Melissa shook her head.
“My own sister wishingyougood luck instead ofme.”
“Yeah, what's that about,” I said, coming to take the spot Michelle had left.
For a long time, Melissa just looked at me, her gaze running over my face like she was memorizing it. Then, with a trembling breath, she looked away.
This was it. This was supposed to be our moment to finally talk about everything in the open. And now that it was here, I just felt exhausted. I was done being worried and scared. I just wanted the lies to stop. To know where we both stood. To know what would come next.
“You have been cheating on me.”
My words came out like a generic statement, like I was talking about the stock market, or something.
Melissa reacted like that too, with a small shrug as though she was only half listening.
“Lissa,” I sighed. “Please. I want to hear what you have to say.”
She swallowed.
“You and Ryan,” she said instead. “How long has it been going on?”
Her voice wavered but she met my gaze bravely, despite the tears in her eyes.
I took a breath and forced the words out.
“A few weeks,” I confessed. “Only after I found out about your boss.”
She shut her eyes.
“How did you know?”
“He sent you a message while you were in the shower. It didn't leave much up for debate.”
She had gone back to not facing me, her gaze fixed on her hands which were picking anxiously at the blanket over her lap.
“Kamran,” she finally said. “I've known about you and Ryan for a long time.”
I frowned and shook my head.
“No, Melissa. I swear all of this is new.”
She shook her head in return, meeting my gaze resolutely.
“I thought, maybe you didn't realize it yet... That's why I was waiting. I was trying to be patient, to let you tell me on your own time.”
My mind was reeling.
“But,whywould you think that?” I demanded. “We weremarried.”
“Kamran... I stopped suggesting we have sex over a year- and-a-half ago and younever noticed.”
I stared at her face while the words sank in. Reality felt like it was tilting sideways.
“Has—has it really been that long?” I asked.
She chuckled bitterly.
“Yeah, it has.”
