Chapter 74: The Other Woman

Zeke was on a two-week business trip to Japan, leaving me alone in the penthouse. It had only been six days since he’d gone, but I already missed him so badly. Usually his trips only lasted four days to a week because he often came home early, as if he couldn’t bear being away from me  either. This was the longest we’d been apart, and the distance felt like a weight on my chest. Even though he calls me daily, it still seems not enough. I knew now what they meant when they said love makes even the shortest separation feel endless.

My mother-in-law had stopped by the other day with Anika. We’d wandered around the city and shared a meal, and it helped a little. On other days, I’d volunteer at charity events and feeding programs, or lose myself in painting to chase away the boredom. I’d already finished two pieces, all born from the empty space he left behind.

That afternoon, I stepped back with a small smile as I put the final touches on a new painting, wiping paint