Take a walk
1488 Words
The ride to the house is silent. I sit beside the cab driver, my arms wrapped around the small bundle of documents I managed to carry from the station. My hands are still shaking, even though I keep pressing them into my thighs to make them stop. It’s not fear. Not exactly. It’s something worse—rage that simmers too close to grief.
My body aches all over. My throat is raw from screaming. But I didn’t cry. Not once. Not even when they locked the cell on me like I was some violent stranger who’d trespassed into a life I used to call mine. But somehow, amidst all these thoughts, I couldn't shake off the unease in my spine as to why Damien Hunter had shown up at the station and bailed me out. He had left immediately after making sure the cab driver had took off which felt quite strange.
I lean my head against the window, watching the familiar streets blur past.
My house is just around the corner now. My home. Or at least, it used to be.
When the cab pulls up in front of the gate, I don’t move right away. I sit still for a few seconds, letting the quiet hum of the engine anchor me.
“You okay, ma’am?” the driver asks gently.
I nod stiffly and mutter a thanks, handing him a few notes before stepping out. The air is heavier than usual. Or maybe it’s just me. My bones feel full of cement.
The gate isn’t locked. I push it open. The house looks untouched, like nothing ever happened. Like the police didn’t drag me away in handcuffs while my husband looked on with that smug satisfaction he doesn’t even bother hiding anymore.
I walk in slowly. The silence is eerie. No noise. No footsteps. No laughter.
Then I hear it, laughter. Soft and playful.
I follow the sound, my heart thudding like a war drum. I tell myself to stay calm, that maybe I’m imagining things, maybw but then I open the door to the bedroom.
And I stop breathing. There she is. Lina.
My husband's mistress. The woman whom I had thought of as a friend before. The woman who used to babysit my son when I worked late. The woman who took calls for me, sat in meetings for me, brought me lunch and I didn't know it was all a facade.
She’s lying on my bed. Wearing one of my satin robes.
And beside her is my husband. No. Not just beside her.
They’re lying down with my son between them. My six-year-old son. Laughing as she tickles him, cuddled between two people who betrayed me in every possible way.
I blink, hoping I’m wrong. Hoping it’s a dream. But the reality doesn’t shift.
My husband is smiling. He looks up at me, his eyes lazy, like I’ve just interrupted his evening nap.
Lina doesn’t flinch. She just smirks. Her hand strokes my son’s hair as she coos at him.
“What the hell is this?” I say, my voice cracking on the last word.
My son sits up. “Mummy!” he says brightly. “You’re back!”
I take a step forward. “Baby, come here.”
But he clings tighter to Lina, giggling. “No, I’m playing with Auntie Lina.”
Auntie? I swallow hard. “Come here, sweetheart. Let’s go. We’ll get ice cream, just you and me.”
He hesitates, but then my husband says, “He’s fine where he is, Eva. Don’t start again if you've finally fought your way back”
Don’t start again. As if I’m the one making trouble. As if I’m the one tearing this family apart.
I turn to Lina. “Get out of my house.”
She shrugs, adjusting the robe like she’s getting comfortable. “Technically, I was invited.”
I stare at her, dumbfounded. “By who?”
“Me,” my husband says, standing up. “You’re not the only one who lives here. And since you’re clearly unstable—”
“Unstable?” I choke on the word.
“You called Lina’s uncle and threatened him. You’re harassing people, Eva. It’s not healthy.”
I’m shaking now. “You had me arrested!”
“You brought it on yourself.”
I look at my son again. “Come with me, baby. Please.”
But he frowns and pulls back. “I don’t want to go with you, Mummy,” he says, his voice small but clear. “Daddy and Auntie look more like a family than you.”
The words hit harder than any slap. More like a family?.
Like I’ve been replaced. Erased. I stagger a little, pressing a hand to the door frame for balance.
“Get out,” I whisper, more to myself than them.
“Excuse me?” Lina says, her eyebrow raised.
I draw a deep breath and meet her eyes. “I said, get out. Out of my house. Out of my son’s life. Out of my bed right now.”
My husband chuckles dryly. “You don’t get to decide that anymore.”
“I’m his mother.”
“And I’m his father. And right now, she’s staying here. With me.”
My legs feel like they might collapse under me, but I hold my ground. I can’t cry. Not in front of them. I won’t give them that.
I walk to the wardrobe, pulling open drawers and yanking out a duffel bag. I throw in some of my clothes—bare necessities. A few shirts, pants, a pair of flats. My documents. Birth certificate. Bank card. Nothing more.
Lina watches me from the bed, amused. “So dramatic.”
I ignore her. When I zip the bag shut and sling it over my shoulder, my son watches me with confused eyes.
“Where are you going, Mummy?”
I look at him, and my chest caves in. “Somewhere safe baby.”
“But I don’t want you to go.”
I pause. “You just said you didn’t want to come with mummy,” I say gently.
He frowns. “Because I like playing with Auntie, and you barely have time to play with me.”
“I know, sweetheart.” I crouch to his level, brushing a curl off his forehead. “And it’s okay. Just remember that I love you. Always.”
I press a kiss to his cheek, then stand and walk out.
I don’t look back as I slid in the cab that was waiting for me.
The cab ride is a blur. I sit in the back this time, my bag clutched tight to my side. The driver keeps glancing at me through the mirror, like he wants to say something but can’t find the words.
I stare out the window. It’s getting dark. Streetlights flicker to life, painting the city in hazy gold and shadow.
My phone buzzes. I blink, fumbling to pull it out from my bag.
An unknown number. I hesitate before answering. “Hello?”
“Eva?” I recognize the voice instantly. Jenna. A colleague from work. One of the few who still speaks to me without pity in her eyes.
“Yeah. It’s me.”
Her voice drops. “I wasn’t sure you’d pick up. Are you okay?”
No. But I lie. “I’m fine.”
There’s a pause. “I wanted to tell you something before you hear it from anyone else.”
I brace myself. “Go on.”
“Our company... it got sold.”
I frown. “Sold? How?”
“Yeah, a new investor. Big money. They’re restructuring everything right now.”
I press my fingers to my temple. “ What about the boss?.”
“ He's gone and replaced. Now, Eva. Listen. The new investor, he asked for you. By name.”
My heart skips. “What?”
“First thing he did when the papers were signed. Called the board. Said he wanted to meet Evangeline Wales, the director of the human resource unit, he already sacked three people from your department.” I’m silent, dread washing over my body.
There is no way I will loose my job.
“Do you know him?” Jenna asks.
I shake my head slowly, even though she can’t see me. “ I have no idea of who he is. Do you perhaps know his name?.”
“ No I don't currently but we'll know soon. Be careful, okay, will be waiting for you at work, you should report quickly first thing tommorow morning, he's got a terrifying temperament.”
“Yeah. Thanks, Jenna.” I end the call and stare at the screen. Is this Karma dealing with me or did I run into bad luck.
Sighing I pulled out my phone and texted my lawyer.[ Prepare the divorce papers]
- Writer
