Chapter 6: The wife is back

Elena Cruz

Elena woke to the sound of tires on gravel.

She blinked against the morning light streaming through her window and sat up, disoriented. The house was usually silent this early.

But this was different. A car turned into the driveway . Elena pushed back the covers and walked to the window. Down in the driveway, a sleek black sedan had just pulled up near the entrance.

The driver’s door opened and a woman stepped out. Even from the second floor, Elena could tell she was striking. Tall, slender, moving with the kind of confidence that turned heads without trying. She wore tailored pants that fit perfectly and a silk blouse that probably cost more than Elena’s entire wardrobe. Dark hair fell in perfect waves past her shoulders. Oversized sunglasses covered half her face.

Elena couldn’t see who it was clearly from this angle. A friend of Dr. Alex’s maybe? A colleague?

The woman looked strange .She grabbed her designer bag from the passenger seat and walked toward the entrance like she owned the place.

Elena’s stomach tightened for reasons she couldn’t name. She wanted to know who was that and her curiosity won. She grabbed a hoodie, pulled it on over her tank top, Pulled her hair into a messy ponytail. By the time she opened her bedroom door, she could already hear voices downstairs.

By the time she reached the bottom of the staircase, the front door was already opening.

The woman had let herself in. She stood in the entryway now, sunglasses off, surveying the space like she was checking to make sure everything met her standards.

Up close, she was even more beautiful. Bold red lipstick. Flawless makeup that looked natural but absolutely wasn’t. Cheekbones that could cut glass.

Elena froze on the stairs, suddenly very aware that she was in pajama pants and a wrinkled hoodie with her hair still a mess

Then Dr. Alex appeared.

He came out from the hallway near his study, already dressed in slacks and a button-down like he’d been up for hours. When he saw the woman, he stopped.

“Vivian.”

His voice sounding like he was surprised

“Darling.” She crossed the space between them in three strides, heels clicking against the marble.

She wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. Dr. Alex’s hands came up to her waist, but the gesture looked stiff

“Surprise,” she said, her voice smooth “I know I said it would be another week, but the Singapore deal was extended . I thought I’d come home to surprise you instead of calling.”

Dr. Alex’s hands came up to her shoulders. “You should have told me you were coming. I would’ve…”

“Made sure the house was perfect?” Vivian laughed. “Darling, the house is always perfect. That’s what Mrs. Parker is for.”

She pulled back and looked at him, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. “You look tired. Have you been sleeping?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re always fine.” Vivian’s gaze drifted past him and landed on Elena standing on the stairs

Everything stopped.

Vivian’s smile didn’t fade, but something in her expression changed . “And who’s this?”

Dr. Alex turned and saw Elena standing there on the stairs. His jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.

Elena realized she couldn’t just stand there anymore. She descended the stairs slowly, suddenly very aware she was just a stranger in that house.

“This is Elena,” he said. “She’s staying with us for a while. Elena, this is my wife, Vivian.”

His wife.

Elena already knew, but hearing him say it out loud made something in her chest tighten anyway.

“Hi,” Elena managed, descending the last few steps. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Vivian’s eyes swept over her from head to toe. Taking in the pajama pants, the oversized hoodie, the messy hair. Her smile stayed in place but her gaze felt like an assessment.

“Elena,” Vivian repeated, like she was testing the name. “How lovely. Alexander didn’t mention we’d have a houseguest.”

“It was last minute,” Dr. Alex said. “Her father asked if she could stay here while she settles into school.”

“Her father.” Vivian’s tone stayed pleasant but her eyes stayed on Elena. “And who’s her father?”

“Miguel Cruz. We go back a long time.”

“Ah.” Vivian’s smile brightened in a way that somehow felt colder. “Well, any friend of my husband’s is welcome here. How long will you be staying, Elena?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Elena said while managing a smile

“How vague.” Vivian turned back to Dr. Alex. “Darling, I’m exhausted. The flight was terrible. I need a shower and about twelve hours of sleep.”

She picked up the designer bag she’d set down and started toward the stairs. Then she paused and looked back at Elena. “It was lovely meeting you, Elena. I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other.”

The words were friendly but her eyes were cold, assessing, like she was already calculating what kind of problem Elena might become.

Then she continued up the stairs, her heels clicking on each step until she disappeared into the upstairs hallway. The silence she left behind felt heavy enough to crush.

Elena stood there, suddenly hyperaware that she was alone with Dr. Alex. When she finally looked at him, his expression was blank. But she caught the tension in his shoulders. The way his jaw was set.

“I didn’t know she was coming,” he said quietly.

“It’s her house. She doesn’t need to announce herself.” Elena reminded him

“Still. I should’ve…” He stopped himself realizing how awkward that sounded. “You should get ready for school. I’ll drive you in an hour.”

He walked back toward his study without waiting for a response.

Elena stood alone in the entryway, staring at the space where Vivian had been.

His wife was home. And something about the way Vivian had looked at her made Elena realize she wasn’t welcomed . She tried to readjust her focus on something else to get that thought off her mind to anything except the realization that Vivian being home made her feel like she’d just lost something she never