Page 74 of Lost Room Lawyer
I frowned and shook my head. “He loves his wife. That’s not a crime.”
Dominic looked at me with a dark expression. “Dude, you’re in love.”
“It’s ridiculous,” I said, folding my arms. “So unbelievably stupid of me to hope something would come of it. And absolutely pathetic that I let my feelings sweep me away. The thing with my mother is bad enough.”
“Did he take you to his home?”
I nodded weakly. “Fuck … I feel so dumb. No, I can’t go tomorrow … It’s just not possible.”
“I can call for you if you want.”
A tightness gripped my chest, and I struggled to breathe evenly. “That would be nice.”
“Okay.”
Maybe I should see a doctor. Even if Dominic called me in sick for tomorrow, without a medical certificate, I’d have to return to the firm by Wednesday at the latest.
“Eat the banana,” Dominic ordered, his tone leaving no room for argument. “And open the window.” With that, he turned around and left me alone.
Although our conversation was brief, it felt good and gave me a glimmer of hope. But the relief was fleeting. At midnight, the ghosts returned, tormenting me and pulling me deeper into the abyss. I clung desperately to the last remnants of what I had left.
Writing.
23
–––––
Hector
Linda walked around my desk and placed a few documents in front of me. “I need your signature here,” she said, pointing to the designated line.
I picked up my fountain pen, signed my name, and she slid another paper in front of me.
“Here too. Then I can send it off today.”
I followed her instructions and waited for the next sheet. At first glance, it was clearly a doctor’s note. Resting my elbow on the desk, I nervously fiddled with my lower lip.
“Nico just emailed me a medical certificate,” Linda said. “He’s sick for the rest of the week.”
Without a word, I examined the copy, trying to convince myself that it was okay. But it wasn’t. The whole situation was just messed up. Since he’d left my apartment, I had sent him multiple messages and tried calling. Every time, the voicemail instantly picked up, as if he had turned off his phone.
My mind was in chaos, and I didn’t know what to do. I wanted to explain myself to him, downplay the situation, but if I was honest with myself, there was only one thing I wanted. I wanted my damned house of cards back so I could hide in it. Instead, the wreckage was scattered around me, and I stumbled with every step I took since last Friday—and today was Tuesday!
I was convinced that everything could be set right. Nico and Viktoria were the only ones involved, so I was hopeful about getting my life back.
However, Viktoria had also shut me out. Although we had exchanged a few messages, she said she had a double shift and would be staying with a friend for the weekend. I had no choicebut to play the loving father at home. My girls had noticed that I was “somehow different.”
“I’m worried about him,” Linda said. “This whole thing is just too heavy. I can’t imagine how I’d react in that situation.”
“Hmm,” I grunted. I had nothing more to add. Instead, my gaze once again drifted to the wall clock. It was only three. Time seemed to drag, maybe because I was supposed to talk to Viktoria tonight. As much as this meeting filled me with panic, I felt miserable that I hadn’t been able to explain myself to either Viktoria or Nico so far.
“You also look a bit under the weather,” Linda noted as she bundled the documents.
This time, I responded with a slight nod, and she retreated to the reception.
Since Nico had disappeared from the apartment last Friday, I had been in standby mode, feeling utterly helpless. My mind had been bombarded with all sorts of crazy thoughts, but I was incapable of grasping any of them or dealing with them.
My emotions were no longer in sync with my reason. I wanted one thing—to talk to Nico, to apologize for maybe sending the wrong signals—but I was doing the other, focusing on my family, which was all I had left. Nico was gone, but my daughters would stay forever. If I made an effort, I could also fix things with Viktoria. Damn it! I didn’t even know what I was going to tell my wife.
