Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)

On the generous sectional in our living room, Jaylan was entertaining our youngest son, Carl, as Zora leaned naturally against him.

It felt like a perfect picture of our life years ago when we first had Monique, our oldest daughter. The scene was a picturesque representation of a happy family, everything just seemed so harmonious and united.

Suddenly, the bowl of medicinal I was holding slipped from my grasp, shattering on the tiled floor.

All three people on the couch turned their attention towards me. Zora was quick to react, hurriedly running over to me. "Ma'am, why did you come down? I was about to get the bowl... be careful, don't step on the shards!"

Her reaction was so nonchalant, as if the intimate scene I'd walked in on was just a casual interaction among a couple. I was at a loss for words.

Had our family become this harmonious?

Jaylan also rose from the couch, holding Carl, and rushed towards me. "Allie, don't move! Zora, what are you waiting for? Clean it up!"

He looked panicked, shouting orders at Zora while constantly checking the floor for shards, worried I might step on one.

Was the scene I just witnessed a figment of my imagination? Or had their relationship really become so casual?

Zora went to fetch a broom and carefully swept up the broken pieces around my feet, constantly apologizing and looking rather sheepish.

I stood frozen on the spot, trying to digest the scene I had just witnessed.

It wasn't until Zora had cleared away the shards and Jaylan had put his arms around me that I snapped back to reality, looking at him in a daze.

My longing to see him, my dependency, and the anxiety I felt had all evaporated, replaced with a burning question: weren't they supposed to explain their behavior to me?

Jaylan held me, who was stunned and motionless, as he handed Carl to Zora. Carl immediately clung to her, rubbing his little face against hers.

Pushing Jaylan away, I took Carl from Zora's arms, thinking to myself, "This is my child, not yours."

Zora looked flustered. "Ma'am, I..."

I had the urge to smack her across the face, but looking at Carl in my arms, I held back, reminding myself to stay calm.

"Prepare dinner," I told Zora coldly. She nodded and headed towards the kitchen.

Then I turned to Jaylan, asking him casually, "Honey, don't you have a trade show to attend this afternoon? Weren't you supposed to be back only in the evening?"

Jaylan, acting as if nothing had happened, didn't pay any special attention to Zora. He didn't even glance at her as he sat down on the couch, wrapping his arms around me.

Had he not noticed Zora's closeness earlier? Or had he mistaken her for me?

Ignoring my questioning gaze, he calmly responded, "Yeah, I was passing by after picking up some samples, so I thought I'd stop by and check on you, maybe grab a bite. You know, the moment I walked in, this little guy latched onto me."

His explanation was plausible, and he didn't mention the earlier incident, pretending as if it never happened.

Was I overreacting, or had these close encounters become routine while I was unwell?

Carl squirmed in my arms, reaching out for Jaylan and calling out for 'Mommy'.

Jaylan took him from me, saying, "Let me take him. He's getting heavy!"

I felt upset. Carl was calling for Zora, not me.

Ever since his birth, I had been sick, sleeping most of the time, and when I was awake, I would be disoriented. I had no strength to take care of him, so Zora had been his primary caregiver.

After I fell ill, Monique was sent to a boarding school and our second child, Probert, was taken care of by his grandmother. Only Carl was still with us.

As I watched Jaylan interact with our son, a horrible thought occurred to me: Had Zora tampered with my medicine? What was her intention? Coveting my husband was bad enough, but was she also trying to take my children?

This woman was a threat. I was terrified by the thought of her ulterior motives.

She had to go. I couldn't give her any more opportunities to wreak havoc in our family.

With this resolution in mind, I put my thoughts aside and looked at Jaylan. He was deeply engrossed in playing with Carl, his love for Carl evident in every gesture.

Watching their interaction, I felt somewhat guilty. A husband like Jaylan would never stoop so low as to have an affair with a nanny.

However, Zora's intentions were clear. This issue had to be resolved as soon as possible to prevent further damage.

With my mind made up, I decided to test Jaylan. I started to speak, "Honey..."