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Compendium IIIWhile Erin was operating the ultrasound machine on my canary's belly and all that could be heard was the humming of the machine and the particular sound of gel, I was a bit bored and started reviewing the typical photos with diplomas behind the doctor's conference table and programs in which she had participated...
Noticing a common pattern in the photos, I let out a joke:
-Doctor, since when do you have a work husband?
When we first met Erin during Alicia's pregnancy, she was still a resident at the hospital. By then, she already had a reputation in obstetrics and gynecology and was well-recommended to us. Despite her youth, Erin stood out for her meticulous attention to detail and commitment to her patients.
That's why when they introduced us, we immediately loved her, and unlike other couples, we followed her instructions for Alicia's pregnancy to the letter. As a result, Erin was impressed by my canary's immaculate health and my commitment to every aspect of our baby's development, from nutrition to prenatal care.
However, the only but we presented was that Marisol insisted on having Alicia in a normal delivery. Erin opposed this, given my wife's clinical history with twins, although I wasn't entirely convinced, I ended up supporting my wife's opinion, earning her admiration for our commitment.
Today, Erin has risen through the ranks, now being the head specialist of maternity. Her career has flourished thanks to her dedication, commitment, and sense of authority in her field. Although her current position places her more in the management area, she still chooses to personally supervise some particular cases, such as mine. nightingale, given the history we've shared together. However, it's funny that, besides not being interested in having children (or at least, not with her current husband) and despite her achievements and promotions on the ladder, I still can't find her particularly attractive. Now she has longer brown hair down to her shoulders, wavy and flexible, and her figure has filled out a bit after her marriage, but she still maintains a face that conveys certain elegance, more of the type that inspires respect than charm. Her brown eyes with a sharp gaze continue to show an expression of haughtiness and arrogance; her upturned nose but pointed one adds to her air of insufferable seriousness; her thin lips and cheekbones, although they give her elegance, give her a sober but not welcoming appearance, so I really don't find her attractive.
Well, going back to the moment, Erin looked at me with a sour face because of my comment and continued attending to Marisol, ignoring me, although my words were still ringing in her head. Once she finished taking the exam, she sat down and started explaining the results of other exams that my nightingale had taken until suddenly, she asked out of nowhere:•Marco, why did you say that? – with a voice loaded with annoyance and cutting off her explanation.
I laughed, insisting it was just a joke. But I could tell by the daggers in her eyes that, unintentionally, I had hit the nail on the head...
-Bueno, Doc.- I said, intending to calm her down and continue her explanation. – It's just that you mentioned getting married four years ago. However, the three framed photos here are only of your medical career.
•I don't mix my personal life with work, Marco! – she insisted furiously, calling me by name.
It was then that I realized Erin was taking more liberties than I had given her...
-Yes, but what caught my attention is that it's always the same doctor who appears beside you. – I replied, probing the atmosphere and pointing to the photos.
My nightingale looked at us with curiosity, noticing the same pattern in the photos, but didn't understand much of what I was referring to.
Still, my comment managed to make Erin red with anger...
•Dr. Morgan has been a great mentor throughout my entire professional life and it's natural for him to have supported me in every step, Marco!
That finally got me out of my wits, because I had maintained my professional respect and she was addressing me informally. Then I counterattacked with the images.
In the first photo, some young doctors appeared, with Erin looking very similar to when Marisol and I met her. Next to Erin stood a tall figure, canoso, with green eyes and a mustache, who was hugging her around the waist. According to what could be read from the diploma, he had been a local medical intern.
In the second photo, at a regional post-pandemic symposium, there were now around 20 specialists gathered around a conference table with several speakers. On this occasion, the same doctor appeared embracing Erin by the shoulder, while she had the audacity to hold his hand in a loving way…
-And in the third one, it's clearly visible that you two have already had sex... I informed her dispassionately.
-What? – proclaimed to the heavens, exploding like Krakatoa.
The third photo was the most recent. They had taken it at the beginning of the year in a huge auditorium with at least 50 doctors from different hospitals, some dressed in elegant black suits, and others, like Erin and Morgan, in their lab coats.
