The doctor’s second love

The clock read 8 PM when Alyssa arrived at her front door. She didn't go in immediately but stood there for a few seconds, lost in thought.

Suddenly, she felt uneasy, as if something was about to happen. But what? Alyssa couldn't guess at all. Or maybe it was just a side effect of her body and mind being too exhausted today?

"Has Brent come home yet?" Alyssa murmured as she held the door handle.

She was a bit afraid of meeting Brent and being interrogated by him for coming home this late. It wasn't without reason that she had just returned. She had to stop by the convenience store in front of her house to buy ice to compress her swollen eyes from crying too much about her increasingly unclear marriage. In any case, Alyssa didn't want to make Brent, who was already tired from work, worry about her condition. Now Alyssa could only hope that Brent wouldn't interrogate or get mad at her.

Alyssa took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly. Now, she tried to stay calm despite her irregular heartbeat.

The sound of the door opening felt rather ominous, perhaps because of the eerily quiet mment that seemed almost uninhabited.

Looking around cautiously, Alyssa stepped inside.

"Where have you been?"

"Oh my God!"

She screamed in surprise when Brent suddenly appeared behind her. It seemed he had just come from the kitchen.

"Brent? You startled me," Alyssa said nervously.

"I asked where you've been, Grace. Why are you just getting home at this hour?" Brent repeated sharply.

"I... I just...."

Damn it, Alyssa thought.

Alyssa, who never lied, suddenly had to try to deceive Brent to keep the peace in their house tonight. However, it turned out that lying wasn't easy. As a result, she now sounded like a toddler learning to speak. It was pathetic.

"I... I was meeting a friend," Alyssa said.

Her eyes darted around. It was clear she wanted to avoid Brent's gaze to prevent her lie from being uncovered. Suddenly, Brent moved to the living room. Still wearing his work clothes, he sat on the sofa while Alyssa stood to his right. For some reason, she didn't want to sit. Her instincts told her she shouldn't sit right now.

"Have you eaten? Do you want me to cook something?" Alyssa offered.

Brent didn't answer. Instead, he took out his phone from his pocket, fiddled with it for a moment, and then placed the thin device on the table with the screen lit up, showing a photo.

"Is this the 'friend' you were meeting?" Brent asked, looking sharply at her.

Alyssa's eyes automatically focused on the photo on Brent's phone. Her pupils dilated involuntarily when she saw that it was a picture of her and Hiro.

"Brent, I can explain," Alyssa said in a shaky voice.

As he stood up, Brent asked, "What is there to explain?"

"I... it’s not what you think. Hiro and I--"

"I know you and Hiro broke up a long time ago. You were close and knew each other before I came along. But... you shouldn't have done this, Grace. You should remember...."

Brent turned his face away for a moment to control his emotions.

“You should remember that you’re my wife now,” Brent emphasized.

Not giving Alyssa a chance to explain further, Brent then walked towards his room.

Alyssa, left behind, could only stand there in silence. Her body felt nailed in place, unable to move. The sensation of tightness in her chest now took over.