Chapter 24 024
THE morning light slipped faintly through the half-drawn curtains, painting the room in a quiet gray. The sound of running water hummed from the bathroom where Adrian was. Vivian was already awake, sitting upright on the bed, her back resting against the headboard. She scrolled absently through her phone, her face calm but her mind restless.
Then suddenly, ping! A message flashed across Adrian’s phone screen where it lay on the dresser.
Vivian froze. Her eyes darted toward the bathroom door, still shut, steam escaping from its edges. Adrian wasn’t coming out yet. Slowly, almost unwillingly, her gaze fell back to the phone. Her chest tightened.
She bit her lip, her fingers twitching.
“No… don’t,” she muttered under her breath, but curiosity gnawed at her.
Sliding off the bed, her bare feet whispered against the rug as she crept toward the dresser. Her eyes flicked again toward the bathroom. The water still ran.
She reached the phone, hesitating, her hand hovering. Then she snatched it up quickly as though afraid the moment would slip away. She turned it over in her palm, her thumb hovering over the screen. Her heart pounded.
Just one swipe… just one.
But then—
“What are you doing?”
The voice boomed behind her. Vivian flinched violently, the phone slipping from her fingers and landing with a muted thud on the dresser. She spun around, her eyes wide. Adrian stood there, a towel around his waist, water still dripping from his hair, his expression dark and angry.
“I… I—” she stammered, her words tripping over themselves, “a message popped up, so I… I just thought… just thought I should check.”
Her voice sounded like that of a child caught in the act, guilt written all over her face.
Adrian stepped closer, his jaw clenched, his eyes fixed hard on her. Now they were standing face-to-face, the silence between them heavy.
“Don’t you ever… go through my phone again.” His tone was cold, sharp and final.
Vivian’s mouth fell open, stunned. She had expected irritation, maybe even mockery, but not this.
“Even my wife,” he added, his voice lowering but even more cutting, “doesn’t go through my phone. It is a boundary I don’t allow.”
Her chest tightened as though a hand had squeezed it. For a moment she couldn’t breathe. ‘Even his wife…’
“I— I’m sorry,” she stuttered, her voice breaking, “I didn’t mean to… to upset you. It won’t happen again.”
Adrian didn’t flinch, his eyes still holding hers with that stern, unforgiving look. He bent slightly, picked up his phone, and turned away, walking past her without another word.
The air seemed to grow colder as he left, the soft thud of his footsteps fading down the corridor. Vivian stood frozen by the dresser, her arms wrapped around herself, her lips parted but no words coming out.
Her heart pounded, not from curiosity anymore, but from the sting of his warning.
Fiona sat curled into the seetee, her eyes fixed on the series of lecture notes spread across her lap. She had just come back from classes, tired but determined to catch up. Yet instead of heading home, she had stopped by Vivian’s apartment. Her friend had been absent not just today, but the previous Friday as well, and Fiona’s instinct told her something wasn’t right.
The sound of a door creaking open broke her focus. Vivian stepped out from her room, phone clutched in hand. The sharp beeps of repeated dialing filled the air, but whoever she was calling wasn’t answering. Vivian’s expression was written in deep lines of frustration. After yet another ring went unanswered, she hissed loudly, her shoulders sagging as she flopped onto the sofa next to the television.
“What is it?” Fiona asked, her tone calm but concerned.
That question was all Vivian needed. She spun toward her, her words tumbling out.
“Honestly, I don’t know what is wrong with Adrian,” she said, her voice laced with both worry and anger. “Because I checked his phone, he is now acting like I committed murder! Telling me his wife never does that.”
Fiona blinked, stunned. She closed her notebook slowly, shaking her head.
“Girl, you went too far.”
“Huh?” Vivian’s head jerked up sharply, her brows furrowing.
“Yes,” Fiona said firmly, “because why would you even do that?”
Vivian scoffed, throwing her head back.
Fiona's eyes narrowed.
“No man likes their phones to be checked, either married or single.”
Vivian rolled her eyes dramatically.
“Please. It is not like I was trying to trap him. I was just curious. Out of curiosity, that is all.”
Fiona dropped the notes on the table and stood, walking toward her friend. Her voice was sharper now.
“Curiosity? Curiousity kills the cat, babes, and gets women embarrassed all the time. This man left Arizona just last Sunday, right?”
Vivian’s lips tightened as she nodded.
“And he hasn’t called you? Not even once?”
Vivian’s voice cracked as she answered, “Nothing. Like nothing. He hasn’t even asked if I have taken my medications after the malaria diagnosis. Just silence.”
Fiona folded her arms, her tone softening but her words cutting.
“Then you should take that silence seriously, and let this man be with his family.”
Vivian exhaled loudly, her gaze shifting away, pretending it didn’t sting.
Fiona pressed on, unwilling to let her escape the truth.
“Look, this is the part where you start planning your exit.”
Vivian’s head snapped back, her eyes flashing, but no words came.
“I mean it,” Fiona continued, “wrap this whole thing up and move on with your life. Focus on your studies, get yourself a single boyfriend, and you will be fine.”
Vivian burst into laughter, sharp and mocking.
“Hold on, hold on. Did you just say single boyfriend? Are there single guys? Please. Maybe the ones that are single are broke, just like your boyfriend. He hasn’t even changed your phone in how many years now? Since I met you. Please.” She waved her hand dismissively.
Fiona froze, her lips parting slightly as the words pierced deeper than Vivian realized.
“My boyfriend may not be as rich as Adrian,” she said quietly but firmly, “but at least he is single. And we are building something for the future, something real. And that is all that matters.”
Vivian’s shoulders slumped immediately. Guilt washed over her face as she realized how low she had gone.
“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean that. I take it back.”
Fiona shook her head, disappointment clear in her eyes.
“You know, you sound like love is all about someone who can buy you designer clothes, bags, expensive hairs, and change your phone. What kind of… mentality is that?”
Vivian leaned forward, her voice trembling, desperate.
“Babes, listen. I love Adrian. I love him so much, and I know he loves me too. Look, people fight, they argue, couples do all that. But at the end of the day, what happens? They fix it.”
Fiona raised a brow.
“That is when both parties are involved. Girl, right now I think you are the only one in this.”
Vivian’s eyes glistened, but she shook her head stubbornly.
“I’m doing everything possible, everything within my power, to fix it.”
Fiona sighed, gathering her notes back into her hands. She walked back to the seetee, her voice heavy with finality.
“Well, do what you want to do. But don’t lose yourself trying to fix someone else’s husband.”
The words lingered in the air like smoke. Vivian said nothing, staring off into the distance, her lips pressed tightly together.
Fiona settled back down and flipped open her notes again. Without looking up, she added,
“You have already missed two term papers, Vee. That should be your worry, not someone else’s husband.”
Vivian swallowed hard, her silence louder than any protest she could have made.