I followed closely behind her as she walked, my footsteps light but my heart pounding loudly in my chest. I already knew what I was going to see. I had pictured it in my head countless times, rehearsed the moment so often it almost felt familiar. Still, nothing prepared me for the look on Albert's face when he finally lifted his eyes and saw her standing there.
Shock.
Pure, unfiltered shock.
"June?" he asked, his voice tightening as he stood up abruptly. Tiny beads of sweat immediately formed around his forehead, and I noticed the way his jaw stiffened. "What are you doing here?"
"Good day, sir," June replied cheerfully, as though she hadn't just walked into another woman's home uninvited. Her tone was light, almost playful.
Albert nodded stiffly. "Yeah. Good day. You heard my question."
"I needed to give you some documents," she said casually, holding up a thin file like it explained everything.
"Documents?" Albert repeated, frowning. "You could have emailed them. Or even called me."
"I did call," she replied smoothly. "But you weren't taking my calls."
Albert froze for a second, then glanced toward the bedroom. I knew immediately what he was thinking. His phone.
"Well," he said slowly, "I wasn't with my phone."
"That doesn't mean you should just show up at my house unannounced," he added firmly.
"I'm sorry, sir," she said, her lips curving slightly. "But I'm here now."
She handed him the file, and before either of us could say another word, she walked straight past him and sat down on the couch, crossing her legs deliberately. Slowly. Intentionally.
My chest tightened.
"And what exactly are you doing?" Albert asked, clearly irritated now.
"No one offered me a seat," she replied calmly. Her eyes flicked briefly toward me before returning to him. "So I decided to sit."
"There won't be any need for that," Albert said quickly. "I have the documents. Is there anything else?"
For a brief second, I saw it — disappointment flicker across her face. It vanished almost instantly, replaced by irritation.
"No," she said curtly. "Nothing else."
She paused, then added, almost as an afterthought, "Although… I don't know if you'd mind dropping me off. My car has issues, so I took it to the mechanic."
The audacity.
I clenched my fists, saying nothing, but my eyes moved straight to Albert. I wanted to see his reaction. I wanted to know who he would choose in this moment.
He hesitated.
Just for a few seconds — but it was enough.
"Alright," he finally said. "Go wait outside by the car."
June clapped her hands softly, a triumphant smile spreading across her face as she stood up. She didn't look at me. Not once. She walked toward the door like she owned the place, hips swaying, confidence radiating off her in waves.
I waited until the door shut behind her.
"You're really going to pretend you don't know she did that on purpose?" I asked quietly.
Albert picked up his car keys. "I don't have time for this, Susan."
"She came here to provoke me," I said, my voice firmer now. "Whatever business you have with that woman should end at the office. I won't have her coming to this house unannounced and at will."
I didn't wait for his response. I turned and walked into the kitchen, my hands shaking as I reached for a glass and filled it with chilled water. I needed something cold to steady myself, something real.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Albert hesitate again.
Then he left.
I watched from the window as he drove off with June sitting beside him in the car. My reflection stared back at me in the glass — tight-lipped, wounded, furious.
I felt insulted.
Disrespected.
Invisible.
I drank the water slowly, letting the cold burn my throat until my breathing evened out slightly. Then I set the glass down and reached for my phone.
Kim needed to hear this.
She picked up on the first ring.
"Hey girl, what's up?" she asked.
"Kim," I said, trying hard not to shout. "June came to my house."
"Albert's ex?" she asked sharply.
"Yes."
"Girl, why?"
"I don't even know," I replied. "She said she brought documents."
"Documents? On a weekend?" Kim scoffed. "What did Albert do?"
"Nothing," I said bitterly. "Absolutely nothing."
"Nothing?" Kim nearly shouted. "Susan—"
"He asked why she didn't email or call," I continued. "She said she did, but his phone was in the room. And then—" I swallowed. "He dropped her off."
Silence.
Then Kim exhaled sharply. "This June has some nerve."
"She said her car broke down," I added. "Asked him to drop her off like it was normal."
"She's taunting you," Kim said firmly. "She's sending a message."
"I know," I replied softly. "She wants me desperate. Angry. Fighting her."
I sighed deeply. "Kim… I can't do that."
There was a pause before I continued, my voice trembling. "Albert chose me over her once. If he decides he wants her now, I'll let him go."
"You'll just let her have him?" Kim asked carefully.
I let out a humorless laugh. "Is he a toy? He's a man. If a woman is bold enough to chase a married man, it's because he gave her the permission to."
Kim was quiet for a moment. "You're right."
"What does that prove?" I continued. "That he has no respect for me. Or for the vows we exchanged."
My eyes filled with tears. "I won't fight. I won't beg. I'll just let them be."
Kim didn't speak for a few seconds.
Then she said calmly, "I want to find out more about her."
I stiffened. "Kim—"
"Not for drama," she interrupted. "For clarity. She won't even know. You'll stay anonymous."
"You don't have to," I said.
"I want to," she replied firmly. "And I will."
I nodded slowly. "Just… be careful."
"I will," she promised. "You take care of yourself. Don't let these people break you."
"Thank you, Kim," I said quietly.
As I ended the call, the house felt unbearably quiet again.
But this time, the silence wasn't empty.
It was waiting.