His Wife, His Best Friend's Baby

gle, a thin, wheezing sound that barely made it into my lungs. My skin erupted in a painful, itching h

m rage to disgust. She saw my agony, my body betrayin

er back on me completely to cradle Mark's h

ers were a panicked buzz in the background. Through the haze of pain, I heard

ay. I'm right here. We'll

ng, and they just

door, I heard their conver

about the baby almost a year ago, right after... right after Lily

ye

s still alive when their affair began. My daughter was dying, and my wife was finding comfort in the arms of m

hey worked, I felt a new kind of strength, a cold fury that b

alone in a sterile hospital room. I waited until the nurse left, then I slowly, painfully,

taxi back to the house. It was empty. The

ched since her death. I opened a small wooden box on her dresser and took out a photo of

hen I tore it in half, then in half again, until it was

a thick volume on Renaissance art. Tucked inside was a small, locked saf

st revealed. The date she and Mark had gotten together, a year ago. I

nd a few other essential documents I had hidden

t looking back. I hailed another cab on the str

d off Route 9,"

so close I c

which the hospital had returned to me with my other belongings, was

my phone finally rang. It wasn't Sophia. It wa

r?" a gruff

es

ophia Davis requested we contact you. I

them," I said, my voice c

d," the voice said, a hard edge t

rply. Another car, a black sedan, cut us off, screeching to

s hands up. "I don't w

y door. "Mr. Miller. Yo

Not back to my empty house,