Chapter 2
983 Words
The sound of shattering glass echoed through the silent living room.
My breathing turned uneven as I stared at the message on my phone screen.
LONG TIME, TROUBLE.
"No, no, no..." I whispered to myself.
My fingers tightened around the phone so hard they began to ache.
There was only one person who used to call me that.
And after all these years, I had prayed never to hear that name again.
Suddenly, the air around me felt too heavy to breathe.
My heart pounded violently against my chest as memories I had spent years burying clawed their way back into my mind.
The loud music.
Dim lights
His voice laughing against my ear.
"Relax sexy trouble. You think too much."
I immediately felt sick.
My eyes darted toward the bedroom hallway where Damian still slept peacefully, completely unaware that my greatest fear had just knocked on our front door.
I summoned the courage to finally respond to the text just to be sure of my fears
"Who is this?"
He replied almost immediately,
"You really forgot me that fast?"
My whole body and mind froze, I couldn't type another message. Then another message popped up.
"Tell Damian I said hello."
This was where my heart completely went on save me mode...the Idea that he already knew my husbands name broke the deepest part of my heart into pieces.
"Baby? What's going on?"
Damian suddenly walked in on me and I jumped. I quickly locked my phone screen.
"Nothing."
"Nothing baby, you startled me."
I let out a nervous laugh...my heart was kicking against my ribs.
Damian frowned slightly and walked closer to me.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked again, placing a hand gently against my forehead. “You’ve been acting strange lately. What is going on baby, talk to me.”
I forced another smile, praying he wouldn’t notice how badly my hands were trembling.
“I’m fine, babe. I just couldn’t sleep properly...and I needed some water.”
His expression softened instantly.
“Those nightmares again?”
I nodded slowly.
Damian sighed and pulled me into his chest without another question. And somehow, that made the guilt sitting inside me feel even heavier.
Damian trusted me too much. Too much to deserve lies.
“You worry too much,” he murmured softly into my hair. “Whatever it is, we’ll handle it together, okay?”
Did he just say together?
If only he knew the kind of storm already standing outside our door.
The rest of the night became impossible after that. Even after Damian returned to sleep, I remained awake beside him, staring at the dark ceiling while my thoughts slowly tore me apart.
How come he knows Damian’s name?
How long had he been watching my life from a distance?
And after all these years...why now?
By morning, my head already felt painfully heavy from lack of sleep.
I stood inside the kitchen absentmindedly stirring coffee while my phone sat face down beside me like some dangerous object waiting to explode.
I hadn't replied to the messages again.
I couldn't.
Every part of me wanted to believe this was some sick prank, but deep down, I already knew better.
"Good morning, mommy!"
Jimi’s cheerful voice pulled me out of my thoughts as he ran into the kitchen.
I quickly forced energy into my tired smile before kneeling to hug him.
“There’s my handsome boy.”
“Daddy said someone important is coming today,” he announced excitedly before stealing a piece of bread from the counter.
My chest ached instantly.
Before I could respond, Damian walked into the kitchen adjusting the sleeves of his shirt.
“Oh right,” he said casually. “Babe, don’t forget my business partner is coming over this evening.”
There it was again. That strange fear curling violently inside me.
I tried to sound normal.
"So... what's his name again?" I asked.
Damian barely looked up as he grabbed his car keys from the counter.
"Hm?"
“Your business partner,” I repeated carefully. “The one coming over tonight.”
“Oh, him...”
His phone suddenly began ringing loudly.
Damian groaned dramatically before answering the call.
“Yeah, I’m already on my way now.”
He mouthed a quick sorry toward me before turning his attention fully back to the call.
And just like that, the question remained unanswered...I just wanted to get a hint of who this friend was, if his name would sound anyway familiar.
The entire day passed with an unbearable tension sitting inside me.
I tried distracting myself with house chores.
Tried helping Jimi with his homework.
Tried convincing myself I was overthinking everything.
But every time my phone vibrated, my heart nearly stopped.
By evening, my anxiety had become almost impossible to hide.
I kept glancing toward the clock every few minutes while pretending to arrange the living room cushions for the third time.
But then I said "f**k it." Why am I letting my dreams ruin my reality, this might just be my mind playing tricks on me.
I took a deep breath and whispered my own name and said. "Jenna, brace up yourself, It's just a business partner, it has nothing to do with your dreams."
I calmed my mind a bit and headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner before my husband arrives.
Then finally...
The sound of a car pulling into the driveway.
“Daddy is backkk!” Jimi shouted excitedly before running toward the door.
The front door opened moments later, followed by Damian’s familiar laugh echoing through the house.
“Babe!” he called out happily. “We’re home!”
I can't deny, my heart skipped a bit.
But I braced up.
I walked straight to the living room with a smile on my face to welcome my husband.
Then Damian appeared, smiling.
And beside him...
- Writer
