I hesitated to open it, but in the end, I decided to see what was inside. When I opened the envelope, I saw a picture of Arlo carrying a woman with slanted eyes on his back.
“Could this be Claire?”
LILY
“Alex, if Arlo arrives and looks for me, please tell him I just stepped out to buy something. Can I ask you something?” I said.
“What is it?” he replied.
I hesitated before answering.
“Were you the one who drove Arlo? Where did he go?” I asked though I felt nervous about what his answer might be.
“I don’t know. It was Donald who drove Sir Arlo,” Alex replied. I just gave him a smile.
“Arlo was in such a rush that he didn’t even tell me where he was going. I’m sorry if I’m asking too many questions; I’m just worried because he hasn’t called me yet,” I said calmly.
“Hold on. I’ll ask Donald,” Alex said before excusing himself.
“All right, thank you,” I replied.
I couldn’t shake off my uneasiness about not knowing where Arlo went, even though I knew deep down that he had gone to see Claire. After a while, Alex came back to where I was standing.
Arlo was dropped off at Jones Hospital by Donald. Donald overheard that the family rushed Ma’am Claire to the hospital,” Alex informed me.
“What? What happened?” I asked, but Alex shook his head, indicating he didn’t know either.
“Ma’am, do you know Claire?” he asked. I shook my head in response.
“Thank you, Alex. I’ll just take a short walk outside,” I said.
“ let me accompany you. Sir Arlo might get angry if he finds out we let you leave alone,” he offered.
“Don’t worry, Alex. I’ll be fine. I won’t stay out long,” I assured him before excusing myself.
As I walked, my mind was filled with thoughts of Arlo and Claire. What could have happened that led to Claire being rushed to the hospital? Even though I hadn’t seen Claire’s face, I felt a pang of jealousy toward her. I was sure she was beautiful and sexy. Maybe she was still important to Arlo because I saw with my own eyes how panicked he was earlier. If he hadn’t seen me when he left, he probably wouldn’t have even said goodbye.
Before I realized it, I had reached the private park of the subdivision. I smiled at the guard as I entered the gate.
The park was beautiful, clean, and filled with a variety of flowers. The garden’s design was somewhat similar to Dubai’s gardens. After all, the people living in this subdivision were wealthy and of high status.
I wandered around the park and saw a couple being affectionate in the garden—the man holding the woman’s waist. I smiled at their sweetness.
I eventually left, not wanting them to notice me and wonder what I was doing there. Feeling a bit tired and slightly dizzy, I sat down on an empty bench.
I took a deep breath. The breeze wasn’t hot or cold, but I still felt warm and sweaty.
After a while, I started to feel better. I opened my pink sling bag and took out my phone, which Arlo had bought for me. When I turned it on, I saw three messages.
“Arlo:” Babe, I might come home late tonight. I love you.
“Arlo:” Babe, I’m sorry our bonding time keeps getting interrupted.
“Unknown number:” Hi Lily, I hope you received the flowers I sent you.
When I read the last message, my heart pounded loudly.
“Me:” Who are you?
I quickly sent my message.
Only my sister, Big Sister Violet, Arlo, and Mom knew this number, and I used a different number with Mom.
I quickly dialed Big Sister Violet’s number. I asked her if she had given my number to anyone else. As for Arlo, I was sure he wouldn’t share my number with anyone.
“Where are you now, Lily ?” my sister, Big Sister Violet, asked me on the line.
“Outside, sis .”
“Aren’t you with Arlo?”
“No, sis. I’m alone,” I replied.
“If you want, I can come and meet you.”
“I’m fine, sis. I’ll go home soon. It’s just that I’ve been feeling a bit off lately—it’s been almost two weeks, and my mood swings are unusual.”
“Lily, could you be pregnant?” Big Sister Violet asked.
It was only then that I realized I hadn’t gotten my period yet.
“Sis… my period is late,” I admitted.
