Chapter 83

• Alexis ventured off the clinic lift, holding the bouquet of roses so firmly that many petals fell to the ground behind her. Her steps reverberated down the long, sterile passage, her shoes clicking softly on the cleaned tile floor. The clinic had an unnatural quietness, broken as it were by the far off beeping of machines and the low murmur of discussion from other rooms. Her heart crashed against her chest as she came to Room 306, where her husband, Haven, was going to his ex-girlfriend Vanessa.
• Vanessa had been in an accident at home a couple of weeks back, and Haven had felt committed to check in on her from time to time. Alexis hadn’t addressed it much at first, after all, they had history, and she caught on to the kind of man Havenwas, caring, liberal, faithful.
• But there had been this annoying feeling in her stomach the final few days. The way Haven’s voice softened when he mentioned Vanessa. The additional hours at the hospital that appeared... superfluous. Alexis had tried to shake it off, persuading herself that she was overthinking things.