part 3

"It's bad!" I panicked at the call from Gavin outside the room. I looked at Adam, who still hadn't moved. "You'd better hide somewhere first. I don't want this to start a family fight," I said hurriedly.

 

Adam swept the area of my room, which must have been very unfamiliar; it shouldn't have been him who thought of a hiding place because Adam didn't know where the safe place was. "Find me a safe place, Mahira. In the closet or the bathroom?" asked Adam, who was also panicking.

I racked my brains, feeling there was no more time; I finally pushed Adam into my closet, which was not far from the bathroom. After a few seconds, the door opened from the outside and revealed a man in a white shirt with a black pantsuit looking sharply at me. 

"Do you have no ears or what? I've called your name so many times, but you didn't answer at all. What an ignorant woman," Gavin snapped. His eyes lit up; I just looked down. 

"What are you doing here? Are you hiding a man?" Gavin snapped. 

I raised my head quickly. "I'm not that bad, Gavin. I didn't answer your call because I just got out of the shower. Now that I'm standing in front of you, what do you want?" I asked, trying to be calm so Gavin wouldn't get suspicious.

I tried to be strong, holding back the anger that peaked in front of Gavin, who always behaved badly towards me. Until now, I didn't know why Gavin always treated me like someone who wasn't his wife. 

"Get out of the room and see how much work is going on in the kitchen. You're a wife who should serve her husband well. This morning I have to go to the office, you should have prepared some food or something. But now you're still lazing around in your room as if you have no responsibilities," Gavin snapped scathingly.

"Yeah, I'm going out now." 

Without intending to make things any longer, I left the room quickly. Now and then, I looked back, shook my head, and focused on walking toward the kitchen, worried that Gavin would notice my suspicious behavior. 

"Did you just wake up?" asked a fifty-year-old woman who seemed to be watching television in the living room, looking at me sarcastically. 

I smiled at my in-laws. "Sorry, Mom, I'm late. Last night, I-"

"Never mind, no need to make excuses. I'll never believe you. Better go straight to the kitchen and Ina prepare breakfast. Don't act like an employer who can wake up at any time; remember your obligations as a wife. I'm disappointed that Gavin married you, who is so unreliable," my mother-in-law continued scathingly. 

I smiled painfully. I couldn't even get angry right now. But since I was too lazy to listen to my mother-in-law's words any longer, I chose to go straight to the kitchen to help the household assistant prepare this morning's sandwiches. I also didn't forget to cook teriyaki chicken for Gavin to take to the office for lunch. 

"Miss Mahira, I'd better do the cooking."

I smiled, "No need, Ina. I can cook myself. Besides, it looks like he wants to eat my cooking today, so I'll do it."

I was busy preparing the spices in the kitchen, but even so, my mind was wandering, thinking about Adam's fate in the closet. Afraid that he would suddenly come out and get caught by Gavin.

Shortly after that came the sound of Gavin talking to his mother in the living room,; Isighed with relief. That meant, for the time being, Adam would be safe in the closet.

But I still felt guilty about leaving Adam in there; what if he did something wrong?

 

After about twenty minutes, I had finished the lunch that had been put into the lunchbox while the sandwiches had been available since five minutes ago. People had already started eating breakfast at the dining table, and none of them had called me to have breakfast together, including my husband.

After finishing the work, I immediately brought the lunch box that had been wrapped in cloth and placed it on the table near the dining table. "I made the food; don't forget to bring it," I said to Gavin.

Gavin turned his head, didn't answer, and continued eating with his mother, Emilna, and his sister, Catherine - Adam's wife. 

"So, Adam really didn't come home last night?" Gavin asked again.

I felt my heart skip a beat. I hurriedly turned away from the dining room and stood nearby. 

"Yeah, it was weird. Usually, he always comes home whenever and whatever night. I asked his friends, and they said that Adam came home because one of them also took Adam to the front, and he saw Adam come in. But Adam wasn't in the room. I looked everywhere, but nothing. Even his phone is dead; I can't contact him," Catherine said faintly in my ear.

"How strange," Gavin whispered. 

Not wanting to hear their conversation, I immediately walked quickly into the room and closed the door from the inside quickly. I walked over to my closet and opened the wooden door to find Adam still sitting there, covered in sweat. 

"Adam, you'd better get out while they're having breakfast in the dining room. Catherine is looking for you; it's going to be bad because they know you're in the house; they don't know where you are yet," I tried to explain. 

Adam immediately stepped his right foot out. "Are you sure it's safe outside?" Adam confirmed.

I nodded quickly, trying to be reassuring. "Yes, I've confirmed everything that it's time for you to come out. Hurry up," I said. "If you're even a minute late, they might find out that you're in this room, Adam. This is not good, because we will be in danger in the future if that happens."

Adam nodded. As we walked together quite slowly, I opened the door to the room from the inside and poked my head out, making sure that no one was currently watching our movements.

"Hurry up, but don't walk towards the back, you better go out towards the living room," I whispered still trying to look right and left. 

Adam seemed to understand. He started to walk out of my room after he was also sure that no one was watching. My breath caught in my throat as I watched him move, but at least I was on the verge of getting Adam out from behind the closet. 

"Adam... Mahira... what are you doing?" suddenly came someone's voice.

Adam and I turned our heads together. My eyes rounded, and so did Adam who was also surprised when he saw who the person in front of us was.