His Destructive, Toxic Love

She hadn't interfered with his meetings with that woman before. But she couldn't help but let her mind wander. On the drive home, Eliza went through every friend and family member of Casper's she could think of. A woman around his age with a ten-year-old kid? Nope, nothing came to mind. So, who was this woman?

That evening, Casper came home really late. He looked troubled, like something was weighing heavy on him. From the second-floor railing, Eliza watched him chain-smoke cigarettes, which was so unlike him. In her memory, he'd never been this downcast. When she'd left the office earlier, he'd seemed in high spirits. Could it be because of that mother and son?

Eliza headed back to the bedroom, unsure if she should ask him about his day. By the time Casper returned to their room, she'd already turned off the light. The scent of smoke clung to him, and she coughed, "How many did you smoke?"

"Sorry for the smoke. I'll take a shower," he replied and headed to the bathroom. Eliza flicked on the bedside lamp, waiting for him to come out. She watched him closely, but he avoided her gaze, still lost in his thoughts.

When he finally lay down, she couldn't help but ask, "Casper, is there something you're not telling me?" He seemed taken aback, "No, nothing."

"Then are you worried about something?" she pressed.

He denied it again, "Just some work stuff, nothing major." "Really?" Her eyes showed her disbelief.

He nodded, "Really."

Whether it was the truth or not, it felt too coincidental. Casper always kept work and home separate. No matter how tough work got, he never brought it home with him. Since he wasn't sharing, she decided not to push. For the first time, they slept back-to-back in their big bed. noveldrama

The next morning, Casper was up early. After freshening up, he quietly closed the bedroom door and went downstairs. Eliza had been awake for a while, watching his car pull away. It felt like she'd swallowed something bitter, stuck in her throat.

In a marriage, keeping secrets is a

dangerous game. After a moment's hesitation, Eliza grabbed her keys and followed him. Casper's car didn't head to the office but wound its w way to a narrow alley. Eliza parked at a safe distance and tailed him on foot, careful not to be seen.

After waiting outside for a bit, she saw Casper emerge with a woman. Eliza recognized her-it was the same woman he'd had coffee with the day before. No doubt about it. And trailing behind them was that ten-year-old boy.

Casper looked at the boy with such affection, and the boy gazed back with trust. Eliza pulled out her phone and discreetly snapped a photo. She cropped it to focus just on the woman and sent it to her sister, Caroline. "Hey, do you know her?"

About a minute later, Caroline replied, "That's Fiona, one of Casper's college buddies. She used to come over a lot. Why?"

"Oh, nothing much," Eliza replied, though her fingers trembled slightly.

Eliza couldn't shake the feeling. Casper's college friend, someone who used to visit often, now reappearing in his life with a kid whose identity was anyone's guess. Was she wrong to think they might have had something more than friendship? Could that boy be his son from a past affair? Maybe Fiona left with the kid due to some misunderstanding and only now decided to come back?

It sounded like something straight out of a novel, but could it be true? Watching the 'family of three' drive

away, Eliza felt like a fool, standing there alone with her doubts.