Steve turned to me, his eyes filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite place—was it guilt, sadness, or perhaps relief? As I stood frozen in the doorway, time seemed to slow down, and I felt as though I had entered some alternate reality. My mind raced with questions, none of which I could articulate in that moment.
“Please, sit down,” Steve said, gesturing towards the edge of the bed. His voice was calm, almost too calm given the situation. I didn’t move, my feet felt glued to the floor. The weight of the evening, the months of happiness and love, felt as though they were collapsing in on me.
“Who is she?” I finally managed to ask, my voice trembling with a mixture of confusion and anger. The woman standing next to him seemed almost ethereal, as though she didn’t quite belong in the reality I had known thus far. She was silent, her eyes downcast. I had so many questions, and yet I was terrified of the answers.
