**OBSESSION**
In any workplace dominated by women, gossip inevitably finds fertile ground. And as they say, a gossip’s tongue is longer than a ladder. At one small nursery, the personal life of a young teacher named Lucy was a constant topic of whispered conversations. To Lucy, family and personal happiness were two very different things. She seemed to revel in giving people something to talk about.
She always had admirers—too many to count. The moment a plumber, carpenter, or painter stepped into the nursery, Lucy would drop everything and rush to “help,” her flirting as obvious as her empty promises. Though nothing ever came of it, everyone was convinced she had a secret or two.
Lucy chattered away, charming every man in sight—even the elderly caretaker, Mr. Higgins, who was just months away from retirement. She basked in their compliments, relishing the feeling of being the most desired woman in the nursery.
But there was a catch—Lucy was married, with a seven-year-old daughter, Emily. Yet neither her marital status nor her responsibilities as a mother ever slowed her down.
Her husband, Edward, adored her. He doted on her, blind to her harmless flirtations. “Well,” he told himself, “a beautiful woman like her can’t help drawing attention. But Lucy is loyal to me.” Bless his heart. And Lucy, of course, assured him of her endless love.
…She had married Edward at her mother’s urging. “You can mold him into the perfect husband,” her mother had said. And so it was. Edward was an excellent electrical engineer, often away on business trips. When he returned, he showered Lucy and Emily with extravagant gifts, devoting every spare moment to his family. Yet something was missing for Lucy—passion, excitement, a thrill.
…Then, one day, Lucy fell head over heels. It started when Mr. Higgins was suddenly retired, and the headmistress’s son, Simon, took over as night watchman. Simon was a fourth-year medical student, training to be a dentist.
The headmistress, Mrs. Victoria Harrington, had arranged the job to help her son financially. Simon agreed—extra cash never hurt, and maybe he could take a girl out for ice cream or to the cinema. Never mind that he didn’t have a girlfriend yet. A handsome future dentist like him wouldn’t stay single for long.
The moment Simon started working, Lucy couldn’t resist visiting him in the caretaker’s lodge.
…It was a cold winter evening. All the children had gone home. Lucy invited herself in, making small talk with effortless charm. Simon, ever the gentleman, gestured for her to sit while he perched on the worn-out sofa opposite.
They talked endlessly—Simon about medicine, his dreams, his friends; Lucy about the dull monotony of her life. Before they knew it, night had fallen. Simon insisted on walking her home—luckily, she lived nearby.
And so began their whirlwind affair.
Lucy couldn’t stop herself. She was falling fast, unable to resist the pull. Simon soon confessed his love, and the news spread like wildfire through the nursery.
Mrs. Harrington called Lucy into her office.
“Lucy, you have a family,” she said sternly. “As his mother, I’m asking you to leave Simon alone. What could you possibly have in common? You’re married, with a child. Simon still has years of studying ahead of him. He doesn’t need stolen love. Or do I need to fire you for immoral conduct?”
“Go ahead,” Lucy snapped. “I won’t give him up.”
“Suit yourself,” Mrs. Harrington called after her as she stormed out.
The next day, Lucy handed in her leave request. Mrs. Harrington signed it without a word, adding coldly, “I hope you come to your senses. I don’t need a daughter-in-law with… baggage.”
Lucy packed up Emily (“the baggage”) and fled to her parents’ countryside home, desperate for solitude to make the right decision. She didn’t understand what was happening—was it lust? Passion? Obsession? Her mind stayed stubbornly silent while her heart ached for love.
In the village lived Granny Mabel, a wise old woman of ninety. People traveled from all over seeking her advice. Mabel had buried a husband and seven children, wept all her tears, and somehow emerged a seer. Her predictions always came true.
Lucy brought her sweets (Mabel never took money) and approached her cottage. Before she could even knock, Granny Mabel startled her:
“Well, what’ll you name your little boy?”
Lucy blinked. “What boy?”
“Your son. You’re due in spring—didn’t you know?”
Baffled, Lucy stepped inside the dim cottage, where candles flickered and dried herbs hung from the ceiling.
“Sit, dear. I’ll tell you everything.” Mabel shuffled her old tarot cards and sighed.
“Don’t keep me waiting,” Lucy pleaded.
“Your daughter will marry a soldier and move far away. But you—go back to your husband. He’ll love you, faults and all. That boy of yours will be his too. But if you turn from him, you’ll be alone in this world.”
Lucy left more confused than ever.
But her mind was made up. She would leave Edward for Simon.
…Until she returned to work and found Mr. Higgins back in the lodge, smoking his pipe.
“Expecting someone else?” he said dryly. “Simon’s gone. His mother sent him off to be with relatives—said she’d rather he herd sheep than chase a married woman.”
Lucy’s heart sank. But then—
“He left you an address.” Mr. Higgins sighed. “You’re making a mistake, Lucy. Edward’s a good man. Simon? He’s a leaf in the wind.”
Lucy didn’t listen. She rushed to the post office, clutching the scrap of paper like a treasure.
…Three months later, a reply came. Lucy nearly wept when she saw the handwriting—elegant, feminine.
“Woman, Simon is my husband. Don’t write again.”
Furious, Lucy confronted Mrs. Harrington, who merely smirked.
“You’re expecting? Fine—take your maternity leave. But whose child is it, really? Edward’s? Or… someone else’s?”
Lucy packed her bags, telling Edward she was visiting her parents.
…When she finally arrived at Simon’s address, he ran to her, stunned.
“Lucy! What are you doing here?”
She waved the letter in his face. “Who wrote this?”
Simon was baffled. “I don’t have a wife.”
Then it hit him—his mother had orchestrated it.
They rushed home together. Lucy confessed to Edward, who listened quietly before gathering his things.
“I always knew this would happen,” he said softly. “But I want you to be happy.”
Simon moved in with Lucy. Mrs. Harrington raged—but when Lucy gave birth to little Paul, something shifted.
The moment Mrs. Harrington saw her grandson, her anger melted. She doted on him, visiting often, even taking him to work with her.
For seven years, Lucy and Simon had a tumultuous marriage—full of fights, passion, and betrayals. Then Simon left her for a young patient—a dental assistant.
“Lucy, I can’t live without her,” he said.
She let him go, remembering her own reckless love.
Then Mrs. Harrington asked for Paul—begged, really. Lucy resisted at first, but soon Paul spent more time at his grandmother’s than at home.
Now alone, Lucy wondered—where was Edward? Did he ever think of her?
One day, her cat fell ill. She rushed to the vet—only to find Edward there, fixing the wiring.
Their eyes met.
“Call me,” she whispered.
He did—that very evening.
