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Benjamin burst into the room, his hair disheveled and breath coming in short gasps, clearly having rushed over. “Are you alright? What did the doctor say?”
He hurriedly scanned me with a look of concern, his furrowed brow relaxing only when he saw that I was okay.
As he leaned in to embrace me, I caught a sickly sweet fragrance–not ours.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a misaligned button and a faint red stain peeking from under his shirt.
Benjamin was always meticulous, never making such careless mistakes.
I just felt my stomach churning and I felt nauseous.}
I couldn’t help but vomit.
“Doctor, doctor!”
Benjamin cried out in alarm as I vomited, his voice panicked.
After a thorough examination, the doctor confirmed that there was no serious issue with my health.”
In fact, there was unexpected good news that I was pregnant–three months along.”
Given my frail health from childhood, the doctor advised careful nurturing to ensure a safe pregnancy.
Benjamin was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure. He extinguished his cigarette, his voice rough as he spoke.}
I arrange for someone to take care of you. Call me if you need anything.”
I remained silent, just watching him–this familiar yet strange man before me.}
If it were the old Benjamin, he would definitely stand there, dumbstruck, looking at me in disbelief, and muttered, “Eleanor, I… I’m going to be a father?“D
“I’ll be even better to you than before, Eleanor!!
I love you so much.”
But now, I saw his eyes frequently darting towards the door, betraying his distraction.
Moments earlier, I had noticed someone lingering outside–just a sliver of a white dress, enough to divert all his attention.
It was none other than Mia.
When the last glimpse of white vanished, so did Benjamin’s presence of mind.
I didn’t say anything, and Benjamin just sat there quietly with me. Finally, he lost his patience, picked up his coat, and explained, “Work’s been crazy lately, you know…D
“I should go.””
Click-
The door closed behind him.
Benjamin walked in a hurry, without even waiting for my consent, eager to chase after the one outside.
He was just like when he was eighteen, always following me closely, unwilling to lag even a step behind.§
Beside me, young Eleanor stood fuming.”
“How could he just leave? Is work more important than you?}
“He wasn’t like this before!“D
Indeed, he wasn’t.
Once, when I was burning with a high fever of 102°F, he’d taken the earliest flight from another state just to be by my side, nursing me back to health with unwavering devotion.
Day after day, year after year.
Benjamin used to say, “Work is never more important than you, Eleanor. You’re the most precious thing in my life.
“I love you, Eleanor.”
But now, those words feel like illusions, fading into nothingness.