ZESA RUSSO It was a Sunday morning and instead of going out to relax and enjoy my hard earned money; I sat in my bedroom, deep in thoughts. After contemplating, reconsidering, and proper evaluation of the situation, I decided I would visit Nina. I wanted to see for myself what this woman looked like and what gave her the audacity to push me off a building. No matter how much I hated to admit it, that woman would somehow keep showing up in my life, even though it would be only just the mention of her name.“What are you thinking about?” I was pulled out of my train of thoughts when I heard Levi’s voice. He was peeking his head into the room. “I’ve been looking at you and didn’t even notice.” He let himself into the room and came to sit beside me. “What’s on your mind?”“I want to see Nina.”He exhaled, releasing some of the tension that had built up in his shoulders. “Why do you want to see her?”I stared ahead into nothing. “I’ve been curious for days now. A part of me want

LEVI DEL CAMPA I glanced around the hall, searching for Zesa. When I did not see her, I weaved my way through to Malena and Finn, who appeared to be in a serious conversation. Malena offered a small smile, brushing back her hair. “Have you seen Zesa?” I questioned, darting my eyes between the two.“She and Alejandro stepped out a few minutes ago.” Finn answered. “Said he wanted to talk to her about something.”“You left Zesa with Alejandro?” I asked, putting on one hand on my waist after pushing back my suit jacket. “Where are they?”Finn came to his feet. “I don’t know. Malena is with her purse and phone, though.”I hated this situation. How in the world did he think it was fine to leave her alone with him? I did not care if it was business or another kind of discussion. The fact that he’d made it clear to me his feelings for her, even when he knew I was her husband, was a clear sign he was really serious about her. And in Zesa’s condition, she could hardly tell what if he

ZESA RUSSO Having a career woman as a wife was one thing. Having a wife whose corporation does better than yours one another thing. I wasn’t gloating or anything. I was thankful, if anything. There were relationships out there where the men got upset because their wives were doing better or earning more than they were. Having a husband who didn’t care the slightest bit about such a thing was a blessing. It was even better if he stayed up at night, waiting for you to come home.With a content sigh, I raised my gaze from my computer to Finn and put my arms on the armrest of my chair. Finn stood on the other side of the table, holding a royal blue file in his hand. He selected a sheet of paper from the file and handed it to me.“It’s the opening schedule of the new Techya branch in Miami.” He said, taking a step back to gauge my reaction. His attitude toward me had changed. He no longer treated me as if I was a newbie. Instead, he not treated me like a boss he feared a little.

ZESA RUSSO Levi left me by myself after dressing me in a green pants and a big white tee. He’d asked me to get some shut eye yet I found myself getting of bed and padding across the rug, hugging a fluffy pillow into my chest as I slid open the door in my room that led to a balcony that grew from the walls of the house as generous arms from a host, the metal, a patina of ocean greens and blues. I inhaled deeply, letting fresh air fill my lungs, a nippy breeze biting at my skin. The East side of the city stretched in front of me. It would have been a lot prettier if it was nighttime, with the neon lights of the clubs and lights from tall buildings. And if it was nighttime, I wished it would be a grim, dark line against an even darker sky. It’s a sad thought, but I didn’t want stars to shine and didn’t want the moon to get through either. I wished for an empty black canvas to match my mood.As I enjoyed the calming scenery before me, a knock sounded on the door. I knew it was

LEVI DEL CAMPA I was stunned, to say the least. Speechless even. I dragged my feet through the front door, halting momentarily when I saw Finn and Zesa in the living room, eating popcorn as they watched a movie. I don’t think I’d ever seen her watching something that wasn’t the news. What was this? I checked the time. 7.49p.m. He actually brought her home early, and she looked happy as she stared at me. “Come here,” she said, holding out her hand. I went to her, ignoring Finn, who was stuffing his face with popcorn. When I made eye contact with her, I felt shame. How could I tell her that my mother was the reason she was suffering? I forced a smile and sat down beside her. “What took you so long?” she queried, climbing onto my lap. Finn coughed loudly and stood up. “This is my cue to leave the premises.” He arranged his color, “Woe to us who aren’t married.” Zesa waved. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” “Women,” he sighed, going to pick up Zesa’s car keys from the table. “Dr