Chapter 2
Antonio had been gone for a month, but I knew exactly where he was.
Most of his social and shopping apps were linked to my phone number. For days, I had been receiving appointment reminders from a maternity clinic.
He was probably with Anna.
Not that I needed to go to such lengths to figure it out. I had already added Anna on WhatsApp.
But ever since I discovered their affair, I rarely had the courage to open our chat or check social media.
She used to send me videos of Carlo all the time.
“Mrs. Kaufman, Carlo has gotten taller.”
“Carlo can recognize people now. I’ll bring him to see you next time.”
“Mrs. Kaufman, I’m busy with my research. Can you pick up Carlo for me?”
For three years while she was in grad school, we got along well. I thought our relationship was nothing more than the usual relationship between a student and her professor wife. I always responded patiently and never suspected a thing.
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Now, those memories felt like a knife, cutting me deep and reminding me of how foolish I had been.
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Chapter 2
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She sent me a new message, “Mr. Kaufman is with me. Don’t worry.”
I clicked into her social media profile. Her latest video had been posted just minutes ago.
But there were already two comments.
One from Antonio. “I’ll pick you up after your prenatal yoga class.”
And the other from his mother. “Take more pictures of my precious grandson. I love seeing them!”
Because I refused to have children and ran away with Antonio back then, his mother, Mary, had always resented me. We only added each other on WhatsApp two years ago when we went back to his home for the New Year.
But now, scrolling through Anna’s posts, I realized they had been casually interacting in the comments for the past six years.
So I was the only one kept in the dark?
Feeling numb, I stepped out of the house to buy groceries. But I ran into Mary and Carlo.
“Sweetheart, what do you want for dinner? Grandma will make it for you.”
Her voice was warm and affectionate, completely different from how she spoke to me. But the moment she saw me, her expression hardened, and her tone turned sharp.
She pulled Carlo behind her.
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“What are you doing here? Are you trying to hurt my grandson? Even if you shamelessly refuse to get a divorce, it won’t change the fact that Carlo is Antonio’s son. One day, he and Anna will be part of our family registry. As for you, after making my son suffer all these years, I will never accept you as my daughter–in–law!”
I let out a bitter laugh, at a loss for words.
Carlo’s eyes fixed on the cookie in my hand, and Mary snatched it away.
When I found out about Antonio’s affair, or when Anna showed up at my door, I didn’t back down.
But this time, I ran away.
I hadn’t had dinner, and my stomach started acting up.
Curled up in bed, writhing in pain, I instinctively dialed the number I knew by heart.
Before long, a warm glass of water and a pill were brought to
- me.
For a moment, it felt like we were back in the days when he still loved me. Whenever my stomach hurt, he would always have the medicine ready.
I later learned he kept a small pillbox in the pocket closest to his heart, just in case I needed it.
Just like before, he reached into his pocket, placed a hill in my hand, and said, “You forgot to buy medicine again? I’ve got plenty here.
“Even if I’m not around, you have to take care of yourself.”
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Tears welled up in my eyes.
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“Just stay. I don’t need the medicine. I only need you. Don’t leave me.”
He held me tightly. “Okay, okay, I won’t go. I’ll stay with you, always.
“I know you didn’t really mean it when you said you wanted a divorce. How could I ever divorce you?”
Antonio kissed my forehead gently, and his soft voice calmed the storm inside me.
He told me he had been driving home when he got my call and rushed back immediately.
He told me I was the love of his life.
We hugged each other and chatted, just like we used to when we got married. It felt almost too good to be real.
I melted into his embrace and thought even this was a dream, I never wanted to wake up.
But then, a child’s cough came from outside. Antonio avoided my eyes and asked, “Anna and Carlo are still outside. Can I let them in?”
I froze. My mind snapped back to reality.
I knew my dream had shattered completely.
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