Silent Eyes

29, The Phone Test

Lately, Andreas had been behaving strangely. He would excuse himself with every phone call, whispering in a corner. He would even fake sleeping and soon crawl out of bed, leaving in the dead of night. Monica had tried to make excuses for him, but she was starting to fear the worst thing a pregnant woman could go through: her husband was cheating on her.

The situation was taking a toll on her. She couldn't think straight and was losing sleep, anxiously waiting for him to come home. Every day she would doze off, and her colleagues at work were noticing. Mrs. Antoni advised her to relax, as stress was harmful to the baby. Irene, who was going through a similar experience, invited Monica to talk and offer support. Monica's mind was slowly unraveling, so she sent Andreas a text that read, "When you get home, we need to talk."

Andreas now ascended the steps with flowers in his hand. He smiled widely and opened the door, calling out, "Where's my beautiful queen?" But when he spotted Monica sitting on the couch, he could tell something was wrong. Her lips were tightly pressed together, and she appeared utterly drained. Lowering the bouquet, he approached her cautiously. "Baby, what's wrong?" he asked.

But Monica avoided his gaze and motioned towards the nearby loveseat. Her voice was firm as she spoke. "Sit." Andreas sensed that something was off and obediently took a seat, waiting for Monica to explain. As she began to speak, she let out a deep breath. "Are you seeing someone behind my back?" Her words reverberated through the house, leaving Andreas flabbergasted. "W-What?" he stammered. "Why on earth would you think that?" His nose wrinkled in confusion.

"You hide your phone from me," Monica said flatly. "You lie about your whereabouts, and you always leave late at night." Andreas fell silent. Everything Monica said was true, but he wasn't cheating on her. He had simply been preoccupied with work, nothing more. "Monica," the man sighed, "I'm not cheating on you. I love you with all my heart, and I would never do such a thing." He gestured earnestly. "Then tell me, what exactly is going on?" Monica asked, crossing her arms and stifling a tired yawn. For once, Andreas could see that she hadn't been getting enough sleep, and his jaw clenched. "Have you been staying up at night, waiting for me?" he hesitantly asked.

With her drowsy eyes, Monica confessed, "Yes."

Andreas stood up and walked over, crouching down in front of her. He gently took her hands and placed them on his face, his soft blue eyes meeting hers. "My queen, I'm not cheating on you. I love you from the depths of my soul, and I would never betray your trust." However, Monica tore her hands away and looked off, her bottom lip trembling. She seemed on the verge of breaking down and crying at any moment. "I don't believe you," her voice quivered.

Andreas opened his mouth to speak, but for the first time, Monica cut him off. Usually, he would have the final word, but Monica needed to make herself clear. "It doesn't make any sense," she glared at him. "Any man who hides his phone from his wife is obviously cheating. And any man who sneaks out at midnight is clearly meeting another woman. Andreas, I've let you off the hook many times before, but this time, I won't. I don't even want to talk to you anymore." With that, she got up and quietly slipped away.

"Damn it!" Andreas thought. He understood why Monica felt suspicious of him. If the roles were reversed, he would have felt the same way. But he was terrified of revealing the truth. It was darker than she imagined, and he had been doing his best to shield her from his dangerous lifestyle. Unfortunately, his efforts came across as shady, and now Monica believed he was being unfaithful.

He got up, rummaging through his pockets until he found a phone that resembled his work phone. Andreas made his way through the house, catching up to Monica with a lump in his throat. "Baby, I'm not cheating!" he pleaded. Monica avoided facing him, but he raised the phone in his hand. "Fine, go through my phone! I want to earn back your trust, not lose it!"

She halted and turned, her gaze fixed on the device, a frown on her face. "There's no need," she muttered. Andreas stepped closer, taking her hand and pressing the phone into her palm. He never broke eye contact as he spoke firmly. "The password is your birthday. You can go through everything-conversations, photos, everything. I want to prove that there's no one else, baby." Desperation filled Andreas' eyes, his heart racing. Monica displayed no immediate interest, inhaling deeply before exhaling. "Fine. Okay."

She grasped the phone, entering the password and delving into the device. Her eyes scrutinized every message, enlarging a few photos. Meanwhile, Andreas watched, beads of sweat trickling down his neck. Once Monica found nothing incriminating, she returned the phone to his hand and bit her lip. Relief washed over her, though a trace of confusion remained. "I don't understand," she slowly murmured. "Then why do you always leave late at night?" Her gaze flickered up to meet his, prompting Andreas to soften the truth.

"To be honest," he sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I have to go back to work. I come home around five to spend time with you, and then I head back to finish anything that needs to be done. I can show you proof, Monica! I'm not lying-" Monica gently placed her hand on his cheek and chuckled softly. "Andreas," she said, trying to soothe him. "I believe you. Just take a deep breath, okay?" Relief washed over Andreas as he closed his eyes and followed her advice. Opening his eyes, he reached out and touched her hand with his own.

"Monica, I love you. I chose to marry you for a reason, and I trust you completely. No one can replace your smiles, your beauty, or your infectious laughter." Monica laughed at his last comment as he continued. Andreas kissed her hand, his eyes serious. "I will never cheat on you. I will never betray your trust like that. I hold you in the highest regard."

Finally, Monica stepped forward, their lips meeting. She whispered as he enveloped her in a tight hug. "I'm sorry for overreacting." Andreas rested his head against her neck, holding her tightly, and hummed. "No, you had every right. And it's okay, I would have felt the same way." They stood together, locked in each other's warm embrace, for several minutes, finding solace in their love.

Finally, Monica broke away, laughing. "I guess my snooping days are over," she joked. Then, she let out a yawn and started to back away. "I really need to get some sleep. I'm exhausted." Andreas was about to join her, but she held him back, a smirk playing on her lips. "Shouldn't you be heading back to work?" she raised an eyebrow.

Confused, Andreas asked, "What do you mean?" That's when Monica placed her hands on her hips, grinning. "Baby, you don't have to leave work early just to keep me company. I understand if you need to focus on your job. So go back to work, finish whatever you need to do, and when you're done, fly straight home to me!" A sly smirk formed on Andreas' lips. Stepping closer, he pulled her into a passionate kiss. "Of course," he chuckled. "I'll be back in no time."