182 [...] Five Months Later

“How are my girls?” Julian asks with a sleepy voice, looking at me intently through his cell phone screen. It’s been two weeks since he accompanied my father on a trip to South Korea to establish a partnership with one of the most technological countries in the world.
For J’O Tech, this is a unique opportunity. As a director myself, I’m really happy for the opportunity. But as a wife, I miss him... after all, we’re separated by a fourteen-hour time difference and many miles. Even now, it’s late afternoon, and the sun is rising there.
“They are fine… kicking as always.” I chuckle, and Julian’s eyes soften.
“I should be there.” He runs a hand over his face, hiding his guilty expression. “Two weeks is already too much.”
“You’re the Vice President; my dad won’t go easy on you,” I say playfully, waiting for him to make some joke about how he should take my position back, but he remains serious, his shoulders tense and dejected.
“I miss you.” He says, lowering his hand.
“I miss you too.”
Julian sighs, looking down at his impatient hands, “I’m sorry we didn’t have a honeymoon yet.”
“Work has been busy lately for both of us. It’s not something you need to worry about.”
“Still, I feel like it’s my fault. Our daughters are going to be born soon, and here I am, on the other side of the world, spending all day with men in suits.”
“Would you rather spend your days with women in suits?” I ask teasingly, raising an eyebrow, and finally, his mood brightens.
“I would rather spend my day with my girls — you and our daughters…” He pauses, looking at me intently through the screen. “I’m missing this moment. I should be there with you.”
“It’s only two weeks... it’s not like they’re going to forget your voice.” I giggle and bring the cell phone closer to my tummy. “Girls, Daddy misses you so much… You miss Daddy too, don’t you?”
I feel my belly move with kicks as they settle to the sound of my voice.
“See? They miss their Daddy a lot.”
Julian’s eyes light up, and he looks like he’s about to cry.
“You’re not making this easy at all.” He mumbles, resting his elbows on his legs and burying his head in his hands. “I want to go home.”
“Just one more week, right?”
“If negotiations keep like this, yes.”
“It’s hard?” I ask, stroking my belly where I know they are.
“Not exactly... I mean, they have a lot of money and resources, and Seon Group also wants to expand its influence beyond South Korea, so we have good expectations. But I need this to work. I can’t stand being away from you any longer.”
“Everything will be fine, honey. Me and the girls are waiting for you to come home.”
“We’re going on our honeymoon when I get back to America.” He says suddenly, clasping his hands. “Some nice island, just the two of us… I need this.”
“Miss me that much?” I ask with a naughty smile and mischief in my voice.
“You have no idea.” He returns the smile, flirty, and I can see the desire shining in his green eyes.
“Such a shame it’s so early in the morning, hum…”
“You know I love morning sex, babe. I could love sexting in the morning as well.”
“Well, it’s also a shame that my fingers feel swollen.” I complete, moistening my lips slowly.
“Hmm, is that so?... Well, If you don’t want me to leave your dad alone and catch a fly back home right now, stop teasing me.”
My silly laugh sounds loud in this big apartment that feels lonely without Julian. He stays silent, listening to me laugh. And it’s just when I stop, with just a smile on his lips, that he adds, “I really miss you.”
I open my lips to answer him, but a message catches my attention. It’s from Cathy, saying she’s going to be a bit late. Lately, she’s been really supportive, and I’m very grateful to her. If it weren’t for Cathy and Tyler’s occasional visits, I would probably feel lonely.
“What?”
“Cathy said she’ll bring velvet cake.”
“Is she coming again?”
“Uhm.”
“That’s good... I don’t like the idea of you being alone.” He says, suddenly serious. “She could spend more time with you.”
“Cathy has her own things, Julian; she can’t babysit me. Besides, I don’t want to be a burden.”
“You couldn’t be a burden, Angelee. I’m sure Cathy and Tyler think the same.”
It’s cute how their relationship has improved. When Julian realized that Tyler didn’t have a second thought and didn’t want to steal me, they got along better, especially since the wedding. Tyler keeps calling him Grandpa affectionately, and Julian just laughs and brushes it off, but I know he secretly likes it.
“Uh-huh, if you say so.” My smile widens, and he looks like he wants to say something. However, he stops by the sound of the doorbell. “I think the message was delayed... Cathy is here.”
“Already?”
“It seems so.” I get up from the couch with a little effort since my belly is huge. I never imagined it could stretch so much, and now it looks like a balloon about to explode. “Can I call you later? I really want a velvet cake now.”
“She spoils you too much,” Julian comments with a smirk.
“Look who’s talking.” I give a small giggle and blow a kiss across the screen. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I turn off the cell phone, stretching.
