In the Hospital Alone, While He Stayed by Her Side

The next day, I arrived at the office early. No matter how tangled my personal life felt, work couldn’t afford delays. For too long, I’d been running late, caught up in managing Erik’s needs. My early arrival raised the supervisor’s eyebrows.

After the morning meeting, she called me into her office.

“Alyce, there's an opportunity to work at one of our overseas branches. Are you interested?” she began, her tone careful. “I’ve always valued your skills, but I was concerned about…”

Before she could finish, I nodded. “I’d be grateful for the opportunity. Thank you.”

Surprised, she blinked, pausing. “I noticed you threw out a bouquet last night. Did you have a fight with your husband?”

I gave a slight smile, shaking my head.

A fight? No. Erik never argues with me.

He always looked at me with that indulgent expression, like I was a child throwing a pointless tantrum. My phone vibrated twice, and I glanced down to see it was a call from Erik.

His voice was gentle, but there was an edge of displeasure. "Busy today? Why did you leave without making breakfast?"

He paused. “Yesterday was our wedding anniversary, and I got you a gift.”

“Oh?” I asked, masking my curiosity. “What gift?”

“A small box in my coat pocket—a ring.” I heard him fumble through his pockets, muttering, “Strange, it’s not here.”

Then, almost as if realizing something, he quickly added, “It must’ve fallen out in the car. I’ll get you another one.”

A bitter smile tugged at my lips. In yesterday’s photo, Polly had been wearing a ring on her hand. So, even my anniversary gift needed a test run by his childhood sweetheart?

“No need; I forgot to get you anything anyway.”

“Alyce? Are you upset? I really did buy you a gift.”

“Yeah,” I replied, my tone flat.

I replied softly, "If there's nothing else, I'll hang up now. I’m busy with work."

Since that day, my relationship with Erik had cooled into an uneasy calm.

A few days later, his mother invited me over for dinner—something that had never happened before. She’d always looked down on me, seeing only Polly as the rightful daughter-in-law. Still, I decided not to refuse.

When I arrived by taxi, Erik’s mother was directing his friends to set the table. As soon as she saw me, a hush fell over the room, and someone muttered, “Why invite her? She won’t let Erik drink with us.”

Ignoring the comment, I took a seat. Shortly after, Erik arrived—with Polly by his side.

I noticed Polly had removed the ring from her hand. She moved casually into the kitchen, chatting warmly with his mother as if she belonged there.

Then, Erik sat down beside me and pulled out the ring, holding it up proudly as if it were something precious. Without a hint of hesitation, he looked at me and lied smoothly, “I told you—it was in the car the whole time.”

Oblivious to my reaction, Erik took my hand and slipped the ring onto my finger. I looked down at it, a faint sense of disgust rising within me. How many times had he lied to me with such ease?

From the kitchen, I overheard his mother calling out, her voice warm and indulgent. "Oh, Polly, let Alyce handle these things. You're a guest here—how could I let you do this?"

Polly, clinging to her arm, replied with a soft smile. "Auntie, I missed you."

"Missed me, did you?" Erik’s mother teased, casting a quick glance in my direction before pulling Polly closer. "Then why don’t you visit me more often? I was beginning to think you’d forgotten all about Erik and me."

Turning to me, she added with feigned innocence, "Oh, Alyce, have I properly introduced Polly? She’s my adopted daughter, Erik’s dear sister. You really shouldn’t worry about their closeness—it’s perfectly natural! In fact, there's no need to keep tabs on Erik when he goes out. Don’t you trust Erik?"

She stood before me, a subtle command lacing her voice. "Yes, Alyce, you’re always checking up on me. It makes me feel uncomfortable, you know? We’re all decent people here; none of us are dragging Erik into trouble."

Colin Allen, one of Erik’s closest friends and an ardent supporter of his "perfect match" with Polly, chimed in smugly, "Besides, we’re just getting our company off the ground. Long nights are part of the deal, right? Polly even ended up in the hospital after drinking with a client! And if those two ever had feelings for each other, they would’ve been together ages ago. No need to worry, Alyce."

My eyes narrowed. What company? What start-up?

Wasn't Erik doing well in his stable job? Since when was he part of a "start-up"?

Realizing he’d said too much, Colin instantly fell silent, exchanging uneasy glances with the others as the room went quiet.