HIS SILENT OBSESSION

SHE SHOWED UP

The days that followed were a slow, agonizing disintegration of the life Rose had known. Kelvin was a ghost in his own home; he would slide through the door at three or four in the morning, smelling of cheap perfume he tried to mask with cologne, offering hollow excuses about "crunch time" at the office.

Rose didn't argue anymore. She didn't scream. She had seen the photos Mira sent, and she had seen the way his eyes darted away whenever she looked at him. She was already mourning the death of her relationship; she was just waiting for the body to be buried.

Then came the afternoon that changed everything.

​Rose was in the small home-office she used for her tailoring work, pinning fabric for a client’s dress, when the doorbell rang. She wasn't expecting anyone. She smoothed her hair, checked her reflection—still pale, still hollow—and walked to the door.

She opened it, expecting a delivery. Instead, she found a woman standing on her threshold. The woman was beautiful in a sharp, predatory way, dressed in clothes that cost more than Rose’s entire sewing machine setup.

"Becky didn't wait for an invitation. Her eyes scanned the apartment with a mix of amusement and disdain, finally landing on Rose with a smug, triumphant smirk.

"You must be Rose," Becky said, stepping into the hallway without waiting.

"I’ve heard so much about you. Kelvin talks about you all the time."

Rose felt her heart drop, but her spine stiffened. She didn't retreat."And you are?"she asked

Becky ​"Becky,"she replied, picking up a framed photo of Rose and Kelvin from the side table and examining it as if it were a piece of trash.

"I’m an old friend. Actually, more than that. I think we’ve reached a point where we should be honest with each other, don't you?"

Rose’s hand trembled, but she kept her voice level.

"I don't think there's anything for us to discuss."

​"Oh, but there is," Becky laughed, a low, melodic sound that felt like a slap. She walked into the living room, trailing her fingers over the back of the sofa.

"I think you’re holding onto something that doesn't belong to you anymore. Kelvin isn't happy here, Rose. He hasn't been happy for a long time. He told me everything. The boredom, the pressure, the... constancy of you."

Rose felt the blood drain from her face, but she felt a strange, cold clarity washing over her. The betrayal wasn't just a physical act anymore; it was an invasion.

"If he's so unhappy,"Rose said, her voice finally finding its steel,

"Then why is he still coming back here at night? Why is he lying to my face?"

Becky turned, her smile fading into something darker, something cruel. She took a step closer, invading Rose’s personal space.

"Because he’s a coward. But he’s mine, Rose. He has been mine for a long time. And I think it’s time you realized that you’re just the version of his life he was trying to grow out of." She said.

​Just as Rose opened her mouth to order her out, the apartment door clicked open again.

​Kelvin walked in, his suit jacket slung over his shoulder. He stopped dead in his tracks the moment he saw them. His face turned the colour of ash.

"Becky?" he stammered, his eyes darting between the two women.

"What... what are you doing here?"

"I was just introducing myself, darling,

"Becky said, her voice dripping with possessive sweetness as she walked over to him and ran a hand down his arm.

Rose stood in the centre of the room, looking at the two of them. She didn't feel the urge to cry. She felt an overwhelming sense of disgust.

he herd Becky’s wrist and left with her.