Third Wheel

Wendy’s eyes flickered towards Callie, who was seated with her back to Elias, seemingly lost in her own world. Lemuel had arrived outside the break room by then, observing the tense atmosphere between Elias and Callie. He still couldn’t believe Elias was engaged to this woman. Before he could utter a word, Wendy raised a finger to her lips, signalling him to stay quiet, and then gestured for him to follow her outside. Lemuel hesitated, but Wendy’s stern gaze left him no choice. He followed her out of the break room, and as she gently closed the door, her voice carried a hint of warning. ‘Don’t be a third wheel, Lemuel.’ The break room was a small, cosy space with a few worn-out armchairs and a coffee table stacked with medical journals and newspapers. The sunlight filtered through the half-open blinds, casting stripes of light across the room. Callie’s coughing echoed in the room, and she had tears in her eyes, but she couldn’t tell if they were from the coughing itself or from Elias’s