"That child is not yours."
What? What was that?... Was it even destined to him?
Were those few second of confusion, but most of all of not understanding anything of this mysterious paper that the maid had delivered to him.
"Mr., this envelope was just slipped down through the front door." He remembers the maid said minutes ago. It didn't have anything written on it, but had only his initial letter printed. He supposed it was directed to him. He was the only person in that house whose name started with the same letter.
While his eyes traveled down the paper sheet, he noticed the sentence in the end of the paper. "Turn the sheet around" it said. And so he did… "VICTORIA LIES." in the centre of the sheet, centered and in capitals.
"Ok" he thought, and let the heavy air stuck into his stomach to exit through his mouth in a thick sigh.
This was serious, more than what he believed at first, when he saw the first sentence. Through his life, he had received a lot of things similar to this one and had to deal with different kinds of people who used to apply this kind of anonymous deliveries. But yet they never involved his wife, and even less with that worrying tone added by the word LIES.
"Victoria lies…" he remarked the sentence a couple of times more in his head. "That child is not yours." WHO ON EARTH COULD SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
It was late, and Victoria was sleeping. Not only was always difficult for her to get several hours of sleep without waking up in the middle of the night, but also the pregnancy elicited in her hormones a whole set of different moods in what to sleep concerns.
That night he had arrived home late. Still holding the sheet in his hands, he glanced at the clock in his office: 01:25.
He really wished he had been there earlier, to have dinner with her and to start modifying this schedule matters that she had discussed with him, when they started dating and a few weeks ago too. She didn't demand him to stop working, or to be home all day. She only asked him to please start thinking a little more about their situation. She knew he didn't do it on purpose, but he was often pressed by his job. However, what left him a little calmer is the fact that he let her know he was going to be late that night. The first night in a whole month, so she was a little more indulgent with that.
He folded the paper again, closed the doors of his office, and headed to their bedroom.
The next morning, at the moment he woke up, the matter wasn't even in his head when he opened his eyes. He didn't see Victoria in their bed, which wasn't rare, it was never rare to find Victoria awake at early hours, that would probably be a sign that she had one of her insomnia episodes.
He dressed up with the first clothes he found close to the bed, and went downstairs hoping to find Victoria having breakfast.
-Honey, what are you doing there? -he asked her from the first step of the stairs. She was seated on the sofa right in front of the big crystal window that pointed to the side garden, dressed with her red silk gown and her hair in a bun. She looked alright, her eyes were swollen by sleep (or the lack of it) but in her expression, she seemed to be a in a good mood.
-I'm just, uhm… -she stretched her back with a short movement. -I'm just trying to wake my mind up. -she looked at him and showed a delicate but lovable smile.
He seated beside her and with his left hand, pulled her head close and kissed it. With her right hand, gave a quick caress to his daughter in her mother's body.
-You didn't sleep, right? -he said.
-Oh, not at all, it was completely the opposite! -she said with a sarcastic tone, smiling and an ironic expression in her face. She always managed to add a good tone to every situation.
-Okay now, seriously. I heard a noise around my last night but I ignored it because I thought i was dreaming. Now i see it was you…
-Yes -she smiled.
-What time was that?
-Uhm, around 6, i think…
-And what have you been doing these 2 hours?
-I got a bath. -she said, releasing a deep and tired breath, and then looked at him. He looked at her too, and noticed the tiredness in his wife's eyes and voice. It must be really frustrating carrying not only with what insomnia causes but also what a pregnancy causes. -And I came here, read my book.
-You haven't eaten anything?
-Not yet, but don't worry… -she said, and lifted up from the sofa with a yawn being born in her mouth.
-Vic, you know how much it worries me that you eat properly. -he replied, and softly grabbed her hand for her to turn around and look at him.
She bent closer to his face and gave him a short kiss. -I know -she said with a soft voice. -Right now i'm going to sit at the table and i'm going to get breakfast -she smiled.
-Good. -he smiled back.
A while later, they were eating breakfast when she threw him something that wasn't serious for her, but that worried him in case she found it.
-Earlier in your office, I saw that paper that somebody sent you.
His heart felt a pressure. -What paper?
-The one that said something about the baby and that i lied -she said, with a confused expression.
-How did you see that?
-I went into your office.
-What for?
She felt as if she did something bad. -Does it… bother you? I'm sorry.
-Hey, no, it doesn't. -he smiled. She was so used to be told that she was guilty for everything in her life. -It just gave me curiosity, maybe you needed something.
-Oh, no… I was just looking for my book, and it was there. And also that paper was on your desk, and… that.
-It's okay. Look, the truth is, that paper was slipped through the door last night.
-Another idiot?
-Maybe, yes… -he replied.
-But you seem worried. -she said. She knew him and could read him instantly, as he could do the same with her.
-Well, honey, it involves you and the child, it mentions you both, and it had never been like that. Of course it worries me.
-But… maybe it's not that serious.
-Maybe. But i don't think about putting you in risk.
She took a sip of her tea and ignored the topic. Meanwhile, his worries grew up every time more in his head.