The Other Woman's Scent

The smell of disinfectant still lingered in my nose. I had just finished the last step, preparing the deceased's face for my mother-in-law, who died in a car accident. There was still a hint of kindness on her face, just like she usually looked at me. I took out my cell phone, wanting to tell my husband, Siegfried Greenfield, the news. My fingers pressed the screen several times, but all I heard was the voicemail tone. I put down the phone and sank into the lounge chair, feeling weighed down inside. My mother-in-law treated me well, one of the few people in this family who ever gave me warmth. Now that she's gone, I don't even have anyone left to share this sorrow with. I don't know how long it took, but finally, the phone rang. The name "Siegfried Greenfield" lit up on the screen, and I quickly picked up. "Julia," his voice came through the receiver, tinged with impatience, "Find that limited edition dress in my study closet and send it to Beth; she has to attend a dinner party tonight." My hand holding the cell phone froze, and my throat felt like it was clogged with something. He didn't ask what I was doing, didn't ask about what was going on at home, didn't even mention my mother-in-law. "Siegfried," I tried to keep my voice calm, "Did you...?" "Don't waste time. Beth's still waiting on the other end." He cut me off, his voice full of urgency. "The dress has to be delivered on time. Don't screw this up." After that, he hung up. The busy signal buzzed through the receiver. I stared at my phone screen, my eyes slowly filling with tears. How could he do this? My mother-in-law was in trouble, but all he cared about was some other woman's dinner party dress. I stood up and walked over to the window. The sky outside had already darkened, streetlights flickering on one after another, but none of it could reach the coldness in my heart right now. When I got home, the house felt completely empty. Usually, my mother-in-law would be waiting for me in the living room, but now there was only cold furniture left. I buried myself under the blankets, exhaustion and sadness crashing over me all at once. Half asleep, I started dreaming. In the dream, it was the night my mother left; she stood on the balcony, her back firm and resolute. I cried and begged her to come down, but she just glanced back at me once before jumping. I woke up with a start, my heart still pounding wildly. Then, another scene appeared in the dream. My mother-in-law stood on the top floor, the wind blowing through her hair, her face full of sorrow. I didn't know why she was there. I wanted to call out to her, but no sound came out. Suddenly, I woke up from the dream, startled. The lights in the room were off, with only a faint glow coming from the living room. I got up to get a glass of water, and just as I reached the bedroom door, I saw the scene in the living room. Siegfried was squatting on the floor, with a basin of warm water in front of him. Beth was sitting on the couch, her feet soaking in the warm water. Siegfried Greenfield was carefully washing her feet, his every movement so gentle it seemed like water could drip from his touch. Beth Johnson smiled and reached out to stroke Siegfried Greenfield's hair. Their closeness felt like a needle, stabbing deep into my heart. I stood frozen in place, my whole body ice cold. So it wasn't that he didn't know how to come home—he just saved all his tenderness for someone else. While I was heartbroken and mourning my mother-in-law's death, he was enjoying cozy moments with another woman. Silently, I slipped back into the bedroom and shut the door behind me. In the darkness, the tears finally slipped out. It feels like this home no longer has a place for me.