Chapter 18

An Unnecessary Casualty Ava had fallen asleep before we could reach home. After parking the car, Matthew went to pick her up and carry her to the room. Once he tucked her in, I got ready to bathe.

Meanwhile, Matthew’s phone kept buzzing, and he would glance at it before hanging up. He seemed uneasy, I knew it was because he wouldn’t dare answer it when I was around.

I took a change of clothes and my phone to the bathroom. After placing my things aside, I turned on the water and left the door slightly ajar to listen for any movement outside. As expected, I heard Matthew speaking into the phone hushedly.

Since that was the case, I called Ivanna and only heard the busy tone. It confirmed my suspicion that Matthew was talking to her on the phone.

My hands trembled with anger as I showered hastily and left the bathroom. Matthew heard my footsteps and quickly disconnected the call. He entered the room from the balcony and feigned ignorance, saying.

Hey, honey, are you done?”

He faked a smile and took the towel from my hand. Then he stood behind me to dry my hair with it. I knew his mind was elsewhere and asked casually, “Who just called you?”

“It was my mom,” Matthew replied before I could barely finish my sentence.

Suddenly, Ava cried out and caused Matthew to panic. He shoved the towel in my hand and rushed to her room to avoid my probing questions.

Meanwhile, I stood rooted with the towel and pondered momentarily. I knew Matthew had lied again since the call couldn’t have been from his mother, as I had dialed her number to confirm that she hadn’t made any calls.

I leaned against the bathroom wall and felt utterly helpless. Just then, Matthew walked in while still carrying Ava. She had woken up because she needed to pee, so he took her to the toilet.

Ava was still half–asleep, not even opening her eyes as she peed. It seemed she must’ve had too much to drink during dinner.

Suddenly, Matthew’s phone rang again. The ringtone was jarring in the small bathroom. Matthew flinched and forgot he was holding Ava in his haste to reach for his phone.

Ava slipped and fell, hitting the toilet before landing on the wet floor, I watched in horror, unable to catch her in time. She had fallen from the toilet seat to the damp ground and was now bawling in agony.

I rushed over, leaving Matthew stunned. I picked up our daughter and noticed her lips bleeding as they “Matthew Murphy, you idiot!” I yelled at him as he stood frozen, then left the bathroom with Ava in my arms.

Ava cried as her swollen lip trembled. I sat on the couch to wipe the blood off her lips with some tissues, with a heart aching so intensely that I struggled to breathe. Meanwhile, the phone kept ringing, and Matthew was still shocked over what had just happened.

It was either that or guilt had consumed him over his carelessness. Nonetheless, he followed me out and watched Ava’s bloodied lips with a panicked expression, trying to console her. 1 I trembled as I carefully pressed the tissues to Ava’s lips, comforting her by kissing her forehead repeatedly.

An inexplicable pain surged through my body. I never expected the man I had always considered a perfect husband and great father to become so infatuated with another woman that he would forget his daughter Ava was so young, yet she became a casualty of our failing marriage. I couldn’t take it anymore and shouted, “Answer the damn phone! I want to see who’s calling you so persistently! Answer!”

Matthew hurriedly silenced the phone while I held Ava tightly. My dear daughter had just woken up from her peaceful sleep just to endure such pain. Then, she was horrified before she could recover from the fall.

My regret for letting Matthew care for Ava overwhelmed me. Ultimately, I remained seated on the couch, frantically wiping Ava’s blood with tissues. I said sobbingly, “D–Don’t cry, baby. Mommy’s sorry!”

1 I couldn’t hold back my tears while cradling her.

“Honey, I’m so sorry. H-…” Matthew was frantic and lost.

I glared at him, my voice hoarse from shouting, “Are you even a human being?! Are you? Look at me and tell me if you are. Can you even face your daughter? Tell me who called you now! Why didn’t you answer?”

Matthew looked flustered as he gulped. His eyes were shifty, and his lips twitched while avoiding my gaze. “I–It was…Ivanna. She wanted me to cover for her because she’s seeing someone else and thought you might find out. S–So, she called to ask me for advice.

1 “I didn’t want you to think poorly of me, so I hid it from you. I know you hate these things,” Matthew’s voice trembled, but his explanation was sincere. He even revealed an air of earnestness and vulnerability.

I looked at him and felt utterly defeated because he refused to tell the truth. I shook with anger, and his phone started ringing again.