Marco meet Sandro
Marco
"Sir?" My assistant, Andy, asked as he stepped into my office after I called him through the intercom.
"I was expecting a visitor this morning, but she didn’t show up," I said, leaning back in my chair. I wasn’t sure why, but I found myself worried about Nurse Mika’s absence. Something about her message yesterday stuck with me: her fear and uncertainty. She had mentioned something about possibly being jailed, but I didn't even know her personally. What could she have done that made her think that way?
"Should I look into her, sir?" Andy asked, watching me closely.
I gave him a firm nod and handed over the nurse's phone number along with her name and the name of the hospital where I had taken Ashlyn when she suddenly experienced stomach pains.
"Understood, sir. I’ll start working on this now," Andy replied before exiting the office.
With that taken care of, I turned my attention back to my work. The morning passed uneventfully, but I received a text message just before lunchtime.
Mika: Sir, I apologize for not coming today. There was an emergency at home.
Marco: I see. Alright.
I waited for another message, some kind of explanation, but none came. My thoughts drifted back to the nurse. What could she have possibly done to me that would warrant imprisonment? No matter how hard I tried to recall, I couldn’t think of a single thing. Shaking my head, I forced myself to focus on work again.
But not long after, Ashley’s face came to mind. Her bright, joyful expression, the way she looked when she smiled. Maybe it was because she was my wife's twin, Ashlyn, that the resemblance between them was so striking. In certain moments, their features and even their smallest gestures mirrored each other so perfectly that it was almost impossible to tell them apart.
A particular memory resurfaced yesterday when I went to Ashley’s condo. I was standing in front of her door, about to enter the passcode, when a man’s voice interrupted me.
Yesterday…
"Excuse me, who are you?" The man’s question made me frown. He was standing a few steps away, looking at me slightly suspiciously. "Ash isn’t here."
"Huh?" I blurted out, taken aback by his familiarity with Ashley. Why does he sound so close to her? "What did you just say?"
"She already left. Her sister called her, so she rushed home," he explained.
"I'm her brother-in-law," I clarified, though I had the urge to say boyfriend instead. But I knew better. I didn't want to tarnish Ashley’s reputation.
"Ah, are you here to pick her up? Like I said, she already left. She seemed to be in a hurry," he added.
I gave him a slight nod, about to turn away, but something nagged at me. I hesitated before asking, "Who are you?"
"I'm Sandro, Ashley’s friend," he said casually.
I frowned. Does Ashley have a male friend? She had never mentioned this to me before. Why? The urge to ask more questions burned in my throat, but I held back. Instead, I simply nodded again and walked away.
Back to the present…
On my way back to my office, my mind spun with questions. Why did my wife call Ashley home?
I pulled out my phone, turning it back on after having switched it off earlier. When the screen lit up, several unread messages from Ashlyn flooded in, asking if I could come home.
I checked the timestamps. They were sent right after I turned off my phone to see Ashley.
I noticed a pattern. Every time I try to see Ashley, something happens. Every single time, Ashlyn is there, unknowingly stopping me. Even now, when I turned off my phone, she called Ashley instead.
Determined to get answers, I dialed Ashlyn’s number.
"Hey," she answered almost immediately.
"You texted me," I said flatly. "I was in a meeting, and I have another one coming up. Is something wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Ah… no, nothing like that," she replied, her voice soft and hesitant.
"Then why did you want me to come home?"
"I… I just missed you," she admitted, sounding a little embarrassed.
I exhaled slowly. Was that really the only reason?
"Alright," I said, keeping my tone neutral. "I thought you were in pain or something. Anyway, I’ll see you later. Take care."
"Okay… I love you," she whispered, almost timidly.
But I didn’t respond. Instead, I pretended not to have heard and ended the call.
I wanted to ask her why she had called Ashley home, but she might become suspicious about how I knew about it if I did. So, for now, I chose to stay silent. I gripped the steering wheel tightly as I drove back to the office, frustration simmering beneath my skin.
As if dealing with Ashlyn wasn’t enough, my mind was also fixated on Sandro. Who is he in Ashley’s life? Are they really just friends?
Something about him didn’t sit right with me. The way he had spoken about Ashley so casually, it felt like he had a deeper connection to her. Was it possible that he had feelings for her? The thought made my chest tighten uncomfortably.
The rest of the day dragged on, and my mood was completely ruined. I could barely focus, my mind clouded with thoughts of Ashley and the reality of my situation. I loved her so much that it hurt. But at the same time, I knew I had responsibilities.
Ashlyn was carrying my child.
I had always dreamed of having a complete family. Yet, the reality was staring me in the face: I would only continue to hurt Ashlyn if I stayed with her while my heart belonged to someone else.
As the afternoon wore on, Andy finally returned with bad news.
"Are you sure?" I asked, my grip tightening on the armrests of my chair.
His expression was serious. "Yes, sir. Absolutely sure."
I clenched my jaw, preparing myself for whatever was coming next.