The Uninvited Past

Today is the third anniversary of my marriage to Nathaniel Campbell. I left work early and bought his favorite cake, along with a bottle of red wine I had been saving for five years. At the doorstep, I knocked on the door. But it was not Nathaniel Campbell who opened it; it was my sister, Leah Sterling. She wore Nathaniel's white shirt, the hem covering her upper thighs; her hair was tousled, and clear red marks stained her neck. My blood surged to my head in an instant, and the cake box in my hands fell to the floor with a loud clatter, cream splattering everywhere. Leah was taken aback, instinctively clutching the collar of her shirt, her gaze flickering away. "Iris... why are you back?" Her voice trembled. I said nothing, my gaze fixed unwaveringly on the shirt she wore—it was the gift I had given Nathaniel Campbell last birthday; he had said it was too precious to ever wear. Nathaniel stepped out, dressed only in long trousers, the same indistinct mark of passion evident on his chest. The moment he saw me, a flicker of panic crossed his face, but it quickly faded into calm, even tinged with impatience. "Why are you home?" Nathaniel's tone sounded like a reproach, as if I were being childish. I fixed him with a glare, my throat tight, every breath aching. Three years of marriage, countless tender moments—all of it was a lie. I stepped forward and stood before Leah Sterling; she recoiled in fear, stumbling back against the shoe cabinet behind her. "Why you?" I asked her, my voice hoarse and hardly my own. Leah Sterling lowered her head, clutching the hem of her blouse tightly, tears streaming down as she said, "Iris, I'm sorry. Nathaniel and I are truly sincere..." I raised my hand and struck Leah Sterling's face with a fierce slap. The sharp slap echoed harshly through the silent living room. Leah Sterling covered her face, her eyes wide and filled with disbelief as she stared at me. In the next moment, her face went pale; she clutched her stomach and sank to her knees, cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. "My stomach... it hurts so much..." Her voice was weak, trembling with tears. Nathaniel Campbell's expression shifted instantly; he rushed forward to hold Leah, lifting the hem of her shirt. I saw red stains seeping through her trousers. "Iris! Have you lost your mind?" Nathaniel's eyes were bloodshot, as if he wanted to devour me. I stood frozen in place, my hands and feet icy cold, my mind utterly blank. I did not know she was pregnant. Nathaniel, holding Leah, rushed past me, snarling fiercely, "Iris, you will regret this." That night, I sat alone in the empty living room until dawn. The phone rang incessantly; it was my parents calling, but I did not answer. I knew that what had to come would inevitably come.