PART 1 — The Day Everything Fell Apart
Ice Johns had always believed that love could be recognized by stability.
By consistency.
By the five years she had spent with Teddy Blaise, 32, a respected doctor, a calm man, a reassuring man.
Five years.
And yet, that morning, something felt different.
Teddy was in the shower. Steam filled the apartment, water pounding against the tiles. His phone vibrated on the nightstand. Once. Then again.
Ice looked away.
She wasn't that kind of woman.
But the screen lit up.
Lora
Are you coming home soon?
Her breath caught.
Her fingers trembled as she picked up the phone. She didn't read further. Sometimes, a single message is enough to crack an entire life.
When Teddy stepped out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, Ice was sitting on the bed, the phone in her hand.
— You got a message, she said, surprisingly calm.
— Oh? he replied distractedly.
— From someone… named Lora.
He froze for a split second. Too short for a stranger to notice. Too long to escape Ice's gaze.
— A distant cousin, he explained with a forced smile. Nothing important.
He was lying.
She knew it immediately.
Ice didn't press further. She stood, entered the bathroom, and let the hot water run over her. But even under the stream, a chill settled in her chest.
They left for work together.
As if nothing had changed.
At the hospital, Ice went through her duties mechanically. She smiled, spoke, cared for patients. But inside, she was slowly cracking.
The name Lora kept echoing in her mind. Like a warning.
During her break, she went to get a coffee.
In the hall, she saw a woman and a little girl. The woman looked lost, anxious. The child clutched her hand tightly.
Ice approached.
— Excuse me… are you looking for someone?
The woman sighed, relieved.
— Yes, thank you. My husband works here. I can't reach him. My baby is sick.
— What's your name? Ice asked softly.
— Lora.
The ground seemed to vanish beneath her feet.
Her heart raced violently. Her hands trembled. Her vision blurred. Yet she held herself together, out of pride.
— And your husband… what's his name?
She already knew the answer.
But some truths must be heard to be real.
— Teddy. Teddy Blaise.
Ice stumbled.
She hadn't been cheated on.
She had been used.
Tears burned her eyes, but she held them back.
— How long have you been married? she asked, her voice breaking.
— Seven years. I'll soon be thirty-four.
Then Lora straightened suddenly.
— Oh… there he is. I see him.
Teddy appeared at the end of the corridor.
When he saw them both, his face went pale. His steps slowed. His eyes moved from his wife… to Ice.
He froze.
— Honey! Lora called with a smile. I've been looking everywhere for you.
The little girl let go of her mother's hand and ran to him.
— Daddy!
She threw herself into his arms.
Teddy looked only at Ice.
Searching for an impossible explanation.
— This lady helped us, Lora said. She's your colleague?
— Yes… he stammered.
— Now that you've found him, I'll leave, Ice said, stepping back.
— What's your name? Lora asked kindly.
— Ice.
— Don't call me "ma'am." Call me Lora.
— Okay… Lora.
— Say goodbye, Lily.
— Goodbye, miss!
— Goodbye…
Ice turned on her heels.
This time, she didn't hold back.
Tears fell silently, heavy with five lost years.
— What are you doing here?! Teddy shouted as Ice disappeared.
— Why are you yelling? I tried calling you. Our son is sick.
— You couldn't go to the hospital? You had to come here while I'm working?
— Don't speak to me like that. I'm your wife.
…You're cheating on me… is that it?
— Stop saying nonsense. I work all the time. Yesterday I was on call.
He sighed.
— I'll put on my coat and come, okay?
— Okay…
— Daddy, we're waiting for you! Lily said.
— Yes, my little one.
But his gaze…
It remained fixed on Ice.
Ice's heart was shattered.
She walked aimlessly, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. She didn't even wipe them away. Passersby stared, curious, sometimes embarrassed, wondering what could reduce an adult woman to such fragility in the middle of the street.
She walked.
She cried.
She struggled to breathe.
Her trembling hand closed around her phone. Only one person could listen without judgment.
Melissa.
— Melissa… he cheated on me… she stammered.
— Ice, speak softly… I don't understand. Breathe. What's happening?
— I just found out that Teddy is married…
(Her voice broke)
And that he has two children.
A shocked silence fell over the line.
— What? No… that's impossible. Are you sure?
— If someone else had told me, I would never have believed it. But I saw them. His wife. His daughter. At the hospital.
— Ice… come home. We need to talk.
— I'm still on duty…
— Ice. You're not a robot. Take leave. Come.
She hesitated for a few seconds, then gave in.
— Okay.
She called Samuel, the attendance manager, and requested an exceptional afternoon off, citing an urgent personal issue. He approved without question.
As she left the hospital, her phone vibrated again.
Teddy.
Again.
Again.
She finally answered, her voice harsh, drained.
— Don't ever call me again.
Then she hung up.
Her heart clenched as she thought of Lora. Of her kindness. Of the child.
She had never imagined she could destroy a family.
She had never wanted to be the other woman.
And yet, that was exactly what she had been.
The truth hit her violently:
He wasn't cheating on another woman.
He was cheating on his wife… with her.
At Melissa's, Ice collapsed as soon as she entered.
Melissa caught her and held her silently.
Ice broke down.
— How could he do this to me? I loved him…
(She sobbed)
I always wondered why he never married me…
She raised her tear-filled eyes.
— He already had a wife. I was just… a secret.
Melissa's heart ached.
— Tonight, we're going out.
— It's not the time…
— Exactly. Tonight, you breathe. You forget. Just for a few hours.
Ice hesitated, exhausted, broken.
— Okay… just for tonight.
Teddy's Side
Teddy returned home, distraught. His son had a slight fever. He cared for him, administered the necessary medication.
— It's nothing serious, he told Lora. Just a little fever.
— Thank you, she replied with a tired smile.
But Teddy's mind was elsewhere.
— I have to leave, he said suddenly.
— Teddy… what's wrong? Lora asked. You're distant.
— Nothing. I'm just tired.
She looked at him for a long moment.
— You'll come back tonight?
— Yes… I'll come back.
He kissed her on the cheek and left.
But Lora remained still, a pit in her stomach, certain something was wrong.
At the hospital, Teddy searched for Ice.
— She's on leave for health reasons, Samuel explained. She won't be back today.
Teddy's heart tightened. He called her again.
No answer.
He didn't want it to end like this.
But he knew he had already destroyed everything.