As he stepped out of his car, Carl tightened his delivery bag strap around his chest, took a deep breath and scanned the food order for the right apartment number.
It was just another day of work, but his mind was heavy with the weight of an argument he had with his wife, Maria. They've been having problems lately, but he didn't expect to be slapped in the face with reality like this.
Apartment 304, the order read. As he walked up the stairs, he felt his heart rate picking up, sensing that something wasn't right. The air smelled of perfume, sweat, and desire.
He hesitated before knocking, wondering if it was worth risking his job to satisfy his curiosity. But before he could make up his mind, the door opened, revealing a sight that made his heart shatter.
Maria was standing there, in front of him, in nothing but a lacy black bra and matching panties, with another man sitting on the couch behind her, grinning widely.
She looked shocked, her eyes widened with fear and embarrassment. She didn't expect Carl to be the one delivering their food. He had always said he wanted to keep his work life and his private life separate. But fate had other plans for him, or so it seemed.
Carl was at a loss for words. He just stared, taking in the scene. It was like something out of a low budget film, but he couldn't deny the pain it caused him.
He looked at Maria, his eyes now burning with anger and disgust. She couldn't look him in the eye, instead she cowered in shame, trying to cover herself up.
"What are you doing here?" she stammered.
"You know I work for Door Dash. I’m here to delivering this food," he said, barely able to hide his trembling voice.
There was silence for a few moments before Carl stepped back, turned on his back and left. He walked away, feeling defeated, humiliated and devastated. He never returned her calls or text messages, never went home again.
He realized then, that some things just weren't worth the trouble. Love, life, relationships. They were too fragile, too volatile, too unpredictable. And as he got back into his car, ready to continue with his deliveries, he knew one thing for sure. He was never going back to Maria. Not now, not ever.