Chapter 44 - Elena
Elena
I’ve spent most of the week at home, curled up on the sofa writing.
It didn’t take long after Maximo put the writing app back online that the majority of my fans found me again.
Now I’m trying to make it up to them by publishing as quickly as possible, as an apology for ghosting them for so long. Even though it wasn’t my fault.
A part of me knows I should still be angry with Maximo for everything he did.
Trapping me here.
Forcing me to marry him against my will.
Never giving me a choice.
But… I’m also beginning to see that he may have been right about us all along. We’re good together. We fit. Even I have to admit it’s true. Plus, he gave me back everything that he took away—well, almost everything. I don’t have my freedom. But do I even want it any more?
Not really, no.
I should want my freedom. I really should.
But right now I’m the most content I’ve ever felt in my life.
Even though I’m technically trapped in this marriage, I’m more free to be myself than I’ve ever been before.
I’m unapologetically me. Which seems more important than whether or not I chose this marriage in the beginning.
Maximo doesn’t just let me be myself, he encourages it. He supports me in ways I never knew I wanted or needed. When I’m with him, I feel liberated—not caged.
The fact that I can be both forever tied to him and free has my head spinning. But since when does life make any sense?
I’ve also noticed that I haven’t had any nightmares since we started sharing a bed. There’s something about his presence that drives the bad dreams away. I haven’t slept this well in years. I’m much more clear-headed these days. With that clarity has come all of these revelations.
A buzzing sound startles me from my thoughts. I’m so deep in my story, that it takes me a moment to realize it’s the door buzzer making that noise. Someone’s calling from the lobby.
Setting my laptop on the table, I rise and go to the intercom. “Hello?”
Silence greets me. Did they leave? Or maybe they pressed the wrong number.
Just to be sure, I answer again. “Hello? Can I help you?”
“Is Maximo there? I need to talk with him,” asks a female voice that I don’t recognize. My stomach does a strange little twist.
“He’s not here right now. Can I help you?”
“No. It’s important. Do you know when he’ll be home?” Who is this woman and what does she want with my husband that’s so urgent?
“I don’t know, but you can come up and wait for him if you’d like.” I want to meet this person, get a sense of who they are. Figure out her business with Maximo.
“No. That’s okay.”
“Are you sure?” My question goes unanswered. She must have slipped away. But the question remains: what does she want with my husband? Is this the same person who was blowing up his phone the other day? Or someone else?
Please don’t tell me he has a woman on the side. A crushing weight bears down on my chest. I will not stand for that.
It’s common for powerful men to have multiple lovers, but I thought we were different, that our relationship wasn’t going to follow the norm.
Does Maximo have a mistress now that he’s married?
She sounded desperate to speak with him, which has my mind conjuring up all kinds of scenarios, from her stopping by for money, to her being pregnant with his child.
Anger quickly overtakes my jealousy and unease. When Maximo gets home, I’m getting to the bottom of this.
Because I promised that I’d be more open with my family, and ask them for help when I needed it, I open the group chat with my sister and cousins.
I type out the message, then delete it several times.
This is so… personal. But I do need their help, even if this turns out to be theoretical. Which is how I decide to phrase it.
Elena:
Theoretically, what would you do if you suspected your husband had a mistress?
Sophia:
Well… mine had an actual wife. I left him. He had a lot of explaining and begging to do. Why? What’s going on?
Arianna:
I’d cut off his balls.
Ginevra:
Blake doesn’t like people enough to ever have a mistress.
Ravenna:
What happened to COMMUNICATION, people? You used the words “theoretically” and “suspected”, which means you don’t know for sure. Try talking to him about it, I’m sure there’s an explanation for whatever’s going on. Maximo wouldn’t do that to you.
Ravenna:
If he does, I’ll kill him.
I sit with their responses, feeling a little more grounded. Calmer now. They’re right, I don’t know anything for sure yet.
Elena:
Okay. I’ll talk to him.
Arianna:
What makes you think he has a mistress?
Elena:
Some woman came to the door looking for him. She sounded desperate, but didn’t want to wait for him. Something about it felt… off.
Ginevra:
I’m 99.9% sure Maximo loves you too much to have a woman on the side.
Sophia:
Talk to him about it. Get to the bottom of it. I’m sure there’s a logical explanation that doesn’t include adultery.
Ravenna:
I agree with Sophia. But if he is stupid enough to do such a thing, we will have your back. Let us know what happens, okay?
Elena:
I will.
Glancing at the clock, I realize that it could be hours before Maximo’s home. I can’t spend all of that time worrying and working myself up—potentially over nothing.
Elena:
You all want to meet up for afternoon coffee?