Chapter 128 CHAPTER 128
Will it work?
“I don’t know,” Tessa admitted. “But I can’t keep pretending everything is fine while he runs off drinking with a woman. I’m tired, Ayisha. Tired of being the responsible one, the understanding one, the woman who holds everything together while the man she loves forgets what he promised.”
Ayisha looked at her for a long moment, her smile fading into something softer. “You know,” she said quietly, “you don’t have to fight so hard to be seen. Some men only notice what they lose.”
Tessa’s gaze dropped to her lap. “Then maybe it’s time he loses a little,” she said.
For a while, neither spoke. The hum of the monitor filled the space between them. Outside, a nurse passed by pushing a cart, the wheels squeaking faintly.
Ayisha reached over, taking Tessa’s hand gently. “You’re stronger than you think,” she said. “But if this goes wrong, don’t come crying to me when Ares sends you to a real hospital for stress.”
Tessa laughed under her breath. “I’ll cross that bridge when I faint on it.”
Ayisha rolled her eyes, chuckling again. “You really have lost it.”
“Maybe,” Tessa said, smiling faintly. “But you know what? It feels good to laugh about something again.”
Ayisha nodded. “You’ve earned it. After all the madness with Lady Bianca, Marcus, Ares disappearing, all that family mess, I don’t blame you. I’d probably fake a coma myself just to escape for a week.”
Tessa’s laugh came lighter this time, almost genuine. “Don’t tempt me.”
They sat together for a few more minutes, the quiet comfortable now. Ayisha reached for the fruit bowl on the bedside table, picked up an apple, and took a bite. “So how long do you plan to keep this act going?” she asked through a mouthful.
Tessa smirked. “As long as I need to.”
Ayisha swallowed and grinned. “Girl, if the other doctors find out, you’re finished.”
“I paid all of them.”
Ayisha nearly choked laughing. “You’re smart. I love that.”
Tessa smiled, leaning back against the pillow. “You do?”
“I do,” Ayisha admitted. “You’re the most dramatic friend I’ve ever had.”
“Drama keeps life interesting.”
Ayisha opened her mouth to respond and then both women froze.
Footsteps. Heavy ones. Coming down the corridor.
The sound grew closer. A man’s voice, muffled but firm, exchanged a few words with the nurse outside. The handle of the door rattled slightly.
Tessa’s eyes widened. She whispered sharply, “Quick— act natural!”
Ayisha blinked. “What do you mean act natural?”
“Like you’re comforting a sick friend, not laughing at her pretending to be sick!”
“Oh my God…”
“Shh!”
Tessa immediately reclined on the bed, throwing her head back against the pillow, closing her eyes halfway, her lips parting as though she was in pain. She adjusted her breathing to something shallow and slow. The transformation was instantaneous, the actress in her took the stage.
Ayisha grabbed a tissue box and dabbed at Tessa’s forehead dramatically, whispering, “Hang in there, okay? You’ll be fine,” though she could barely stop herself from giggling. “Another baby will come.”
The door creaked open.
A nurse peeked in, holding a clipboard. “Everything okay in here?”
Ayisha nodded quickly, masking her laughter with a look of concern. “She’s resting,” she said solemnly. “She was feeling a bit dizzy again, but she’s fine now.”
The nurse smiled softly. “Good. Try to let her sleep.”
Tessa gave a weak, perfect little groan, her acting flawless.
When the door clicked shut again, both women waited a full five seconds, then burst out laughing silently, shoulders shaking, trying not to make a sound.
Ayisha leaned over, whispering, “You and that nurse deserve an award for that performance.”
Tessa smiled with her eyes closed. “I know.”
The laughter faded, replaced by a stillness that felt almost peaceful. For a moment, both women just sat there, two survivors of too much chaos, hiding behind humor, secrets, and a strange bond born from shared exhaustion.
Outside, the hospital carried on. Nurses traded shifts. Machines beeped. Somewhere in the building, a doctor announced a code blue. But inside Room 411, the world had narrowed to two women sharing a secret no one else knew.
Tessa adjusted her pillow again, exhaling softly. “You know,” she murmured, “if anyone finds out, we never had this conversation.”
Ayisha smirked. “Oh, I’ll deny everything.”
They both smiled, the conspirators, the actresses, the tired women who still had enough energy to laugh at life’s cruelty.
Then came another pair of footsteps outside, heavier, slower, masculine.
Ayisha’s eyes widened slightly. “You think it’s Ares?”
Tessa froze. Her heart kicked once in her chest.
She whispered quickly, “Don’t move. Don’t say a word.”
The footsteps stopped right outside the door.
A shadow crossed the thin beam of light under it.
The handle turned.
And both women instantly fell silent, frozen
in place, one pretending to be weak, the other pretending to console her.
The door began to open.