Dear Laura 2

Chapter 24

As I stood in the kitchen, the aroma of spices mingling in the air, I could not help but smile from ear to ear. I was cooking dinner to celebrate three months of marriage with Abdul. Three wonderful, yet challenging months. I still thought it was worth celebrating.

Just as I was about to check on the simmering pot, a knock echoed through the apartment. We never had visitors, so I assumed Abdul forgot his keys, so I hurried to the door to open for him.

"My lov--."

My throat seized up when I realized it was not Abdul at the door. It was instead, a pregnant woman. She had her hand cradling her belly protectively. A hand with a rock almost as big as mine. She looked perplexed, her eyes flickering with doubt. Confusion clouded her expression, as though she was expecting someone else to answer the door.

"Sorry, I must be at the wrong place." She said with her gaze lingering on the ring adorning my finger. She turned around to leave when I stopped her.

"What apartment were you looking for? Maybe I can help?"  I sensed her uncertainty deepen, her eyes narrowing slightly as though there were a million questions in her head.

"Apartment 12B." We both looked at the large '12B' written at the top of my door. A sigh escaped my mouth.

"Are you looking for Abdul?" I gave her a knowing look and she nodded.

My heart raced as I tried to comprehend the situation unfolding before me. I felt a knot of unease in my stomach, wondering what connection the woman could possibly have to my Abdul.

I took a look at her ring one more time, and realization washed over me like a wave, adding another layer of complexity to the situation. We stood there for a moment, two women connected by the shared symbolism of marriage, yet separated by the mystery of Abdul's involvement. The air crackled with unspoken questions, and I braced myself for whatever revelation awaited us.

With a silent nod, I stepped aside, allowing the pregnant woman to enter our home. Little did I know, our lives were about to intersect in ways I could never have imagined. We sat there in silence, mostly because we were both scared of the truth that laid ahead. We were prolonging the sting it would cause to both our hearts.

As Abdul stumbled through the door, his breath heavy with the scent of alcohol, the pregnant woman's eyes widened in disbelief. I shook my head with disappointment. The truth hung heavy in the room, casting a shadow over our once-celebratory dinner.

"Tracy," Abdul's voice cut through the tension, heavy with surprise and perhaps a hint of guilt. His eyes were filled with confusion and apprehension.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, his words tinged with unease as he struggled to grasp the gravity of the situation unfolding before him. I braced myself for the storm that was about to engulf me.

Tracy's voice trembled with emotion and desperation as she said, "I just wanted to talk to you." Her gaze was clearly pleading for understanding and even I was extending more compassion than he was. Clearly every woman felt powerless next to Abdul.

Who was Tracy to him?

"You should have called first," Abdul said with a cold and dismissive tone.

Abdul's voice was sharp as he instructed Tracy to leave, his words carrying a harshness that cut through the heavy silence. Tracy's eyes welled with tears and her white skin turned pink. I had been standing in silence until that very moment. A mixture of anger and betrayal brewed inside of me, together with the questions in my head.

"Why are you sending her away?" I asked, the words tumbling out in a rush. "You are such a coward. What are you hiding? I already saw the ring and the belly." I shot the accusation. As Tracy left, tension hung thick in the air.