Part 2I'm the Only Man She's Allergic To
About 4,279 characters · Part 2 of the three Parts printed here.
Jenna walked over and stood next to my bed, looking slightly panicked. "Tristan, I was really tied up with work yesterday, and taking Finn to the hospital was pretty unexpected. Don't overthink things.
"Besides, it was just a minor surgery. Even the doctors said your life is no longer in danger. You're a man. You should've been able to handle it yourself.
"Stop making a fuss. Once work slows down a little, I'll take maternity leave and keep you company."
Finn picked an apple from the fruit basket, peeled it, and cut it in half. He instinctively held out half the apple to Jenna, and she took it from his hand with her mouth, as if she had done this a hundred times.
Her lips brushed the back of his hand, and his eyes narrowed as he pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek.
Finn turned to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulder, bringing the other half of the apple to my lips.
"Oh, Tristan. Jenna and I have been best friends for years. I'll keep an eye on her for you, so there's no way she'd ever cheat on you. Don't be so paranoid! Why are you even grilling her?"
His overpowering cologne made me gag. I instinctively frowned and shoved his hand away. I began throwing up from the effects of my medication.
The apple juice got into his wound. Hissing in pain, he let go of the apple, sending it rolling to the floor.
I threw up until the world started spinning. By the time I was feeling a little better, I saw her anxiously wiping his hand.
"How could you let that get into your wound? You should get the doctor to dress your wound again. What if it gets infected?"
He casually shook her off. "It's just a little wound. I'm a man. It'd be embarrassing for me to fuss over something like that."
As he spoke, his eyes drifted toward me for a moment, a mocking smile tugging at his lips.
I was rooted to the spot. "Jenna, didn't you say you're allergic to all men? How come you can touch him?"
Jenna frantically let go of Finn's hand and tried to explain herself. "Maybe it's because we've been friends since we were kids, so I never really saw him as a guy. Perhaps I've somehow tricked my brain into seeing him as a woman. That's why I'm not allergic to him."
Was that so? She saw him as a woman?
Was that why she had no problem sleeping with him at a hotel while I lay in the hospital after being stabbed? Was that why she didn't fuss over me, but worried herself sick over the wound on his hand?
We had been married for three years. I thought our lives would finally get better once we had our first baby. I didn't expect things would turn out this way.
I pulled out my phone and texted my lawyer. "Draw up the divorce papers for me."
Meanwhile, Finn glanced at his wound and grimaced. "I need to go to the washroom. I think you should stay here and cheer Tristan up."
Jenna scowled and grabbed his wrist. "And are you going to change your bandage yourself again?
"Haven't you learned your lesson? You still have a scar from last time! Wait here. I'll get a doctor to change your dressing."
With that, Jenna rose on her tiptoes, put her hands on Finn's shoulder, and shoved him onto the couch. Then she hurried out to fetch a doctor.
Finn lounged on the couch. He reached for the magazine she had been going through earlier and flipped through it. He shrugged when he saw me looking at him.
"My bad. I didn't know she was allergic to other men. But relax. We've been fine all these years. She doesn't get a reaction from the things I've touched.
"But you two have been married for three years. Are you saying she won't let you touch a single thing? Oh, you poor thing."
He clicked his tongue.
Finn raised an eyebrow and held up the magazine. "Oh, right. Her male secretary delivered this magazine to her earlier, and she didn't have an allergic reaction.
"She's always shaking hands with those big shots at the office too. Could you be the only one she's allergic to?
"She's gone too far! From the way she's acting, people might think you were disgusting or something.
"I'm going to speak to her about this. How could she do this to her own husband? Every man has his own pride…"
My mind was buzzing, and I couldn't hear a single thing he said after that.
My heart twisted in agony. I tried not to dwell on the past, but the memories kept flooding back, threatening to swallow me whole.