Chapter 6

Esme stood frozen at the door as the conversation inside continued, completely unaware of her presence. "Isaiah and Audrey—are they still at it? It's been, what, almost five hours?" "Why rush? Isaiah's always been intense, and Audrey's got that pull. They won't be done until tomorrow." "But they're being so obvious about it. I heard them going at it in the next room. I even heard the moans, but thankfully, I had the music turned up, so Esme didn't catch on. You have no idea how nervous I was." "Why would you be nervous? If you were like me, you'd be used to it. Isaiah finally found a woman who is into him. He's not stuck on Esme anymore. We've got to help him enjoy his freedom, right? Let him have his fun!" "Esme's attractive, but she's so uptight. Probably just lies there in bed like a blowup doll. I mean, who doesn't want someone more exciting, right?" After that, Esme could not hear anything else. Her ears were ringing as she stumbled toward the door, lost in a daze. It seemed that everyone knew—everyone but her. These "friends" were polite to her face, yet behind her back, they were helping Isaiah cover his tracks and shamelessly mocking her. Esme felt as if her heart was being torn apart, and the pain spread through her entire body. The rain was pouring outside, but she did not notice. She walked on, like a soulless, lifeless shell, each step heavy with the weight of betrayal. Esme walked straight to the immigration office, her appearance disheveled, and signed the papers. Then, she went home, locked herself in her room, and shut the world out. ... The next day, Esme developed a high fever. Isaiah returned to find her delirious and barely able to recognize anyone. He was terrified and rushed her to the hospital, nearly losing his mind in the process. Luckily, it was just a mild cold, and after a long day and night of IV fluids, she started to come around. However, Isaiah was shaken by the experience. He not only booked the entire floor of the building for her but also stopped going to work, staying by her side at all times. But then, one day, his assistant entered the room, saying an extremely important client had arrived and insisted on seeing him. Isaiah frowned, about to decline, but the assistant whispered something in his ear. Isaiah's expression shifted, and he reluctantly pulled his hand away from Esme's. "Essie, I—" Before he could finish, Esme calmly cut him off, her eyes closing as she said, "Go ahead." Isaiah stared at her, his heart suddenly aching. He had noticed something was off, but with his appointment pressing, he convinced himself she was just moody from being sick. He told himself she was fine, that he was overthinking it. Later, Isaiah instructed the nurse to take care of Esme, promised to return soon, and left the room in a hurry. ... Three days later, Esme still had not heard from him. Instead, she received a call from Audrey. Audrey's smug voice came through the phone. "Esme, I've got some good news. I'm pregnant, and guess who the father is? Your beloved husband." She continued, "He's been taking such good care of me these last few days. He's been so attentive, carrying me to bed and feeding me by hand. And guess what? The doctor said we don't need to use any protections since it's already three months into my pregnancy. "He was so excited, he couldn't wait. That night, he had me all over the place, trying every position he could think of. It was exhausting but also amazing. I love it." "Oh, and I didn't mean to say so much. Don't be mad, okay? But, really, compared to your fever, his baby is more important, don't you think?" Audrey's words were venomous, and normally, Esme would have been crushed. But strangely, Esme did not shed a single tear. She just pressed the record button on her phone. She thought, "Isaiah, I can't wait for you to hear this recording."