“He already has plenty of reasons. He just hasn’t seen them yet.”
Night came with a message from Vivian.
I heard you met Marcus. I’m glad you’re starting to get back on your feet.
I replied:
I’m glad too.
A few seconds later, she called.
“Marcus is a good man,” she said.
“You think so?”
“He’s always appreciated your abilities.”
“Adrian doesn’t?”
Silence.
I let the question hang, then gave a small laugh.
“Sorry. I was just joking.”
Vivian exhaled in relief. “You need to stop making jokes like that.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t want you and Adrian to grow any farther apart.”
I leaned back against the sofa.
“How far apart do you think we are?”
“I don’t know.”
A lie.
She knew more than she wanted to say.
I made my voice sound fragile. “I’m afraid he’s going to leave me.”
Vivian immediately tried to reassure me.
“Adrian would never do that.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because he loves you.”
I closed my eyes.
In my first life, I begged for those words to become reality.
Now I only wanted to know who had taught them to Vivian in the first place.
Before bed, I opened my notes about the apartment on the east side of the city.
I added one name beneath the address:
Find out what connection Vivian has to this place.
Then I turned off the light.
The game hadn’t begun yet.
I had only made sure all the pieces were still on the board.
I sent the message at 9:13 p.m.
You left the blue folder in the study.
The folder wasn’t there. I had deliberately placed it on the desk before leaving.
Five minutes later, Adrian replied.
What folder?
I left the message on read without replying.
At ten, he went into the study. I heard his footsteps from upstairs, followed by the sound of a drawer opening. When he came out, he had his phone in his hand.
I came downstairs carrying two cups of coffee.
“Looking for something?” I asked.
Adrian turned toward me. “I’m looking for a blue folder.”
“Which folder?”
“You messaged me earlier.”
“I just wanted to see if you’d look for it.”
He stared at me for a long moment.
“What do you mean?”
I handed him a cup. “Nothing.”
“Are you testing me?”
“Should I be testing my husband?”
“Evelyn.”
I sat down on the sofa. “You look tense.”
“I’m not tense.”
“You’re looking for a folder that doesn’t exist.”
“Because you said it did.”
“Which means you believed me.”
He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
I took a sip of coffee.
A small argument wouldn’t destroy their relationship. But doubt would make Adrian start examining every sentence that came out of my mouth.
That was enough for today.
That afternoon, Vivian came over with food. She hadn’t told me she was coming beforehand. In my first life, I liked that habit of hers. Now I knew Vivian never came without a reason.
“I wanted to make sure you ate,” she said.
“I’m fine.”
“You look pale.”
“Grief makes people look awful.”
She laughed softly, but her eyes surveyed the room.
“Where’s Adrian?”
“At the office.”
“Does he often come home late?”
“Lately.”
Vivian lowered her head, as if she felt guilty too.
“He’s under a lot of pressure.”
“What kind of pressure?”
“Work.”
I nodded. “Of course.”
She looked at me.
“You don’t believe me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“But you think so.”
I smiled. “I’m learning not to believe everything right away.”
The sentence was simple, but Vivian became far too quiet.
I took the plate from her hands and carried it to the kitchen. When I came back, she was staring at my phone lying on the table.
“Is that a message from Marcus?” she asked.
“Why?”
“You smiled when you saw it.”
I sat across from her.
“Am I not allowed to smile?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Then don’t worry.”
For the first time, Vivian looked uncomfortable in my home.