a right to. “Daddy!” the little girl trilled.
Maya drew a breath and it caught in her throat.
---
She couldn’t move for a moment. Her knuckles were white on the steering wheel.
Lucas stooped and picked the girl up as if she weighed nothing, and kissed her cheek. He smiled… looked relaxed. More relaxed than Maya had seen him in months. Evelyn reached out and touched his arm, and they went inside together like a family.
Maya's head was spinning. She thought for a moment she was dreaming. But she knew what she'd seen.
She grabbed her phone and called Tessa for the second time.
"Tessa," she spoke in a whisper, her voice shaking.
"What is it? Did you find him?"
"I… I spotted him."
"And?"
"He was with Evelyn."
There was dead silence on the phone. "Evelyn? As in—wait, the photographer Evelyn?"
"Yes," Maya weakly replied. "And there was a child. A little girl. She called him. " Maya's throat closed up. "She called him Daddy."
Tessa gasped. "No. No, Maya. You must have misheard. Maybe you heard wrong."
"I didn't mishear," Maya snapped, her eyes pricking with tears. "I saw it myself."
Tessa's voice softened. "Oh my God. Maya…"
Maya shut her eyes tightly. "I don't understand. Why didn't he tell me? How long—how long has this been going on?"
Tessa said nothing for quite a while before she whispered, "You need proof. Don't go confront him without proof."
"I don't need proof," Maya snapped. "It was in my face."
---
She hung up before Tessa could say anything.
Maya sat in the car for almost an hour, staring up at the building, waiting for Lucas to come out and be mistaken about something. But when he eventually came out again, Evelyn on his arm, the little girl skipping along beside them,
They looked like a family. A happy family.
Maya set her hand over her mouth, fighting not to cry. She was cold all over.
She couldn't stay. She couldn't let him catch her like this. She started the car and sped off, tears obscuring her vision.
But the words kept echoing in her head, over and over again.
Daddy.
- Writer
