Saving Amina

Eleven.

Chadwick was sitting at his desk, trying to distract himself from what happened when he went to see Monica at work. He just couldn't get over how she was acting towards him. He had an idea of why she was acting that way, but he didn't want to even attempt to explore that possibility. 

"Chad, I need your eyes, man. I've been working on these numbers for hours, and I just can't make sense of it. You mind, taking a look for me?" LaKeith asked, walking into Chadwick's office, looking down at the papers in front of him. When he finally looked up at his friend, he instantly knew he was out of it. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"What? Nothing." Chadwick said, sitting up in his chair. "Yeah, I can look at those numbers for you."

"Nah, man." LaKeith said, putting the papers down on the desk, and looking at Chadwick. "Something's going on with you. Talk to me."

"Keith, really it's nothing. It's something I'd really rather not talk about it." He said, while rubbing his face, "Let me see those numbers."

LaKeith took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling. "Can we skip the whole part where I remind you that I'm your best friend, and I know you better than you know yourself, and you just go ahead and tell me what the fuck is going on, so I can give you the best advice of your life?" 

Chadwick chuckled and shook his head, leaning back in his chair. He didn't want to bring himself to say it, but he knew he had too, so LaKeith can tell him how crazy he is, and get the terrible thought out of his head. 

"I...I think...I think Monica is having an affair." He said, looking down. LaKeith was silent for a while, trying to process what he just heard, because it was even hard for him to believe. "I know, it sounds crazy, but...If you would have seen the way she was acting when I surprised her at her office for lunch. Her door was locked, the blinds were closed. When she opened the door, her hair was messy, and she wouldn't even let me in the room. And when she hugged me, she smelled like cologne."

LaKeith sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk, overwhelmed with his own thoughts. "Are you sure?" 

"I don't even know. Maybe I'm tripping? I just can't bring myself to believe she could even think about doing something like this. It's completely out of her character."

"Are you sure that it is?" LaKeith asked, making Chadwick finally look at him. "Look, just hear me out...I remember how Monica was in college."

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking at his friend. 

"Chad, you know she liked to party, she was always around a lot the guys-"

"That doesn't mean she was cheating on me." Chadwick said, getting instantly defensive. 

"No, it doesn't, but just think about it. I know you didn't forget when you caught her talking to another guy the year after you graduated and she was still in college." LaKeith said and Chadwick shook his head. 

"That was different. We were long distance, she was feeling lonely and abandoned. They didn't even do anything, they just talked and we moved on from that. This time is different. I'm here, I'm present. We've been married for years and we're finally having a baby after us trying so hard. I don't understand why she would do this to us. To me."