018

THE late morning sun spilled lightly across the sky when Adrian pulled up in front of Vivian’s apartment complex. He honked once, sharp but not loud enough to draw unnecessary attention. Moments later, Vivian emerged, dressed in a fitted sundress that clung in all the right places, a scarf loosely tied around her neck, and oversized sunglasses hiding half her face. She carried a handbag too small to conceal anything but her phone and a tube of lipstick.

Sliding into the passenger seat, she smiled faintly. 

“You came.”

“I said I would try,” Adrian replied simply, shifting the car into gear. His eyes flicked briefly to her before returning to the road. “How are you feeling?”

“A bit light-headed,” she admitted, letting her hand brush across her stomach. “But at least I don’t feel like throwing up anymore.”

“Good,” he muttered, tightening his grip on the steering wheel. “Let’s just get this done quietly. The earlier we know what is wrong, the better.”

The drive was tense, filled with short exchanges, but underlined with the unspoken awareness of the risk they were taking. Adrian’s phone buzzed twice with business notifications, and each time Vivian glanced at him sharply. He ignored the look, focusing only on the road.

At the hospital, the reception area bustled with its usual rhythm, nurses moving briskly across the tiled floors, patients waiting with tired faces, and the soft drone of hospital announcements over the intercom. Adrian kept his head low, wearing dark shades to avoid recognition.

Vivian leaned close. 

“You look like a celebrity sneaking in for plastic surgery.”

“This isn’t a game, Vivian,” he hissed under his breath. “Let’s just get this over with.”

The receptionist ushered them toward the gynecology section after a brief check-in, and soon they were seated in the waiting lounge. Vivian crossed her legs, fidgeting, while Adrian kept scrolling through his emails.

When Vivian’s name was called, Adrian escorted her inside. The doctor was a middle-aged woman with kind eyes and a calm voice. She asked a series of questions, scribbling notes, before instructing Vivian to undergo some preliminary tests.

It was then that Adrian excused himself. 

“I will wait outside. I need to make a call anyway.”

Vivian nodded, smiling faintly as if reassured, though her nerves showed in the tapping of her polished nails against the chair arm.

---

Adrian stepped out into the corridor and walked toward a quiet corner of the hospital courtyard where the signal was better. He pulled out his phone, dialing one of his managers to discuss logistics for the automobile contract. His voice was low, clipped and professional.

Halfway through the call, however, a familiar voice interrupted.

“Adrian?”

He froze. Slowly turning, he found Claire, his sister-in-law, standing just a few feet away, holding a small paper bag from the hospital pharmacy. Her brows lifted in surprise, though her lips curved quickly into a polite smile.

“Claire,” Adrian said evenly, pocketing his phone. “What a surprise.”

“More like what are you doing here?” she asked, tilting her head, her tone playful but edged with suspicion.

Adrian chuckled lightly, sliding his hands into his pockets to mask the flicker of panic. 

“Company cars. One of the drivers brought me a report yesterday about some issues. I asked the automobile guy to come here for a checkup on his wife, so I thought I would meet him halfway.”

Claire raised an eyebrow. 

“At the hospital?”

“Yeah,” Adrian replied smoothly. “We had to cross-check some documents. It was convenient for him. Nothing serious.”

For a long moment, Claire studied him, as though weighing his explanation. She knew more than he thought, she had been the one nudging Vivian’s reckless confidence, whispering encouragement whenever Vivian wavered about her affair. But here, she wore innocence like a mask.

“Oh, I see,” she said finally, with an airy laugh. “Business never really stops for you, does it?”

“You know how it is,” Adrian said with a small shrug.

Claire stepped closer, lowering her voice. 

“You look… nervous. You sure you are not hiding something from my sister?”

Adrian’s jaw clenched, but he forced a smirk. 

“Claire, come on. If anyone deserves honesty, it is Amelia. I wouldn’t risk that.”

She looked at him, her smile faint but unreadable. 

“Good. Because if she ever found out something was… off, she wouldn’t forgive easily. You know Amelia.”

“Yes, I do,” Adrian replied firmly, locking eyes with her. “And I don’t intend to give her any reason to doubt me.”

There was a silence that felt heavier than the whitewashed hospital walls around them. Then Claire broke into a laugh, shaking her head. 

“Relax, Adrian. I was only teasing. You look like you are about to bite my head off.”

Adrian exhaled slowly, forcing a chuckle. “Maybe I just didn’t expect to run into family here. Took me off guard.”

Claire adjusted the strap of her handbag and gave him a sly look. “Hospitals have a way of making people uncomfortable, don’t they?”

Before he could respond, her phone rang. She excused herself with a wink and stepped aside, her voice soft but urgent as she answered. Adrian turned away quickly, pretending not to listen.

---

When he returned inside, Vivian was already waiting in the lounge, her eyes wide with anticipation. She grabbed his arm the moment he approached.

“Well?” Adrian asked.

“The doctor said I will need to wait for the test results,” she whispered. “She will call me back in a couple of days, or probably tomorrow.”

“Good,” he muttered. “We will cross that bridge when we get there.”

Vivian leaned closer, her perfume thick in the air. 

“Thank you for coming with me. You don’t know how much it means.”

Adrian glanced around nervously, aware of every passerby, every potential eye. He lowered his voice. 

“Let’s get you home before someone recognizes me.”

She pouted but followed him obediently toward the exit.

Outside, Adrian’s gaze swept across the courtyard, and there, in the distance, he saw Claire again, standing with her back to them, talking animatedly on the phone. He quickly turned Vivian toward the car, urging her to move faster.

Vivian noticed the urgency in his steps. 

“What is wrong?”

“Nothing,” Adrian replied curtly. “Just… nothing.”

As he drove away, his grip tightened on the wheel. He replayed Claire’s words in his mind, her playful suspicion, her sly looks. He didn’t like it. Not one bit.

Vivian, oblivious, hummed softly beside him, scrolling on her phone. But Adrian’s thoughts were far from calm. He told himself Claire hadn’t seen them together, but for how long could he keep this delicate balance without it all crashing down?