The perfume wasn’t hers.
Neither are the message texts.
And if we start talking about the kisses on his neck...
It was more than clear; her husband was cheating on her.
But maybe she was just exaggerating and it was just something else. She thought that at some point those signs of infidelity would disappear, because Miguel loved her, didn’t he? He had said it on his marriage vows, sworn it on the altar.
Or maybe she was just lying to herself to avoid thinking what would happen if her suspicions were true: her parents hated each other and throughout her childhood she had to deal with it, she didn’t want her little daughter to suffer the same. And not to mention how bad it was going to be after the divorce because clearly she wasn’t going to be there if the relationship had a third wheel.
And after weeks passed by with that thought living rent-free on her head, she finally decided to talk.
The thing was that that afternoon her husband said he had to stay out for something important, and she already figured out what it was.
She was rehearsing in front of the mirror, analyzing every word that came out of her mouth. She was still wondering if what she was going to do was the right thing. She couldn’t stop thinking about her daughter and the questions she was going to ask her: the serious consequences of her decision.
Gabriela was not to blame for the foolishness her father did, and yet she was going to pay for it.
While she was still in front of the mirror rehearsing, she got a call.
“Yes?”
“Am I talking to Miguel O’hara’s partner?”
Her body was paralyzed, for a moment she thought it was her husband’s lover, calling to tell her that she would step aside and let them be happy.
“Yes, who is speaking?”. She asked with a slight fear in her voice, expecting the worst.
“Could you come to the hospital? He had been wounded by an altercation with a gun.”
No doubt, she was expecting everything but that.
[…]
She didn’t even try to park right: even though she was going to divorce her husband, she still had some concern for him. She went to reception and gave his name, asking to see him.
A nurse approached and started to guide her to her husband’s room. On the way the nurse explained to her what had happened; apparently Miguel had helped a woman whose wallet had been stolen. He intervened so the thief reacted and pointed a gun to shoot him. Surprisingly, he had no trace of any bullet.
“And without a scar? Nothing?”
“No, it’s as if the thief had failed”
“I see…”
“You don’t have to worry; maybe he heard the shot and thought it had shoot him on the chest. The mind can be very deceptive.” The nurse explained to her kindly, opening the room where Miguel was.
And there he was, sitting on the stretcher eating what he had been given, in a white robe.
He looked different.
“Miguel…” she sighed, approaching to embrace her husband.
“Mi vida.” Miguel smiled, bringing his hand closer to his partner’s cheek, gently stroking his thumb. “Hi”
“Where were you? Are you feeling well?” Her concern was genuine, she was on the verge of tears.
“I am perfectly fine, my love. I just want to come home with you and our daughter.”
Miguel seemed more relaxed, maybe that experience had changed him.
“Soon, you’ll see.”
As she took his hand, she realized that his wedding ring was missing from Miguel’s hand.
“Where is your ring?”
Miguel saw his own hand, dropped a little ‘oh’ as if he didn’t know what she was talking about.
“I’m sure I left it at home. I guess I had a feeling this morning, so I did it” Miguel smiled innocently.
“Yes, maybe it was that”
But it was certain that he had left him because he was dating someone else and that someone must not know that Miguel was married.
When Miguel recovers, she’ll confront him. She needed to put an end to that suffering that was slowly consuming her.