Leila was on her way out of the clinic when she saw Charles. He was waiting by his car and as soon as he spotted her, he waved. She leaned on the door for support, tempted to run back into the clinic to stay with her sister-in-law.
The two had bonded over tales about Kelvin's childhood. His favourite colour was black, which came as no surprise to her since he mostly wore only black suits. Madonna was nicer than she gave her credit for, they exchanged numbers with a promise to have a girls night out in the future.
The comfort from spending time with someone who was on her side faded the moment Charles appeared. He had done enough damage, why couldn't he leave her alone? She stormed towards the smiling man.
"Are you following me?" she asked.
Her eyes darted left, right and centre to be sure no one was watching them. Charles opened the passenger door of his Benz for her but she shook her head. She didn't want to be anywhere near him as long as she had a choice.
"Not exactly," he replied. She scoffed. She used to think Carlson would give her an issue but life has other plans for her. He folded his hands and leaned back on the car, she hoped he would fall down and sprain his ankle or break his neck. "I might have followed you here." She rolled her eyes. "I was just worried. Are you okay?"
"I'm perfect." Leila sized him up. Knowing he had nothing to do with the pictures sent to her made her less annoyed at his presence but she wanted him out of her sight. What she needed was a warm bath and a good sleep to prepare her plans for tomorrow. She was going to get her husband. "Have a nice day, Mr Black."
"Leila. We need to fix-"
Charles was still speaking when she walked away from him. She flagged down the first cab that slowed past her. Inside the cab, she pulled out the phone and inspected the pictures again. Other people might not have recognised Kelvin based on the angles the pictures were taken from but all she needed was a side view of him.
The explanation from Madonna helped her fit the missing pieces of the puzzle. Her theory had some loopholes in them but she was certain of a few things.
Mia sent those pictures to spite her. Mia picked her call. Mia must have deleted the call history after that or Kelvin would have returned the calls. As long as they were on good terms, her husband would never miss any of her calls except he was busy. And when he missed her calls, he followed it with an explanation in form of a text.
She could only hope the talk between Madonna and her best friend would end this madness. Mia was acting desperate and marking the wrong territory. Kelvin was her husband and Leila didn't like sharing her man.
If she had to talk to the other woman, she would but Madonna promised it wouldn't get that far. Mia had had a childhood crush on Kelvin since forever. It made her do crazy stuff that Madonna supported because she thought the two would get married. Her sister-in-law mentioned that part with a laugh. But Leila hadn't laughed.
That remark worried Leila and as the cab neared her complex, a dark feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. She tried to shake it off but it never left her.
"Have a great evening, ma'am," the cab man told her after she paid. The amount she gave was more than the fare.
She tipped her invisible hat. "You too, Sir."
The elevator slid open and she got in. For now, she wouldn't think about Mia. She would think of her faithful husband and how to earn his forgiveness.
Thoughts of Kelvin invaded her mind and the conversation with Madonna filtered into her subconscious. Loyal to a fault. She liked that. She was also loyal to a fault. They were a great pair and she was starting to really believe that.
The door of their apartment was unlocked when Leila tried to open it. Her heart jumped in trepidation, she pushed the door wide open. The jacket on the arm of the couch caught her eyes, and Leila laughed at herself for being super paranoid. Who else would be in the house if not her husband?
A sliver of excitement exploded inside her. Her husband was home. She checked their bedroom first but it was empty, same with the study. On her tiptoes, she headed to the kitchen. Her Kelvin was there.
Her heart raced at the sight of him and a smile broke out on her lips. Her husband was by the island slicing an apple. Leila smothered a laugh. She had just learned one more thing about her husband today. He liked to peel the apple before eating. She liked it with the skin.
The list of things Kelvin liked was fast growing and she was eager to add more items to it. She clung to the door instead of announcing her presence. Now that he was here, she didn't know how to act. Her nerves almost failed her, she begged her feet to function and took the first step forward.
Kelvin looked up from what he was doing when she stopped in the middle of the kitchen. He didn't say anything. She wanted him to talk to her. To look at her the way he always did when they were alone, as if he liked her.
Did he like her? Leila wanted to believe he did. Or, he was at least willing to give them a chance.
"Hey." He was done peeling the apple, and she watched the knife divide the fruit into squares. She had to say something. But what? "I was at your office today, Kev."
She bridged the gap between them and touched his shoulder when what she wanted was a real hug. The faint scent of his cologne drifted into her nose and she took comfort in that until they settled.
"Please don't be mad at me." Kelvin was rigid. "I came by your office today," she repeated. Her husband resumed cutting the apples and she slipped her hand into his to get his attention. "Kev, please. I'm so sorry."
Something warm touched her hand, she jumped back at the blood rolling down her husband's thumb. How did that happen? Under the light, the tip of the knife glistened. Was it her fault? Blood trickled down to the apple squares and she felt faint.
"Oh, my God. Kev. You cut yourself." Kelvin looked down like he was seeing the cut for the first time, she pulled him to the sink and ran his hand over the tap. He was acting too calm. She cupped her husband's face. "Don't go anywhere, just wait here." He stared down at her for the first time with a look of boredom. "Please. I'll be back."
Leila scurried to their bedroom to get the first aid kit, when she returned to the kitchen, her husband was nowhere to be found. He couldn't have left without telling her, right? She started her search in the study and ended it in the living room.
Kelvin's jacket was gone.
One. Two. Three seconds passed. A sob escaped her, she crumpled to the floor and curled into a ball. She couldn't take this from him anymore.