Evelyn’s POVBefore I can stand up and open the door, Lionel is already walking toward it. “Don’t worry, I got this,” he says, his voice calm and confident as he strolls past Maya and me like he owns the house.We both watch as he opens the door. At first, I think it’s just someone delivering something, but then Lionel starts sneezing. Once. Twice. Then again, louder. He tries to talk, but it’s like his nose and mouth are waging war. The sneezing doesn’t stop—it’s so bad he staggers back from the doorway, waving his hands helplessly.Then I see her—a woman standing outside, smiling awkwardly, holding my little puppy like it’s made of gold.“Oh my God,” I whisper, jumping to my feet and rushing toward them. “My puppy!”Lionel is still sneezing uncontrollably, his shoulders jerking, his nose red. He tries to say something but can’t get the words out, just keeps pointing at the woman like she’s the cause of all his misery.“He asked me to look after the dog,” the woman says kindly, step
Evelyn’s POVThe moment I hear the voice on the phone, I know instantly that it’s Leonard—the husband who has refused to give me a divorce. But I can’t let him know that I recognize him. He needs to believe I’ve forgotten him, that I’ve moved on—because I have— that his shadow no longer hovers over my life. That way, he loses his power over me.I swallow hard, masking the tremor in my throat, and ask with as much boldness as I can gather, “Who’s this?”“It’s your husband. Where are you? Come back home,” Leonard says in that low, intimidating voice of his. I almost laugh. Home? Wherever he’s calling home isn’t my home and never will be again.“Why?” I ask, my tone sharp. “What will happen if I don’t?”My eyes flicker. I glance at Lionel sitting beside me, then at Maya across the room. Their brows crease with curiosity, their eyes silently asking questions I don't want to answer. I force myself to keep a straight face, ignoring their concern.“That is no way to respond to your husband,
Leonard’s POVClara is two months pregnant, and this morning she woke up with pain that ripped the air from my lungs. I had never moved so fast in my life. One minute she was clutching her belly, whimpering like a wounded animal, and the next, the driver was tearing through the streets, honking like a madman as he drove her to the hospital while I kept screaming at him to move faster. Now I’m standing in the antiseptic hallway, the fluorescent lights glaring down at me like a thousand judgmental eyes. The smell of disinfectant burns my nostrils. I pace in tight circles, my fists clenching and unclenching, as voices and footsteps echo in the distance. Every second feels like a damn hour.Finally, the double doors swing open, and the doctor walks out. His face is unreadable—calm, too calm. My heart slams against my ribs.I’m on him before he can take another step. “What’s wrong? What happened to her? Is she okay?” My voice is sharp, desperate, words tumbling over one another as I trail
Lionel’s POVI glare at Maya, my jaw tightening at her earlier words still ringing in my head. A criminal? She had said it so casually, like it was the most natural conclusion to draw about me. I don’t blame her. With the way things just unfolded, with Frednando lurking around, I understand why she’d assume the worst. But she doesn’t realize just how lucky she is. If Frednando had seen her with me, she would’ve been dragged into my mess too, whether she liked it or not.I wait a few seconds, watching through the side mirror until I’m sure Frednando has walked away. Then I stand abruptly, ignoring the way Maya fidgets like she’s expecting an explanation. I don’t give her one. Instead, I head straight to the driver’s side, slide behind the wheel, and fire up the engine.She gets in without me saying a word. Smart.“You said you wanted to see Evelyn first,” I remind her, my voice clipped, controlled. “But you also need to rest. You’re no good to her if you collapse.”The drive is tense.
Lionel’s POVAt exactly 2 p.m., I get a call from Maya through Evelyn’s phone. I answer immediately.“Hello,” I say, stepping out of the grocery store. I’d gone in to pick up a few things for my fridge—it’s embarrassingly empty.“I’m at the airport,” she says.She doesn’t have to ask; I know I have to pick her up myself. “I’m coming to you,” I tell her, ending the call before she can respond.I toss the bags of groceries into the boot, shut it with a solid thud, and get into the car. The drive should take less than half an hour if traffic behaves, but my mind isn’t on the road. It's on all the things that the doctor told me about Evelyn's health.…Maya’s POVSince I heard that Evelyn is sick, I’ve been uneasy. Not the kind of unease you can brush off with a good night’s sleep—the kind that crawls under your skin and stays there. I couldn’t wait until the weekend like I’d planned. The idea of her alone, unwell, and probably pretending everything was fine made my chest feel too tight.
Lionel's POV I stare at Dr. Philips’ name flashing across my phone screen, my foot still pressed harder than necessary on the brake. For a second, I just watch it ring, my mind already running ahead, imagining the worst-case scenarios. Nothing good comes from an early morning call from a doctor—especially not when Evelyn is lying in a hospital bed.I swipe to answer. “Doctor.”“Mr. Lionel,” Dr. Philips says, his voice steady but holding the kind of lump that makes your stomach knot, “we’ve concluded all the tests. I’d like to discuss the results with you in person.”My grip on the steering wheel tightens. “Okay. I’ll be there as quickly as I can.”The moment the call ends, I press down on the accelerator, weaving through the morning traffic like every second shaved off the trip could save her. The streets blur past—cafés opening their shutters, people walking with coffee cups in hand, all moving through their normal lives while mine feels paused in this constant state of tension.By