The third wheel

(ARIELLE POV)

Oh well, color me surprised!

I blinked severally to ensure that I was not seeing wrongly. My eyes widened in shock, my mind trying to process the scene before me. My husband, Jared, was standing beside another woman, a pregnant woman who claimed to be his wife, in a restaurant where I worked.

The woman's words earlier reverberated in my ears, “my husband will have you fired!” My heart pounded, breathing suddenly becoming difficult.

I felt like I had just been punched in the gut. I took a step forward, my voice raspy and barely a whisper, “Jared?”

Jared met my gaze, his composure unwavering. “Hey, Arielle,” he said in a casual tone,, as if being seen in the restaurant his wife worked in with another woman who claimed he was her husband, was a normal occurrence.

My eyes narrowed at him, as I expected him to offer me an explanation.

Before Jared could respond, Sofia stepped forward, her face a mask of surprisement, “Oh, you must be Arielle! I’m so sorry for the confusion. I’m Sofia, Jared’s old friend.”

Looking at my expressionless face, Sofia continued, her voice syrupy sweet, “Jared’s been so kind, helping me get settled in town. I just returned from abroad and I’m going through some tough times. He’s been such a wonderful support."

My eyes never left Jared's face, my gaze unnerving. “Support?” I asked, unable to mask the disbelief in my tone.

Jared nodded. “Yes, support. She's pregnant, new in town and almost helpless. She needed someone to talk to and to help her navigate her way around town. I was just being that friend.”

Still, I was not convinced, and my eyes shifted to Sofia, who stood there with an air of vulnerability, her eyes pleading for understanding. “And the child?”

Jared frowned and his voice became serious, “Of course not! The child isn't mine, Arielle.”

I relaxed a bit, deciding to trust my husband. Just then, Sofia cleared her throat to get my attention.

“Umm… Arielle, right? I apologize for my behavior earlier. I was totally out of line, you see, being a pregnant woman in a new city alone isn’t easy. I needed some support, so I may have exaggerated Jared’s role a bit. You understand, don’t you? How do we sometimes need to feel protected?” she said, and I could tell her apology was insincere.

I looked away, reluctant to accept her apology. She was rude, claimed my husband as hers, and even threatened to have me fired. But Jared noticed my reluctance, and signaled me to forgive her.

“It's okay, I forgive you,” I mumbled, but then my eyes caught the glint of a vibrant blue gem on her wrist.

Wait a second, is that the Blue Diamond limited edition? The one I glimpsed in Jared’s bag last night? I thought it was an anniversary gift for me!

Sofia was definitely aware of my stare.

She turned to me, making puppy eyes. “Oh this bracelet? It’s from Jared. Arielle, surely you don't mind Jay-Jay getting his best friend a little gift for coming back home?”

Jay-Jay? Seriously? I smiled coldly, my lips pressed together in a thin line. I didn't bother responding to Sofia's question, instead, I turned to Jared and said, “I need to speak with you in private, in my office.”

Without waiting for a response, I turned and strode away. As I left, Sofia’s voice drifted after me, saccharine-sweet: “Jay-jay, I had no idea your wife was this sensitive.”

Jared trailed behind me, our footsteps echoing in the hallway that led to my office. I pushed open the door and stepped inside, Jared following closely behind.

Alone with him now, I turned to face him, my face bearing a displeased expression.

“What’s going on, Jared? You’re buying gifts for a pregnant woman who just claimed to be your wife in front of everyone.”

He exhaled slowly. “Arielle, you’ve misunderstood. The bracelet was for you. But Sophia was in a delicate situation. I didn’t want to upset her.”

“You expect me to believe that? You missed our anniversary dinner, promised me that bracelet, and now I see her wearing it. How could you think that’s okay?”

Jared slightly frowned and I knew that's the signal of his patience running out. “Love, Sophia isn’t trying to hurt you. I’ve known her for years. She’s impulsive, a little spoiled, but not malicious. I was only trying to ease things for a friend.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “So, you’d rather spare her feelings than care about how this makes me feel? Your wife?”

“You know I care about you, Arielle. But I didn’t think this would hurt you like it has. I was handling the situation.”

I folded my arms, tired of his diplomatic responses. “Well then I'd say your 'handling' is not that good as you thought." Before he could respond, a thought struck me. “Jared, did you even come home last night after you left?”

“I did,” he replied smoothly, with no hesitation. “You were asleep on the couch. I didn’t want to disturb you, so I went back to the office.”

He’s really busy, running the company, dealing with endless demands. I felt a stab of guilt but pushed it aside, focusing on what mattered now. “Will you be home tonight?”

“Sure.”

“Alright, let's see later at home and talk about this then.”

Jared leaned in, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. It was an old habit, the kind of gesture that used to comfort me. But now, it felt like a closing statement.

I exhaled sharply after Jared left. I tried to gain control over my emotions, deciding not to dwell on Jared and Sofia.

After regaining composure, I made my way out of the office to continue my work. By the time my shift was over, the sun had dipped below the horizon. I was tidying up when my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and discovered it was Ashley, my best friend.

A smile broke out on my face, and I answered the phone.

“Hey, where are you?” Ashley’s voice sounded from the other end.

I was taken aback by her unusually serious tone. Ashley never directly called me at worktime, why was she asking?

“Still at work, about to leave though. What’s going on? You sound worried.” I asked.

Ashley’s next response sent a chill down my spine. “Arielle, I just saw Jared and a pregnant woman going home together…”