Watching her spiral into self-deprecation, a layer of frost settled over Patrick's face. But the raw ache in his eyes betrayed exactly how he really felt.
All those tangled emotions finally condensed into a single, desperate question.
"Do you really have to leave me?"
Edith glanced at me nervously, gauging my reaction, and then, under Patrick's insistence, reluctantly climbed back into the passenger seat.
Patrick turned to me. His voice was laced with ice.
"Don't make me regret choosing you."
I stared at him in disbelief. This was who he really was.
It felt like someone had torn a gash straight through my chest, and the cold wind was howling right through it.
Then came his final verdict: the public announcement of our marriage would be postponed. A punishment.
"I want you to use this time, while I'm taking care of Edith, to think long and hard about what you've done wrong. When you figure it out, come find me."
I stood there, numb, watching Patrick pull a blanket from the back seat and drape it over Edith with the tenderness of a man cradling something precious he thought he'd lost forever.
He hit the gas and disappeared down the road, swallowed by the blur of my stinging eyes.
For a long time, I just stood there. Then, with trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and sent Patrick a message.
I told you before we got married: I don't share. It's me or Edith. You can only pick one.
The message sank like a stone. Patrick didn't reply all night.
My marriage to Patrick started three years ago at an alumni mixer.
Back then, I'd seen enough of the ugly side of human nature working in obstetrics. I had zero interest in finding a partner. But the organizer happened to be a close friend of mine, and she badgered me relentlessly until I caved.
The moment I stepped into the private room, my eyes landed on Patrick. He radiated an aura that practically screamed stay away. My friend nudged me, eyebrows waggling, and pulled me aside to gossip.
He was a year ahead of us in school, now the CEO of Sanchez Group. Not only was he devastatingly handsome, but his romantic history was a complete blank slate. A prime catch by every measure.
I didn't take the bait. My gut told me the more captivating the man, the more dangerous he was.
The night the mixer ended, a friend request popped up on my phone. Patrick Sanchez.