Chapter 3

Once I stepped inside, I headed straight for my desk and switched on my recorder.

Over the familiar sound of an engine, Aaron's voice came through. He was calling Emily.

"Wait for me at your place. I'll be there in about fifteen minutes," Aaron said.

"Really? Right now?" Emily's voice shot up with excitement.

Aaron laughed softly, and I could hear the fondness in his voice. "Don't rush. The roads are slippery with the rain, so I'm driving slowly. It'll still be a little while."

"Weren't you supposed to be with your wife today? How come you're suddenly coming over?" Emily said, her voice laced with playful flirting.

"It's Valentine's Day," Aaron replied, his voice turning soft. "I couldn't stand the thought of you spending it all by yourself."

"Drive safe! I just picked up some sexy new lingerie today. Can't wait to show you!" Emily squealed before hanging up.

There was a moment of silence on the recording, just the steady sound of tires rolling down the street.

Then, a sharp knock thudded against the car window.

"Hop in the back," Aaron said coolly.

After the car door opened and closed, Emily's voice came through, sounding a little hurt. "Why won't you let me sit in the front? I just want to be closer to you..."

Aaron explained, "Layla's kind of possessive about the passenger seat. She's told me before that she doesn't want anyone else sitting there. Besides, it's safer in the back, less likely that anyone will spot us."

"Seriously, Layla, Layla, Layla... She's literally all you care about!" Emily drew out the name, making it sound even more cutting and bitter.

"Emily." Aaron's voice was flat and icy, each syllable like a warning not to push his limits.

Emily immediately softened, her voice turned pitiful. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be jealous of her, okay? Don't be angry, honey. I'll let you do anything you want today."

A gentle laugh echoed on the recording.

"I'm not wearing anything under my clothes. Won't you touch me? Please?" Emily whimpered.

Aaron's voice dropped to a low, husky drawl. "Then strip down and crawl over here."

"Huh? Wh-what? Right now?" Emily stammered, thrown completely off guard.

She'd never imagined he'd actually say something like that.

"What? Weren't you the one who told me I could have my fun today?" Aaron replied, his voice deliberately casual, almost careless.

The rain had stopped outside, and the recording filled with a sensual, sticky tension.

Emily's voice was tinged with tears as she asked, "Honey, do you love me?"

Aaron gave a lazy, almost amused chuckle. "If I didn't love you, would I really leave my wife behind and sneak out to see you in the dead of night?"

"I knew it, you do love me," Emily whispered.

Her sobs grew louder, but there was a bright, giddy joy in her voice. "I love you too, honey! Can I give you a baby? I really want to have a baby for you!"

Aaron didn't say anything, but his breathing grew heavier and more urgent.

It was like a runner giving it everything in the final sprint before the finish line.

He let out a long, contented breath, then kissed the girl in his arms with possessive tenderness. "You want to have a baby? Okay, you can."

"Honey, I love you! I just knew it! Can we go again? Please, I want more!" Emily whimpered.

The click of a lighter sounded.

Aaron lit up a cigarette and tapped Emily teasingly on the cheek. "Damn, you're such a turn-on!"

Emily stretched out her fingers, snaking them around Aaron's body. "Don't you like it?"

Aaron gave a dry chuckle and flicked his cigarette out the window.

After regaining his breath, he leaned down, pressed his lips against her chest, and murmured in a husky voice, "Love it."

I kept playing that conversation again and again.

I didn't know how many times I had replayed it before the recorder suddenly went silent.

Still, I pressed the button over and over. The harsh, mechanical clicks sliced through the silence of the living room, making it all feel even emptier.

Outside, the sun slipped away, sinking lower and lower until it disappeared.

The sky faded from soft blue to a burnt orange glow and then got swallowed up by the night. I just sat there, too numb to move, not budging an inch.

*****

The next day, I took a week off from work and headed back to my hometown.

At dinner, I sat across from my parents, hesitating for a long time before finally speaking up.

"Mom, Dad, I want to divorce Aaron," I said, my voice.

"Divorce? Have you totally lost it?" Mom yelled, her voice getting super loud. "You have such a good life now. What are you divorcing for? Have you lost your senses?"

I just stared, feeling my eyes sting. "Mom, didn't you always say I shouldn't marry Aaron? You said he wasn't good enough, that moving so far would only make things hard for me."

"That was then, this is now!" Mom snapped.

She glared at me. "Can't you see how well he's doing now? He's got a house, a car, and he's running a company as the boss! Your brother's down payment for his new place is due next month. He's counting on Aaron's help! And now you want a divorce? Do you want to ruin your brother's future?"

"But he cheated on me!" I shouted, my voice cracking with tears. "He's sleeping with his secretary! Mom, if Dad ever did that to you, would you just put up with it?"

Dad slammed the table and then stalked off to his room.

But Mom waved it off and tried to talk some sense into me. "Men make mistakes when they're out working hard. Aaron's under a lot of pressure. Sometimes he just needs to relax. Don't hold onto this one thing. It makes you look immature."

She sighed deeply and continued, "Listen to me, don't bring up divorce. What you need to do now is get pregnant. Once you have a child, Aaron will be more family-oriented. Quit your job, stay home to take care of him and the baby. He'll treat you well then. Don't be foolish. Don't throw away such a good life with your own hands."

Seeing Mom act like all of this was just how things were supposed to be, I felt an icy emptiness spreading inside me.

I glanced over at my brother, a tiny bit of hope still left in my voice. "You really think... I should just let it go with Aaron?"

He set his phone down and scratched his head, clearly uncomfortable.

He said, "My girlfriend and I are talking about marriage. Her parents want us to have a place of our own… and we're counting on Aaron to help with the down payment. So maybe don't get divorced right now. He didn't do anything that bad. It's just another woman. It's not like he wants to leave you. He still cares about you. Just endure it, okay?"

I stared at his familiar face, and all I could think about was those days when I always had his back, fighting for him if anyone tried to hurt him. Now, it was like someone hit me with a dull blow straight to the heart, leaving me utterly speechless.

I guess with enough time, some feelings just sour and lose their warmth.

He wasn't that little kid running after me anymore.

Mom banged on the table, eyes blazing. "How did I end up raising a daughter who can't even get her priorities straight?"

She continued, "When Aaron was poor and had nothing, you insisted on marrying him even though I told you not to! Now that he's made it, you want to divorce him? Are you crazy?"

Her voice got harsher. "Do you think you'll be better off after a divorce? A second marriage? You've even had a miscarriage. Your womb isn't clean! What decent man would want you? You should be grateful Aaron still wants you. You don't know how lucky you are!"

With that, she stormed to the door, snatched up my suitcase, and flung it outside. Clothes and toiletries went flying, scattering everywhere.

My mom said, "You married out. You're not part of this family anymore! Running home every time something goes wrong, don't you feel embarrassed? Stop coming back all the time! What kind of daughter acts like this?"

She continued, "Go back and apologize to Aaron! Make him happy again! And the best thing you can do is hurry up and give him a son. Then, your position will be secure, and that little vixen won't be able to stir up trouble anymore!"

I dragged my suitcase along, clutching a bag of fruit that had gotten mashed in the chaos. Step by step, I walked down the familiar streets of my hometown.

The summer sun was vicious, making the blacktop shimmer like it might just melt away.

But I couldn't feel a trace of warmth. My whole body felt submerged in ice water.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a message from Aaron.