The Other Woman

Ryan did not confirm nor deny it, but I could tell the truth from the guilty look in his eyes.The scorching summer day in June felt like winter to me. I held my breath in shock. What was I to Ryan, if that woman was his wife?"Stop faking it," the woman taunted me.Then, she went on to introduce me to the onlookers. "Ladies and gentlemen, take a good look at this homewrecker! She snatched my husband from me, and she had the audacity to ask him for an apartment."In fact, Ryan and I had worked hard to save up for the apartment. If I were to be precise, I put more money into that apartment than he did.I stubbornly asked him, "What is she talking about? Are you married?"Ryan wore a deep scowl. My continuous questioning seemed to have added to the woman's anger. Once again, she tried to grab my hair with all her might. A stinging pain shot through my scalp as I felt my hair being ripped out.In great pain, I instinctively pushed her away, and she stumbled onto the ground. A momen

Ryan finally left. He was driven away by Kiara's sharp reprimands.She was terrified at the sight of me shaking violently from head to toe. I couldn't stop trembling long after Ryan left. Teeth chattering, I took huge inhales."Maddy, calm down. Listen to me. Take a deep breath. Come on. Exhale… Inhale…"It took her half an hour to calm me down."I'm fine. I'm feeling much better." My voice cracked like an old, rusty gate. My forehead felt cold to the touch, which was rather uncharacteristic of a fever patient."Maddy…" Kiara hesitated.But I didn't let her speak. I insisted she get disinfectant from the nurse, which I sprayed across the chair Ryan had just been sitting on.Kiara asked, "I know you're a hopeless neat freak, but aren't you immune to Ryan?"I couldn't come up with an answer.It was true. I had spent a long time adjusting to Ryan's presence. Slowly, I had grown used to his hugs and even more intimate gestures.So why did his presence suddenly feel unbearable?

Ryan stared at me in utter disbelief. It hadn't occurred to him until that moment that I thought of him as filthy. The idea shocked him. His lovely eyes were filled with fear.Then, he frantically tried to prove himself to me. "Maddy, it's me. It's Ryan. Don't you love the way I smell? You always say it's a unique scent only a lover would know how to appreciate. Why do you think I'm smelly now?"His voice trailed off until only silence remained.Meanwhile, I was so close to suffocating. My initially pale face turned into an abnormal pink shade.The elevator chimed when its doors opened. It was like music to my ears.I stumbled out of the elevator unsteadily. Then, I gasped for breath in the corridor.Ryan followed along. He wanted to get closer to me, but he was fearful.I had never felt more thankful for his thoughtfulness in this life because I was still nauseous. I was ready to puke at any minute, though there was nothing left in my stomach.We stood across each other, 20 fe

Theo and I decided to get married after dating for six months, partly because my parents were urging me to get hitched, and partly because I did not want another long relationship.I was the one who proposed to Theo, but he turned down my proposal. He said, "No, the timing is not right. My custom-made engagement ring is not ready yet. Can you please wait?"The custom-made engagement ring came with a diamond ring as big as a pigeon's egg. It wasn't until that moment that I realized Theo was loaded."I never knew you were this rich." I couldn't tell he came from wealth when we were classmates in middle school.He replied in all seriousness, "We weren't that rich back then—just getting by. I advised my parents to buy a piece of land when I was in college, and later, the land's value shot up when the developer bought out the owners."Oh, it turned out that he was made of new money.Our parents got along well, and our wedding was set to be in March the following year. Theo took care o