CHAPTER 3

🍒 CHERRY I did not say a word to Roman on our way to Seattle. Not even when the flight attendant came around with drinks or when Roman tried, a few times, to start a conversation with me. I simply stared out the window for most of the flight. By the time we landed, my eyes were sore from holding back tears. Seated beside me in a taxi, Roman glanced at me before looking out the window. “We should grab something to eat. I am hungry.” I turned to him, blinking rapidly to keep my tears in. “How can you be hungry after what you found out?” He shrugged. “They are the ones who did something wrong. Why should I punish myself by starving?” In some way, he is right, but I just cannot find it in me to have an appetite right now. My stomach feels like it is tied into a knot, and the thought of food makes me feel even more nauseous. “So what do you say we make a stop and have something to eat?” “I am not hungry. If you feel like eating, then by all means, knock yourself out.” Folding my hands across my chest, I turned my attention back to the window. Roman studied me for a few seconds, but thankfully, he did not argue. “Take us to St. Central Hospital,” he told the driver. I bit my lips hard, fighting back another tears. “You are going to draw blood if you keep doing that.” Roman pointed at my lips. Of course, I ignored him again. I kept my face turned toward the window, pretending to be interested in the passing buildings. In reality, I barely noticed anything around me. My thoughts were too loud, drowning out the sounds of traffic and the occasional honk from impatient drivers. Eventually, we made it to the hospital. The moment the taxi stopped in front of the entrance, Roman reached into the takeout bag containing the items he had bought at the airport. I watched him curiously as he pulled out a face cap, a nose mask, and a different jacket. He placed the face cap on my head, adjusting it until it covered most of my face. Then, he carefully hooked the band of the nose mask behind my ear before handing me the jacket. I stared at him, completely confused. “What are you doing?” He pointed at the car window. “They just stepped out of a taxi.” I followed his hand, and true to his words, Adam came down from a taxi and helped Sarai out. His hand rested possessively on her waist as he guided her toward the hospital entrance. My heart sank. I stared at them, barely breathing as I watched the way Adam stayed close to her. There was a familiarity in the way he touched her, something far too intimate to be dismissed as simple concern. I would be a fool not to see that those two aren’t just being casual. They are definitely having something together. As they walked into the hospital, my hand automatically reached for the car door. Before Roman could say anything, I opened it and stepped out, chasing after them. “Wait_” I ignored him. I could not wait. Not when my husband was walking into a hospital with my sister. Roman silently followed behind me, keeping a few steps between us as we hurried through the entrance. I followed my husband and my sister all the way to the OB section and as they walked through that door, all I could do was stare. I stood there, staring at the closed door with tears rolling freely down my face, my heart shattering into a million unredeemable pieces. This cannot be happening. My chest tightened as I pressed a trembling hand against it, desperately trying to hold myself together. I wanted to run after them. I wanted to throw the door open and demand answers. But I was frozen. “Is this believable enough?” I swallowed hard. Yes! “No.” Maybe living in denial will make all of this less painful. I shook my head, wiping away the tears with the back of my hand. “This doesn’t mean anything. They could have run into each other, and she mentioned her pregnancy and_” “And he decided to be kind enough to escort her to the obstetrician?” Roman finished. He sighed, watching me with an expression that told me he already knew I was trying desperately to find excuses for Adam. “I had a feeling you might say this, but come on. I have more evidence to show you.” Roman took my hand and gently led me out of the hospital. I followed him without resistance, my legs moving almost mechanically beneath me. We made our way back to the taxi that had dropped us off earlier. Once inside, I sank into the seat, rested my head against the backrest, closed my eyes and allowed the tears to fall freely. ******************* Roman took me to a penthouse, grabbed my hand, and led me upstairs into a bedroom. “Take a shower, Cherry. You stink.” I frowned at him. “I could tell you didn’t have a shower before getting on that plane. You had a little bit of drool on your face.” My eyes squeezed shut at the sudden pounding in my head. I sniffed before looking at him. “I don’t have anything to change into.” He pointed toward the closet. “I had one of the hotel staff pick out something for you from their boutique.” I followed his gaze toward the closet, then looked back at him. “Thank you, Roman.” He must be heartbroken just as I am, yet here he is, taking care of me instead of dealing with his own pain. Roman gave me a small nod. “If you really want to thank me, then I want you to develop an appetite for the food that is about to get served.” He jerked his head toward the door I believed led to the bathroom. “Take your time.” With that, he closed the door behind him. I dragged myself toward the bathroom. By the time I finished showering and having dinner, it was already getting a bit dark outside. The food had helped somewhat, although I still felt a heavy ache sitting in the middle of my chest. Clearing the table, I went in search of Roman. I found him standing on the balcony with a… Is that a binocular? “What are you doing?” I asked, stepping onto the balcony. The moment I stepped outside, a loud rumble of thunder rolled across the sky, making me glance upward. It’s about to rain. “Enjoying an evening show,” he replied, pulling the binoculars away from his eyes to look at me. I frowned. “What show?” He extended the binoculars toward me. “You want to watch?” I wasn’t sure what I was being offered to watch, but curiosity got the better of me. I accepted the binoculars nonetheless. Roman moved closer and pointed slightly to the left. “At the skyscraper in front of us,” he instructed. “Focus on the windows on the left.” “Are you spying on people?” I blurted out, my eyes going wide. Roman let out a chuckle. “Just take a look, Cherry.” Exhaling shakily, I lifted the binoculars to my eyes and stared through them. The first few windows I focused on had their curtains drawn, and I was about to take the damn thing away from my eyes when movement caught my attention. Two people. They were naked, clearly having s*x, with the woman pressed against the glass. I immediately pulled the binoculars away, my heart hammering against my ribs. “Why are you showing me a couple who are clearly having a private moment?” “Focus on the couple,” he instructed. Slowly, I lifted the binoculars again, reluctantly focusing on the couple. At first, I could only make out their silhouettes, then I adjusted the binoculars and their faces came into view. My entire body went numb. I staggered backward, slamming into the hard chest behind me. Adam. The man standing behind the woman was Adam. And the woman pressed against the glass was Sarai. My fingers began to shake violently, making it difficult to keep the binoculars steady. I could barely breathe as I watched my husband pound into another woman, sucking and nibbling her neck, while his hands fumbled her breasts. My fingers weakened around the binoculars, and I nearly dropped them. Roman immediately placed his hand over mine, helping me hold them steady. “Cherry…” The more I watched them, the more I felt my heart being stabbed over and over again. The silent tears that rolled down my ears slowly turned into loud sobbing. Roman gently pulled the binoculars away from my eyes. “I think you’ve seen enough,” he muttered. “Do you believe me now?” I opened my mouth, but no words came out. Suddenly, I felt choked up and unable to take in air, I turned and rushed out of the balcony, my feet slamming against the floor as I hurried toward the elevator, barely aware of where I was going. “Cherry!” Roman chased after me. “Wait!” “Leave me alone!” I yelled, my entire body shaking. I pressed the elevator button repeatedly, tears blurring my vision. “Please…” My voice cracked as I struggled to breathe. “I… I just… leave m—me alone.” The elevator doors finally opened. I stumbled inside and immediately pressed the button for the ground floor. The doors closed before Roman could reach me. The moment I was alone, my knees gave out. I crumbled onto the floor of the elevator, curling into myself as a broken sob escaped my lips.