What made the image incriminating is that, on this occasion, they were positioned at the corner, almost not visible in the image. The doctor took advantage of the opportunity to bend down as an excuse to get into the photo, so his face ended up next to Erin's, and she looked quite radiant due to their proximity…
-Even the 'A' between you two is noticeable... I insisted, showing her the image.
Marisol just looked at us nervously...
-What 'A' are you talking about? – asked Erin, furious.
I explained that according to a rumor circulating online, the body language of couples taking photos indicates emotional intimacy based on physical proximity. In poses where one leans over the other, they bring their faces or waists together, which are understood as signs of connection.
Making the test with famous married couples who eventually ended in separation, we noticed trends where one of them would move away from the other or leave a space, forming a kind of V in the images, implying emotional distance or a lack of commitment. In other cases with... longer-lasting relationships (and the reason it left a mark on me was because they used a photo of Lionel Messi with his wife), couples would form an 'A' or an 'I', symbolizing mutual affection, where couples would lean towards each other or show comfort, which curiously is what happened to us in many photos from the period when Marisol and I were 'just friends', that's why the theory convinced me.
Erin left cold and speechless from my explanation...-Will you tell me that Morgan is not your lover? - I asked annoyed.
Her eyes widened and she remained static. On my part, I shone with joy, because although Erin likes me, I don't care about her social life and neither am I her friend.
She went on in the typical way: Morgan and she had known each other for years, maintaining a relationship only professionally. He had been her instructor and their feelings merged between admiration and platonic love, although they never did anything.
Then, she met Julian, her current husband. They had introduced him at family gatherings, got along, and Erin considered him a good catch. They got married, had a honeymoon, and for about 6 months, lived in a fairy tale.
According to her, after that time, Julian stopped paying attention to her because he dedicated himself fully to his work and focused on Morgan and...
-Wait a minute! - I interrupted, seeing how she was throwing the first lie in my face. - Are you telling me that YOU, who works long and intense shifts, are complaining because HE dedicated more time to his work?
Erin turned red as she realized that the cheap excuse she had given herself to justify her infidelity was worth nothing.
But yes. Morgan was there, supporting her emotionally, asking her to understand Julian's point of view, since as a married man, he too had had to face similar situations with his wife...
In addition to being angry at having to make me a cheap psychologist for our obstetrician, I couldn't understand how Erin could be so stupid...
-Now I understand why you don't want to have children. - I interrupted her majestic speech where she was making herself the victim, and she glared at me with her fiery gaze.
And that's what happened. Later, after those 6 months of marriage, Morgan and she had a romantic encounter in the medical internship. They saw each other again, kissed a few times... times and ended up in bed.
As expected, after the two-week internship, Erin returned to her husband filled with remorse. Although she felt something for Julian, her attraction to Morgan was greater, and after a few weeks, she managed to hide her regret and return to normality.
In the hospital, meanwhile, Morgan and Erin maintained a professional attitude, although they kept their illicit air through discreet glances.
Then, the pandemic hit and the patient flow became incessant. In maternity, they tried to keep mothers stable, prioritizing infant life. They were long and interminable periods, spending entire days where Erin didn't come home and like many other doctors and nurses, ended up sharing a bed with someone who wasn't her husband or partner (or rather, she shared it with her work husband), justifying that she did it to blow off tensions and it was just sex. There was no emotional attachment.
In my inner self and the way she expressed it, my skepticism made me remember the saying Disaster of many, comfort of fools.
Even so, the second photo refuted her argument, because clearly Erin looked quite comfortable letting herself be hugged and taken by hand by the doctor.
According to her, the encounters lasted until the end of the alerts and then they resumed their habitual routines.
But as a consequence of her participation in that symposium and during the entire sanitary emergency, Erin received recognitions that made her rise through the ranks and culminated in this year's conference, where she was promoted to head specialist of maternity and worked under Morgan's direct command.
By this point, her marriage was an empty shell. Julian, happy for his wife's achievements and recognizing that during the last time they hadn't been able to intimate due to their respective works, took her away for two weeks to Thailand.
