As I entered the room, my breath caught. Isabel lay pale but serene on the hospital bed, her eyes closed, a faint smile on her lips. Beside her, the man looked up, startled but calm. He had an air of familiarity about him—something in the set of his shoulders or the way he tilted his head as he released Isabel’s hand.
“Who are you?” I demanded, my voice cracking with a mixture of fear and anger. “And why are you here with my wife?”
The man stood, his expression softening as he spoke. “I’m David,” he said, extending a hand I ignored. “Isabel and I go way back… I’m an old friend.”
“Old friend?” I echoed, my fists clenching at my sides. “I’ve been married to her for ten years, and I’ve never heard of you.”
He looked at Isabel, his gaze filled with a mix of affection and sorrow. “It’s complicated,” he said after a pause. “I’ll explain, but first, you should know she’s stable. The doctors say she’ll be okay.”
Relief washed over me, momentarily dulling my suspicion. I stepped closer to Isabel, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her eyelids fluttered, and she murmured my name. My heart broke and mended all at once.
David cleared his throat, pulling me back into the strange reality of the moment. “We were… engaged once,” he admitted, his voice quiet. “It was years before you met her. We lost touch after we broke things off, but I never stopped caring about her.”
My head spun as I processed his words. Isabel had never mentioned a previous engagement. “Why are you here now?” I asked, my tone more measured but still wary.
“I got a call from her mother,” he said. “She thought I should know Isabel was in the hospital. I live nearby, so I came right away. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
Before I could respond, Isabel’s eyes opened fully. She looked between David and me, her expression a mixture of confusion and realization. “David?” she whispered, her voice hoarse.
He stepped back, his face softening further. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay,” he said. “I’ll leave you two now.”
“No,” Isabel said, shaking her head slightly. She turned to me, her eyes filling with tears. “I should have told you about him. David was… a big part of my life. But that chapter ended long ago, and you’re my present, my future.”
I nodded, my heart heavy but understanding. David gave a faint smile, nodding as if he had heard the closure he needed. “Take care of her,” he said to me before walking out.
As the door closed, I sat beside Isabel, taking her hand in mine. “You scared me,” I said softly.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “For everything.”
I shook my head. “You don’t have to explain. I’m just glad you’re okay.”
In that moment, the past didn’t matter. Isabel was safe, and whatever shadows lingered behind us would only make our bond stronger moving forward.
