After My Husband Hides a Woman Next Door Chapter 2

Tears welled in my eyes, hot and stinging. Caleb and I had been through so much since college, a whirlwind of triumphs and challenges, but he had always been the picture of health. How could he be sick?

My vision blurred. Early detection, early treatment, I thought desperately. Maybe it wasn't serious.

Clutching the phone like a lifeline, my mind went blank. All I wanted was to run upstairs, throw myself into his arms, and weep out all my love and fear. I stabbed at the elevator button.

But then, the mysterious phone call and a nagging question collided in my mind.

Where is Lily?

My stepsister, Lily, had been part of my life for as long as I could remember. My parents took her in when we were just toddlers. Normally, she was always around, showing up to "sample" whatever nice thing I had.

But I hadn't seen her in months. Even her calls had become rare.

A while back, an old classmate had started a rumor that Lily was pregnant. At the time, she'd been so sure, so full of gossipy detail.

I had shut her down, fiercely defending my stepsister. "Lily hasn't even dated anyone in years. You must have mistaken her gaining a little weight for a baby bump. You're ruining her reputation, you know. Watch what you say."

My classmate had turned beet-red, her voice dripping with resentment. "Hah. You call her your sister, but I doubt she feels the same. You're so naive, sticking up for her. She's been stealing your things since we were kids. You'd better watch out, or she'll steal your husband next."

Her words, so absurd then, now seemed to click into place, forming a terrifying mosaic.

A dark premonition coiled in my stomach.

I opened Instagram, pulling up Lily’s profile. For the past few months, she had only shared links to songs and articles. Not a single photo. For someone who lived for posting selfies, it was a massive red flag.

A gust of wind swirled into the lobby, carrying snowflakes that melted instantly against my skin, the cold shock clearing my head.

I turned away from the elevator, wiped the tears from my cheeks, and with a grim resolve, tore the printed report into tiny pieces. I walked out of the building and stuffed the confetti into a trash can by the neighboring apartment tower.

But when I got back upstairs, Maria was whispering something to Caleb.

He turned to me, his expression casual, but his eyes were sharp, probing. "Why'd you go over to the next building just now?"

My stomach dropped. Why were they so fixated on that building? Why did even walking past it warrant an interrogation?

I remembered then. For the past six months, Caleb had been parking his Bentley over there constantly.

A neighbor had even mentioned it. "Hey, Kate, why's your husband always parking his Bentley in our lot? Did you guys rent out your spot or is he keeping a little secret over here?"

"Oh, you know, he just parks wherever's convenient. Our assigned spot is so far away," I'd replied, laughing it off.

All these moments, these stray comments, now echoed in my ears.

I took off my coat, turned on the TV, and sank into the softer of our two sofas. Rubbing my swollen ankles, I stared blankly at an old episode of The Good Wife.

"It was nothing," I said lightly. "I just saw a beautiful white cat. You know how much I love cats. I was just curious."

I was a terrible liar, and Caleb knew me as someone without a manipulative bone in her body. My simple explanation seemed to work; the suspicion in his eyes faded.

A little while later, I slipped into the bathroom, opened Spotify, and switched to a burner account. I went to the "People Nearby" feature and started scrolling.

And there it was. A familiar pink profile picture jumped out at me. The location tag beneath it read: 300 meters away.

I tapped on the first post.

“So thrilling. My brother-in-law moved me into the apartment building next door. Says it’s to ‘take care of me.’ More like take care of his little friend downstairs, if you know what I mean.”

“Pregnancy hormones are no joke, but he just can’t get enough. Slow down, Caleb, I’m so swollen I can barely walk. I can't take it anymore.”