GINA

My head became hazy as if filled with clouds. My legs became heavy as if they were wooden instead of pumping with flesh and blood.

I continued to walk even though my legs were doing their best to resist doing that so the three of them —A man, a woman and a child —would not get ahead of me.

Was that Ken?

Did I see correctly?

As I looked at the features of the man— my eyes studying his blond hair and muscular build in the poor light— I knew for sure he was my boyfriend, Ken, who was wrapping his hands around the waist of the woman who I had never seen before. The woman was using her left hand to hold the hand of the child as they walked.

It was the sight of the child that made me feel as I was going to faint right there.

The child who seemed to be only three years old looked exactly like the pictures that Ken had once showed me of himself when he was around that age from his childhood photo album.

Okay, what the hell is going on here?

I reined in all the self control I had, used my calm down technique of breathing in and out and making the countdown from fifteen to one so I would not go crazy.

There has to be an explanation for this absurd scene playing in front of me, right? There really has to be something that would make it make sense.

The Ken that had made sweet love to me late last night and had kissed me goodbye on my forehead this morning before I left for work could not possibly be doing what I was seeing right now, right? I had to just be imagining things, right?

Right?

Instead of dying in agony over what I was seeing without understanding any of it at all, I decided to cross over and ask for clarity from my boyfriend. No, not ask. Demand was the right word for it.

If he was up to something, as his girlfriend who had been assisting him for six months as if though he had been living in my apartment, I had the right to know.

So steeling myself for anything that might happen and energized with adrenaline, I walked the few steps that would lead me across the road to where they were.

They heard me approaching and turned in my direction.

I watched Ken eyes widen to saucers in shock when he saw me then he drew the woman beside him closer to him as if protecting her from me.

What? What the fuck!

"Hello, Ken," I said, trying so hard to keep any drop of emotion from my voice.

"Hey, Gee" He said casually as if we were talking about something else that was not serious. He used the tone that he usually uses when he played with my hair while I lay across his thighs on the sofa as we watched Netflix and talked casually at the same time.

I blinked my eyes in confusion. If I say I understood a bit of the scene playing before my eyes, I would be lying.

The woman who had her black hair packed in a bun at the back of her head and was wearing a dull coloured long sleeved gown looked so uncomfortable that I felt that if I made one wrong move in her direction, she might start to run. She stared at me while holding the child who was looking at me with vivid blue eyes that were filled with curiosity.

It was the same eyes that had made it so easy for me to fall in love with Ken. The way his blue eyes lit up with emotions whenever we were together…it was a source of immense pleasure to look at them. Now, seeing those particular eyes on the face of a child I never knew before hurt me deeply. I knew for real that something very absurd was happening.

"Ken, who is she?" I asked, waiting for him to say something…anything for it all to make sense so we both can laugh over it later in the apartment that we shared.

"Oh. So sorry, Gee. Forgive my manners. Honey, —" he turned to the woman "This is my friend, the one I told you that helps me a lot. The one that has done a lot for me."

What the fuck?

I was immediately doused in sweat even though the evening air was still very cool. My clothes stuck to my body.

Shocked to my bone marrow, I watched him turn to me.

"Gee, this is my wife, Kate and my son, Luke." He said with a brief smile.

His wife? His son?

Somebody shoot me please.

I wanted to believe it was a sort of sick joke; that Ken would look at how pale I looked, see how I was soaked in sweat, noticed the waves of shock rolling around from me and then turned his head back and laughed that I had been so easily fooled.

I would accept that joke even though it did not make sense that he would toy with my feelings for a few laughs. In fact, I would actually laugh at it…I would do anything to avoid this reality.

But one look at Luke who was getting agitated by the tension and was tugging on his mother's arms already so she could carry him up, I knew Ken was not lying at all. That there were no lies. That all what was happening was very real

Right there and then, my world shattered.

"You bastard!" I said, blinding pain and anger dripping from both words.

"Ken, how dare you?" I asked, willing all my strength that I could summon to fight back my tears.

One thing I would not give this asshole is the advantage of seeing me cry over what he had done for me.

His friend? His friend that helps him a lot? Is…is that how he had described me to this woman after eight months of dating?