MY ONLY LOVE

Alexander stepped into the foyer of his penthouse, the memory of Amelia's touch still warm on his skin. The apartment was pristine and eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the vibrant, passionate weekend he had just spent with the woman he truly loved. Dropping his keys on the marble counter, he glanced around, expecting to see his wife, Annie, in her usual spot.

The living room was empty. Instead, a small note on the coffee table caught his eye. His brow furrowed in mild surprise as he walked over, unfolding the paper with a hint of curiosity. Annie's neat, delicate handwriting spelled out her unexpected absence: she was out with a friend.

He read the note again, a strange mix of emotions flickering across his face. In the year since their forced marriage, his wife had never gone out at night. Their interactions were minimal, their conversations polite but devoid of any real connection. He had never cared for her feelings or wellbeing, treating their union as a mere business arrangement. Yet, the idea of her being out with someone else, possibly a man, stirred an unwanted pang of jealousy.

"Out with a friend?" he muttered to himself, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Since when does she have friends to go out with?"

Alexander's expression hardened, a slight scowl forming as he tossed the note back onto the table. His feelings for Annie were indifferent at best, bordering on contemptuous, but the thought of her finding solace elsewhere irritated him. He paced the room, his mind involuntarily drifting back to Amelia's warmth and understanding.

With Amelia, he felt alive. She offered him the connection and affection he had longed for but never received from his parents or his marriage. Yet, this unexpected twist with Annie gnawed at him, disrupting his usual calm demeanor.

Shaking his head, he muttered, "This is ridiculous. Why do I even care?"

He moved towards the window, staring out at the city skyline, his reflection a portrait of conflicted emotions. His jaw clenched slightly as he tried to dismiss the unsettling curiosity about his wife's friend. But the question lingered, unwelcome and persistent, mingling with his thoughts of Amelia and the complicated web of his emotions.

The soft click of the front door broke the silence, and Alexander's gaze snapped from the skyline. Annie was home.