Chapter 4
I sprawled out on the icy tiles, cold sweat soaking through the back of my shirt.
Linda lived right across the hall. She was straightforward, warm-hearted, and always sticking her nose into other people's business.
She was the one who texted me, telling me Eric had brought a woman home and urging me to come back quickly to catch him in the act.
I never expected that after sending the text, she would actually come over to watch the drama unfold.
She screwed me over.
Eric's expression shifted as soon as he heard her speak.
He asked, "What do you mean?
"Monica's not supposed to be back until tomorrow. I even bought her the ticket myself.
"There's no way she'd be back today. Linda, are you sure you didn't get it wrong?"
Eric was still smiling as he spoke, but there was a tension beneath that smile.
He gripped the doorknob, his knuckles turning pale.
Linda let out a dramatic sound and dropped her voice, sounding way too eager to stir up some drama.
She said, "My son Tommy saw her, you know. He said Monica was at the front gate half an hour ago, and she even waved at him. No way he got it wrong."
She paused, then her voice shot up again, clearly fishing for more.
Linda asked, "So, what, she didn't come in?
"Or did she walk in, catch something she wasn't supposed to see, and you two had a blow-up, so she ran off?"
Linda narrowed her eyes, giving Eric a pointed look.
She said, "Eric, you can't pull something like this.
"Monica's such a good girl, and her folks treat you like their own. They're always fussing over you, bringing food, buying stuff, always looking out for you.
"Don't go doing something stupid."
Eric's face turned ashen, his jaw clenched so tight it looked like he was about to crack a tooth.
After a long, tense silence, he finally managed to speak.
Eric said, "Linda, I have no idea what you're talking about.
"Monica really isn't back, and there's nothing shady going on in here."
He stepped aside, his tone tinged with resignation.
He said, "If you're so worried, why don't you come in and see for yourself?"
Linda gave an awkward chuckle.
She said, "Oh, please, I'm not worried about anything."
She thought that I probably gotten held up somewhere in the complex. Something must've come up.
If I had really rushed back to catch Eric with that flashy woman, there would've been fireworks by now, not this total silence.
With that thought, Linda shoved the plate of bread into Eric's hands, forcing a sheepish smile.
She said, "Guess Tommy must've gotten it wrong.
"You go ahead and do your thing. I won't bother you anymore. If Monica comes back, just tell her I was here."
"Mm, sure. Thanks for your concern, Linda," Eric replied.
After closing the door, Eric slowly turned around.
He stood there for a moment, a smile slowly spreading across his face.
Eric said, "Babe.
"You're back. Why aren't you coming out?
"Are you playing hide and seek with your hubby?"
As he spoke, he started walking, not in a hurry, but with a clear destination in mind, heading straight for the couch.
His footsteps rang out, each one exploding in my head like a thunderclap.
I was scared out of my wits, so close to passing out that my mind just went blank. I couldn't even think of what to do next.
The footsteps stopped.
Eric's deep voice rumbled overhead.
He said, "Gotcha. Found you."
I was frozen stiff, my neck cracking as I lifted my head like a robot.
Eric crouched down and gently ruffled my hair.
He asked, "Monica, why are you sneaking around? You came back and didn't even tell me?"