With a look of exhaustion, Erin said... Julian and she made love constantly, as if trying to recover lost time, and Erin couldn't resist. He took her to exotic places, ate and danced, but insisted he was worried about his work. Julian admired her commitment, but also insisted she needed to take time off to rest, ignoring that his wife was longing to see her lover again.
His words were a low blow to my respect for Erin. I had always seen her as professional and straight-laced, the woman who helped bring Alicia into the world, who guided us with Marisol during our pregnancy, but now this talk made me feel a sense of pity and anger as Erin spoke of her second honeymoon with Julian.
The truth was making me question if their marriage was a sham from the beginning, just a facade to cover up her true intentions.
When Erin talked about her love affair with Morgan, her voice sounded distant, full of longing she couldn't hide, not even from herself. But when speaking of her husband, she did it with disdain, arrogance, and annoyance.
It was jarring for me to see my obstetrician talking so coldly about someone who seemed genuinely in love.
Why don't you divorce him? I asked, intrigued.
Erin smiled bitterly...
I already told you, Morgan is married and has kids. – she commented with arrogance, as if it were an evident truth to my eyes. Besides, even though my salary is good, I couldn't pay my bills or rent a house.
I know I'm not in a position to question her, but it bothered me that she didn't even care what was happening to her husband.
And your husband doesn't suspect?
She laughed coldly again, as if she enjoyed stabbing Julian in the heart...
Of course not! He's very focused on his work and never has time for me! – she replied with a voice full of sarcasm.
Once they returned from their trip, the night shifts along With Morgan, it happened much more frequently.
However, the most tragic thing of all is that Julian finally managed to improve his work. He had been promoted and could even buy a home, which he sought to fill with children. Although clearly not a priority for us with Marisol, this did not figure within Erin's priorities.
But both arrogance and coldness towards me made me distrust her.
In that regard, I apologize, my esteemed reader, because arrogance is a sin that I also commit and comes from the fact that having more studies and knowing more things makes us believe we are invincible.
However, at the time of truth, everyone has weak points.
-Erin, when was the last time you had sex with Julian?
The question left her stunned...
•What's it got to do with anything? – she asked confused, unable to remember.
I explained that during an infidelity, women tend to distance themselves both sexually and emotionally from their partner to privilege their lover. It is not a frequent occurrence in men, as we are more passionate and allow us to compartmentalize our instincts above our feelings.
•Julian and I have sex! – she replied defensively, with her cheeks flushed with frustration. - We do it when we have time!
-And that's when, exactly? – I asked, raising an eyebrow.
Her silence was deafening.
•It doesn't matter! Julian is too busy with his work. Sex is the last thing on his mind. – she projected her own feelings onto Julian, with a voice loaded with irritation.
I found it amusing that she dodged my question.
-Ok, and how do you cover your tracks? Do you go to motels? Use cards? Because clearly, you can't do it at the hospital. – I argued.
Her confidence wavered, looking at me attentively for a few seconds before responding.
•Morgan and I meet in hotels, away from the hospital and our homes. And yes, we pay with cards. – she commented Proudly.
I laughed at her ignorance.
-That's a grave error, I commented, cutting her off mid-sentence. -When you go to hotels, you should pay with cash. Nobody prevents your spouse from accessing the details of your accounts, not mentioning that you expose yourself to constant hotel propaganda that can make them suspect if you and your husband have never stayed there. Plus, you should always be careful with receipts and gifts, as you can make your partner suspicious.
In my case, it was only a few months ago that I finally managed to get the Hyatt's propaganda to fall directly into the spam folder...
But my words replaced her confidence with concern, making her briefly quiet. Erin hadn't considered the possibility that her actions could be discovered so easily.
-And what about your phone?
She smiled again, believing it.
-It's not a problem for us. We're both busy professionals. - She confessed proudly. - We see each other every day and don't make the mistake of sending hot messages or photos.
-I wasn't saying that. - I replied indifferently, not letting her brief effort to dodge my question impress me. - Even you could communicate with him daily if you changed his contact name to a woman's name or a group of friends. Some people are more foolish and keep their contacts with restaurant names for fast food. Who talks for 30 minutes with the delivery of food? But my point is that for iPhones like yours, they have the option to track the location.
