Conspiracies

3. Bad wife.

I reached out to Lasse. The sheets were freezing. I opened one eye delicately and didn't see him. Was not. He did not answer my calls, he did not answer my messages. Communication between us was officially dead.

I rolled onto my back and looked at the ceiling for a few seconds, then I saw the clock. 7:30 am. I got up with difficulty and went down the stairs directly to the kitchen. I made coffee and some toast. While it was done, I checked my mobile. Zero messages. Neither Jens nor Lasse. I put down my cell phone. Emotions of anger and sadness mixed and ran through my entire body. I looked at my cell again; no calls, no messages. I made some toast, and I put them on a plate. I grabbed the coffee and poured some into a mug I bought in New York when we went on a honeymoon that said: "I Love NY."

I added a little milk and a teaspoon of sugar to the fresh coffee. I stirred it all up and started eating the toast.

I finished and put the coffee with leftover milk in the thermos and went back up to my room. I took a cold shower that finally woke me up. I went out, dried myself well, grabbed the hairdryer, and dried my hair as fast as I could. As soon as I finished, I brushed my teeth and went straight to the closet. I took out my clothes and put them on. I checked for the eleventh time I was carrying the folder with my article, took my purse, keys, and mobile, and left the house.

It was not cold. It was only cloudy, there was no air to play with the leaves of the trees, no crystalline drops. There were only gray clouds. I looked at the clock. At 8:10 am, I picked up my pace to get to the car. When I got in, I left my things in the passenger seat and started.

It was 8:20 am when I got to the newsroom. There wasn't a lot of traffic, which made things easier for me. I walked through the door and greeted Soffi. I went to my office and left my things. Today was the day of delivery. The atmosphere in the newsroom was frantic. People ran from one place to another, the printers were beginning to be ecstatic from so much printing. Phones rang nonstop, and conversations crossed back and forth. Meanwhile, I was relaxed in my office with my homework done, waiting for them to call me to deliver it. Someone came into my office. It was Jannik.

"I need you to let me borrow our printer now. Mine is out of ink, and I cannot print my article."

"Hi to you too."

"Hello. Let me have the printer."

I got up and pointed to the printer with a smile plastered on my face.

"All yours."

"Thank you very much." He started typing hastily into the computer, keeping his gaze fixed on the screen. His face turned to pure happiness when the printer started printing his article.

"Well, how about the night? Did you sleep well?" I leaned against my desk and crossed my arms. The printer had him hypnotized. "Earth calling Jannik. Do you see me?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at me. He kept his victorious smile.

"What did you say?"

"If you slept well."

"Yes, and you?"

"Well, the truth is that yesterday Jens stayed to sleep at a friend's house, and Lasse hasn't shown up at home for a few days, and I think..."

"Yes!" The printer finished printing his article, and Jannik picked it up quickly. "Thank you very much, Alicia, thank you. I love you!" He gave me several kisses on the cheek and ran out of the office.

"No, thank you for listening to me," I said.

I turned and picked up the folder with the article and went to Camilla's office to deliver it to her. Her office was quite far from mine. I took the stairs to the third floor. The office door was open. I walked by and saw Camilla talking on the phone. It seemed like a pretty tense conversation. She gestured for me to sit down. I sat down and pretended to look out the window. From her office, you could see a large park. I noticed a group of old men doing Tai chi. Neither the noise of the cars nor the nearby conversations bothered them. They were very focused. Camilla hung up.