The spring weather outside is really inviting. As I walk to the door, I think about a walk through Central Park, and my mood lights up.
Yeah, some air will do me good.
“Cathy, what do you say we go out for a bit…” My voice trails off when I realize the person on the other side is not who I expected. It’s not Cathy with the velvet cake... It’s a familiar face I haven’t seen in months... a red hair that changed my life completely. “Laura?”
I feel my chest sink. It’s like an abyss has opened below my feet... a shadow that’s slowly pulling me down.
“What are you doing here?” That’s all I can ask with a trembling voice. I’m having bad feelings that spread across every inch of my goosebumps. “How did you get up here?”
I swallow my own question, remembering that I never told the doorman not to let her up.
Laura’s eyebrows immediately fall, softening her countenance. She clutches her own shirt like she’s hurt and calls to me in a soft voice, “Can I come in?”
“Come in?” Her nerve surprises me, and I scoff, making her frown. I take a step beyond the doorframe, keeping my chin up. “Do you think I would let you in after everything you’ve done?”
“Please, I just want to talk to you. Five minutes, I won’t take up too much of your time.” She looks away, uncertain, and seals her lips, which appear to be trembling.
“What makes you think you deserve even five minutes, Laura?” I cross my arms over my big belly — and that attracts Laura’s eyes, which sparkle with something I can’t quite decipher. “You cheated on me, spread lies about me, slept with my boyfriend, took photos without my permission, and created rumors just to hurt me. You lied so much that I can no longer believe a single word that comes out of your mouth. In fact, I shouldn’t even waste my time stating the obvious.”
“Angel, I came to apologize.” She crosses her arms the same way I did but squeezes them a little tighter. Her expression is that of a puppy, and now that I look closely, I can see that her cheeks are thinner and hollower, showing weight loss. “I can’t live with myself, with what I did to you. You’re right... I did horrible things to you. I hurt you deeply. You didn’t deserve any of that... I was a terrible friend, a terrible person. I really betrayed your trust and your friendship, but you have to believe me when I say… I was scared.”
Laura’s words hit me hard, even though I don’t want them to. Hearing this after thinking so much about why it all happened makes my heart hurt, maybe because a part of me longed for it. For a reason. For an apology.
“I always believed that you would leave me if you saw that I was not as good as you,” Laura says, lowering her eyes. “I know that I just dumped my flaws and insecurities on you… but you really didn’t deserve any of that.”
Laura seems to be honest, but there’s no way I can believe her words. Memories flash through my mind, reminding me of all the cruel words, of how she was in Eric’s bed. Her moans haunted me for a long time. Her betrayal raised concerns, fears, and even traumas that could have made me close down if it weren’t for the people who really love me.
“That’s why I came to apologize. I missed you,” Laura says with wet eyes about to shed tears. “I know it’s a lot to ask... but I really miss our friendship. We used to be really close, didn’t we? We always went to the mall and spent the whole afternoon shopping and having fun... we even ended the night at our favorite restaurant… Do you remember?”
Yes, I remember; those were Laura’s favorite things, not mine.
“I really miss this — you.” She stretches out her hands to take mine, and I don’t know how to react to the way she gently holds my hand. “Can you forgive me? Do you think we can be friends again, like the good old times?”
Laura looks straight into my eyes, waiting for my answer, but there’s no doubt on her face. Her eyes look excited, shining with the certainty that I will return to her hands.
Well, I’m sure she thinks that she can have me back with the right words, but I’m not the same girl desperate for affection who would close my eyes and accept crumbs of love not to feel alone.
I don’t need this anymore... I found people who truly care for me, who look at me with sincere tenderness… and not like a pretty doll to play with.
“Yes, Laura, I forgive you,” I say softly, and her smile widens, lighting up her face. “But our friendship cannot be fixed anymore. It’s already past broken.”
Suddenly, her fragile look disappears, giving way to cold, empty, and furious eyes. And, as expected, her mask falls to pieces before me.
How could I feel good with empty apologies, even for a single moment? Laura is someone so shallow that she doesn’t have a face of her own — just a bunch of facades.
I try to pull my hand away, but she squeezes it tightly, making me startle. When I attempt to free myself once more, she pulls my hand hard, making me shudder forward.
Before I grab the door, she clutches my other arm and looks me straight in the eyes. And I finally see something real in them… pure, real envy.
In one quick movement, Laura pushes me back hard, but everything happens almost in slow motion while I watch her face in free fall.
However, the impact on the ground steals my breath, and I realize what’s happening. I fall into a sitting position, pain spreading through every inch of my body, and look up to meet Laura’s lips rising in a victorious smile...
And just like that, something gets wet between my legs.