— I should go upstairs.
Daniel immediately turned toward her.
— Emily, wait.
Emily.
Now I had a name.
I hated how gently he said it.
Like her feelings mattered.
I followed them toward the hotel.
Neither of them stopped me.
Inside the elevator, nobody spoke.
Daniel stared at the floor.
Emily folded her arms.
My hands were shaking so badly that I had to hide them inside my jacket pockets.
When the elevator doors opened, Emily walked toward a room at the end of the hallway.
Daniel followed.
So did I.
She unlocked the door.
The moment I stepped inside, everything became clear.
There were two suitcases beside the bed.
Daniel’s black suitcase.
And a large cream-colored suitcase beside it.
Women’s clothes were hanging inside the wardrobe.
Trace Family History
Two toothbrushes stood in the bathroom.
Two coffee cups sat on the table.
This wasn’t a chance meeting.
This wasn’t some misunderstanding.
They had come here together.
I looked at Daniel.
— How long?
He closed the door.
— Laura…
— How long?
Emily looked away.
Daniel swallowed.
— Eight months.
Eight months.
Seventeen years of marriage, reduced to eight months of lies.
I felt strangely calm.
— Does she know you’re married?
Emily answered before Daniel could.
— Yes.
I turned toward her.
— And that didn’t bother you?
Her face tightened.
— He told me the marriage was already over.
I looked back at Daniel.
He said nothing.
That silence answered everything.
