Love, As Fleeting as the Breeze

Christina's feet felt nailed to the ground.

The voices inside continued without pause.

"Is Lucien and Vanessa still not done? It's been, what, five hours already?"

"Why rush? Lucien's a beast, and Vanessa's irresistible. They won't stop until they're completely spent."

"But doing it right next door? That's a bit much. I even heard moaning earlier. Good thing I turned up the music just in time, or his wife might've caught on. You have no idea how tense I was."

"What's there to be tense about? You'll get used to it after a few times. Lucien finally found someone who caught his eye. At least he's not glued to his wife anymore. As his bros, we've got to cover for him and let him enjoy some wildflowers. Haha!"

"Sure, his wife's pretty, but she's way too uptight. Probably a dead fish in bed. Men want excitement, you know?"

Christina couldn't make out the rest.

A buzzing filled her ears as she stumbled out. Her world spun.

So everyone knew. Everyone. And they'd all kept it from her.

These so-called friends, all smiles to her face, had been shielding Lucien while mocking her behind her back.

It felt as if an invisible hand had reached into her chest and ripped her heart apart. Pain radiated through every nerve in her body.

Outside, the rain poured down, but she didn't feel it. Like a hollow shell, she walked on.

Alone, she went to the immigration office, drenched and disheveled, and signed the papers.

Alone, she returned home and locked herself in her room.

From that day, a fever overtook her.

Lucien found her the next afternoon, burning up and barely conscious.

Panic gripped him as he rushed her to the hospital.

Thankfully, it was just the flu. After a full day and night on an IV drip, she woke up.

But Lucien was shaken. He rented out the entire building and stopped going to work, staying by her side every moment.

Until one day, his assistant entered, insisting an important client demanded to see him.

Lucien frowned, ready to refuse, but the assistant whispered something in his ear.

His expression shifted. Reluctantly, he released Christina's hand. "Christina, I…"

She cut him off, her voice calm. "Go."

Her composure unsettled him. Something in his chest tightened.

He noticed her distant demeanor but brushed it off. She had just been ill. He was overthinking it.

He left instructions for the nurse to take care of her and promised to return soon.

Three days passed, but Lucien didn't come back.

Instead, Christina's phone rang.

Vanessa's voice dripped with triumph. "Christina, guess what? I'm pregnant. I'm going to be a mom. And the father is your husband.

"He's been taking care of me non-stop these past few days. He carries me everywhere, even feeds me himself. Oh, and the doctor said it's safe to make out at three months. He was so excited, he couldn't stop. We tried dozens of positions that night. I was exhausted, but it felt amazing. I loved it.

"Oops, I might've said too much. You're not mad, are you? Don't blame Lucien. After all, his baby is more important than your fever, right?"

Vanessa's words were venomous, meant to shatter her.

But maybe Christina had already gone numb. Not a single tear fell.

She didn't speak. Didn't ask.

Quietly, she pressed the record button, thinking, 'Lucien, I can't wait for you to hear this.'