Chapter 3

"Let's go, Gladys."

Brent stood. "Finish the flow-field simulation from yesterday and submit the report tonight."

"Okay."

Gladys rose too.

As she passed me,

Brent glanced at me once.

Then he shut the study door.

I pressed a hand to my empty, hungry stomach.

I let out a sigh,

turned, and went to the kitchen.

After making myself a sandwich,

I tossed the laundry into the washer as I went,

and loaded the mountain of cups and dishes into the dishwasher.

That night.

Brent, who'd been working all day, came into the bedroom.

But not to sleep.

"I've decided to lay out where you can and can't go in the house.

"From now on, the three rooms around the study, don't go in them."

I froze.

"Why?"

"You're noisy."

He lay in bed,

pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Gladys and I need a quiet atmosphere to do research."

"But you could talk about it at the office."

There was a small ache of hurt in me.

"Sometimes we can't make it to the office in time.

"Meryl, you don't really help with anything anyway. At the very least, I'm asking you.

"Just don't get in the way, all right?"

Looking at his furrowed brow,

I clenched the hem of my shirt.

That night,

we slept back to back.

I thought Brent had only said it out of temper.

But when I got up the next morning,

around those three rooms near the study,

a temporary metal grate really had been strung up.

On it was written:

【Meryl Pruitt not permitted inside】

In disbelief, I reached out my hand.

A sharp "zzzt!"

The current on the grate stung me hard, and I fell.

The study door opened.

Gladys came out.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you."

She switched off the power,

opened the grate,

and came over to help me up.

"That thing's electrified. Be careful."

"Let go of me!"

I jerked back.

Gladys stiffened.

She turned to look at Brent.

Brent said coldly,

"Don't be difficult. Once Gladys and I finish the simulation, the grate comes down."

"But this is my home!"

There was a catch in my voice.

"Why do I have to walk around my own home behind a burglar grate?"

Gladys reached out a hand.

"Meryl..."

"Get away from me!"

I shoved her hand aside.

Gladys let out a cry,

and fell to the floor.

"Gladys!"

Brent rushed forward.

He held her up.

She cupped the hand I'd just pushed away, her eyes going red.

"Meryl, don't misunderstand.

"If you don't want me here, I'll just go."

And she really did pick up her bag.

She packed set after set of data into it.

"Brent, let's go back to talking about this at the office from now on.

"Meryl's already gotten the wrong idea about us."

"Gladys!"

Brent called after her.

Then he looked at me.

He let out a sigh.

The metal grate was taken down.

Brent never again discussed those unfathomable things with Gladys at home.

At the office,

he kept a certain distance too.

But then one day,

a rainstorm trapped me at the company.

I stood at the entrance, checking my watch over and over.

At last, Brent came striding toward me with his car keys.

My eyes lit up.

"Brent! You came!"

"Move aside."

He pushed past me.

I stood there, stunned.

Gladys was clutching a folder,

bag over her shoulder, walking out of the building.

"Brent?"

I froze.

Brent opened the passenger door for Gladys.

"I need to take Gladys home first. Wait here for a bit."