-I didn't want to go into further details that there are also other programs and applications that allow monitoring of devices and locations for phones with Android systems, not mentioning synchronizations with computers, because clearly it was a unknown topic for her.
But my reflections wounded her ego, believing she wasn't leaving evidence after her trap.
-How can you know that? - She asked, annoyed because He could understand more than she herself. -Because for a while, I also had a work wife. It was then that Marisol told him about my relationship with Hannah, years ago.
I don't know if it will happen the same way with horned men, but Marisol likes to tell about my infidelities.Believe me that, with my wife, each woman I have slept with and every encounter I've had, I've been as honest as possible.
For my nightingale, it's like a second romance, enjoying the seduction game I've led, making her imagine that I did it with herself.
And in the case of Hannah, our love was growing week by week until we consummated it in bed.
It's clear that, when listening to my nightingale's sweet and tender words, Erin's double standard was activated...
How could I, married and with two newborn daughters, have a mistress who I slept with every other week?
For me, as a man, that made me a pig. For Erin, as a woman, it was acceptable...
-And what about you and Julian? How is your relationship?- I continued, ignoring her anger.
Her gaze turned distant, with signs of resentment in her eyes.
•I've told you. He doesn't suspect anything.- she commented irritably. – It bothers me constantly when he asks when we'll start a family, with invitations to eat and go out. But it's too late for him now.
His laziness and irritability made me whistle.
-You're about to lose everything...- I said, sentencing her with my eyes.
Both she and Marisol looked at me confused, so I decided to explain to my wife.
-Imagine, nightingale,- I began, taking her hands. - when you and I got married, I put the goal of making you happy in mind. That although I loved you with all my heart and thoughts, I had to focus completely on my work, leaving you neglected...
Marisol blushed and smiled happily, knowing that, more or less, this is what happened at the beginning of our marriage...
-But time passes and finally I can stabilize financially as we want.- I say, releasing a small sigh. - I try to get close to you, seeking the love we had at the beginning, when we got married. But it's not there anymore. I look into your eyes and don't love me like before. I understand that I've neglected you, but I do everything possible to win back your love. I know I'm not the same either. That I've changed. I try to win back your love, inviting you on dates, trying to spend more time with me... but you remain just as indifferent. I start wondering if something in you has changed... and then I start searching for the truth...
Marisol didn't need any more words to understand the rest and together we looked at Erin.
But to our surprise, I started crying...
Both Marisol and she were left bewildered by my reaction, but finally they realized that I hadn't seen the ultrasound image.
Jacinto's face was clearly visible on my wife's stomach. My nose. Marisol's jawline...
With tears in my eyes, I shared my impressions.
-When Julian finds out, you'll lose everything. – I said with annoyance. – You'll excuse yourself to him, saying it's a mistake, that it's not what it seems and that they can fix it, but you've done this for more than 4 years and it's been your decision. Then you'll face the fury of a betrayed husband. He'll ask for a divorce and complain to the hospital because I'm sure Morgan and you are breaking the fraternization policies, and even if they don't result in layoffs, it will mean at least a reprimand. Morgan and you can't work together because everyone will be aware of your relationship and you'll have to leave another hospital because I doubt Morgan will agree to divorce and flee with you, since you yourself say he's married and has kids, who are probably enrolled in university. You won't have pension or great benefits because your marriage lacks seniority. And as you yourself said, you'll have to fend for yourself alone, without the comforts Julian already gives you and you'll go through depressive episodes, alone, that will affect your work. Erin was frozen, finally realizing the delicate situation she was in and looking at us, almost seeking help... But unfortunately, for us, Erin is only our obstetrician, whom we've seen again after almost 7 years and can't exert influence on her life. We took our exams and thanked her, leaving her office and waiting to be attended to for Jacinto's birth. And when we left the parking lot, Marisol leaned against my chest and I hugged her, forming an A with our hug.Next post
2 comentários - PDB 62 Erin, the unfaithful
Que si uno va hacer cornuda o cornudo a su pareja tiene que encargarse primero de su felicidad?