Page 61 of A Chance at Happiness

The woman jerked her head back and opened her eyes wider. “Haven’t you ever wondered where he’s been lately? Why he’s always late meeting you?” There was a sinister smile on her lips. “He’s usually with me. Dereck and I spend a lot of time together.”

Alina couldn’t believe this woman. She was obviously lying to come between her and Dereck. She wouldn’t let her. “I don’t believe you.”

“The night of your exhibition.” The woman put her weight on one foot and one slender hip went up. “He was late, wasn’t he? That was because he was with me. Don’t you think he looked handsome in that jacket?”

Alina didn’t believe a word coming out of that woman’s mouth, but how did she know he was late that night? And how did she know what he was wearing? Dereck said he would have come straight from work that night. Maybe she saw him then.

The woman’s next words were even more shocking. “Did he tell you I was there the other night? At Martin’s promotion celebration? Why do you think you weren’t there?”

Alina’s head jerked backward. There was no way this woman would have known about that night unless Dereck had told her. Still, she couldn’t believe Dereck was with this woman. She couldn’t believe he would do that to her.

The woman wasn’t done yet. “I even had dinner the other night with him and his sister. Those Johnson siblings are really close, aren’t they? Dina and I have been friends forever, and she just adores me.”

Dina? Dina knew about her? Then it all made sense. Dina was only pretending to Alina while she found a more suitable woman for her brother. Alina didn’t want to believe it, but too many things added up. This woman knew too much.

“Well, I better be going. It was nice talking to you.” The woman strutted away, an extra swing on her hips, while Alina’s eyes filled up with tears. She watched the woman cross the street, then waved to Dereck, who was then in front of the restaurant. Dereck waved back, a smile on his face.

At that moment, Alina knew exactly what she had to do.

“I’m here,” Dereck said as he sat down at the table. “What is it that is so important?”

Alina stared at him then, the tears streaming down her cheeks. “Let’s break up.” She needed to do this now. If she didn’t, she might not be able to.

“Alina, where is all of this coming from? Why do you suddenly want to break up?” Dereck’s eyes were wide.

“This isn’t sudden. We’re both unhappy and we’re taking it out on each other.” Alina sniffed and wiped her nose unceremoniously.

“Alina.” Dereck covered her hand with his, but she moved away from his grasp. Dereck sighed. “Couples fight. That is part of being in a relationship. That’s no reason to break up.”

Alina’s words then were brutal. “I’m breaking up with you because I don’t want to be with you anymore. Being with you is too exhausting and I don’t want to compete with your work for attention.”

Dereck’s eyes were wide, his mouth open and his nose flared. Her words had taken him by surprise and he was speechless.

Alina grabbed her bag then and rose from her seat. “Let’s end this here and don’t try to contact me.” Then she walked out of the restaurant, leaving Dereck sitting at the table, still speechless.

30

Though Alina’s car was parked for about five minutes, she remained unmoved with her hands clutching the steering wheel. It was a long drive to Maryland, almost five hours, but despite her tiredness, Alina couldn’t bring herself to go inside her family’s home.

She didn’t know what she expected by driving down to Maryland. After she broke up with Dereck, she needed somewhere to clear her head, to absorb the recent events of her life, and she foolishly thought her family’s home was the place. It had never been comforting, even as a child, with the nagging and pressure to become a doctor. A career she evaded to become its opposite, an artist.

“Alina?” Casey’s head bobbed low so she could get a good view of the driver. “What are you doing here?”

Alina swallowed hard before forcing a smile on her face. “Mom has been bothering me to come home.”

Her sister’s eyebrow went up. “But you have never bothered with her before. Why now?”

“Oh no reason,” Alina declared while gathering her belonging, but Casey’s narrowed eyes told her that her sister was not convinced.

“Well, you being here is going to at least give me a break from mom’s nagging for a while,” Casey grabbed her sister’s luggage to help her into the house.

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Alina mumbled.

Inside the two-story house, Casey rattled the silence with Alina’s introduction. “Hey Mom, Dad. Guess who I found lingering outside.”

“If it’s the saleswoman, tell her we’re not interested,” their father shouted out from upstairs.

“No,” Casey called back. “It’s Alina.”

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