"Don't do what?"
He lowered his voice.
"Make a scene."
For a moment, her expression became almost incredulous.
"A scene?"
She looked around the house.
"You brought me here. You told me it was yours. You told me she'd already agreed to leave."
He stared.
She continued.
"You said we'd finally be a family."
For several seconds, her voice trembled.
Then she shook her head.
"I can't even tell which part of that was true."
Naya watched from the living room.
The husband's face tightened.
He looked toward the baby.
Then toward his mistress.
"I'll fix it."
The woman laughed through tears.
"With what?"
He didn't answer.
She reached for the suitcase.
Then looked toward Naya.
For a moment, neither woman spoke.
Finally, the mistress said quietly.
"I shouldn't have touched you."
Naya studied her.
The apology was brief.
It didn't erase the cruelty.
But it was the first honest thing the woman had said since entering the house.
Naya nodded once.
"No. You shouldn't have."
The mistress lowered her eyes.
Then carried the baby toward the front door.
Her husband followed.
But before leaving, he turned toward Naya.
"This isn't over."
She looked up.
For a moment, he seemed to expect fear.
Instead, she answered.
"I know."
He stared.
She continued.
"That's why I'm going to handle it properly."
Then he walked outside.
The door closed.
And the house became quiet.
For almost a minute, Naya remained completely still.
Her friend sat beside her.
Neither spoke.
The silence felt enormous.
Naya could hear the refrigerator humming.
A clock ticking above the dining room entrance.
And the distant sound of a car engine starting outside.
Then the nurse reached for her hand.
"He's gone."
Naya nodded.
For a moment, she tried to answer.
But no words came.
Instead, she began crying.
Not graceful tears.
Not the quiet sadness she'd maintained in front of her husband.
She cried with the exhaustion of someone who'd spent months pretending the ground beneath her marriage wasn't collapsing.
Her friend moved closer.
Naya leaned against her.
For several minutes, she could barely breathe between sobs.
Then she whispered.
"He brought his baby here."
The nurse held her.
"I know."
"He wanted me to leave my own house."
"I know."
Naya covered her face.
"And he just stood there when she hit me."
Her friend's expression tightened.
But she didn't interrupt.
Naya continued.
"I thought he loved me."
For a long moment, the nurse remained quiet.
Then she said gently.