Release me. Now. Or I ull kill her. (Tamara doesn’t even have the time to respond because Mihai shoves her into the hallway and she slams against the closed door.) Mihai: I don’t know. (He starts to walk back toward his bedroom.) Maria: Mihai? Mihai? Mihai: (turning to face Maria) Yes? Maria: You okay? Mihai: Yes. Fine. I’m fine. Maria: So how’s the job search coming? Mihai: (looks around and then turns and sits on the edge of the bed) I’m not having an affair with you. Just… (looks at Maria’s face, and sees she’s upset, though he doesn’t know why.) Maria: (a smile starts to cross her face) Well, this is nice, that you can joke about it. Mihai: I told you, I’m doing okay. (His face is serious again.) Maria: (tries to make light of it) Oh, yeah, I know. (She looks at the nightstand and her purse, then back at Mihai.) Sorry, I should get going. I have that meeting with the doctor’s wife about… You know. Mihai: (a strange smile crosses his face) Uh-huh. Yeah, I know. (looks away from her and into the hall) Maria: (looking away) Uh… (not knowing where to go with this conversation) Well, okay, then… (moves her body toward the door) So I should go… Mihai: (looks at Maria) Why did you come back here? Maria: (looking down at her knees) I don’t know. I didn’t mean to. Mihai: (angry) Maria! You didn’t just come back here. You knocked and I let you in. Maria: (looks up at him) Mihai, I just wanted to— Mihai: (doesn’t let her finish) And what, was my wife home? (Maria looks surprised. He continues.) You were spying on us?! Maria: (suddenly standing up) Spying! (Mihai smiles and puts his hand up to stop her from saying anything further.) I didn’t come back to spy! I came back to say I’m sorry I got married in between. But I didn’t do anything! Nothing! I mean, if you think I was spying… You wouldn’t have asked, otherwise. (Mihai laughs. She turns away and starts for the door. Mihai catches her hand.) You know… Mihai: (interrupting) I shouldn’t even be asking you, but you were never around. I know you’re not having an affair, so I shouldn’t even be asking you this, but you’re not going to tell me why you’re not around. So don’t act like you’re having a bad time because you have a kid! (Maria gives him a look.) You didn’t want to be around for five years, you want to leave a husband and a child for a guy who runs away to Spain! (Maria walks to the bed.) Maria: And he’s from Bulgaria! (leaning into Mihai) I had a job, Mihai. (She puts her hands on her hips.) I have a life and I can’t give that up for someone who’s not even here! If you want to leave I can’t stop you, but don’t— (She can’t finish the sentence, because Mihai hits her in the face. Maria falls to the floor. She turns onto her back and starts to crawl to the door, then stops and looks up at Mihai, who is standing over her, shaking his hand to get the pain out of it.) Maria: What did you do? Mihai: (stern) How’d you come to that? Maria: (stands up) Because— Mihai: (shoves her into the wall again) What did you just say? Maria: I don’t know. I don’t know what to say. Mihai: (pushes her into the wall again) Say it! Maria: Mihai, you know what I’m going to say. Mihai: What? Tell me. Maria: What? You don’t want to hear it? Mihai: (shaking his hand again) No. Say it. Maria: What? Mihai, what are you doing?! Mihai: What do you think I’m doing? Tell me! Maria: (stands up) Mihai, what are you doing? Mihai: I know I said that, but what are you doing? It doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. What do you think I’m doing? What am I doing? Maria: (sad) I’m— Mihai: (pushes her against the door) Say it. (Maria looks away.) Mihai: (pushing her against the door) Say it! Maria: (leaving her hand on her cheek) I’m sorry. I’m— Mihai: Say it! Maria: (getting angrier) I’m sorry. Mihai: Good. And I’m not going to stop you. (Mihai moves Maria’s hand off her cheek.) Now. Where’s… I’m sorry, Maria, but I have to make sure I find him first. Then. I’ll talk to you. Until then, I can’t. Maria: Why? Mihai: (looks away) Because— Maria: It’s all right, Mihai, you can tell me. Mihai… Please, tell me. Mihai: No. No, I can’t. (He sighs and turns away from Maria. He walks to the bedroom door and opens it. He walks through it, then closes it behind him. She is looking at the door after he closes it. A silence.) She’s a good actress. I’ve been seeing her for years. Not just acting, but acting out. You know, I didn’t really think she was an actress when I first met her. At first, she was just a friend. But eventually, after years of this, I realised that she was also an incredible actress. I never suspected that she would deceive me in such a way. When she told me she was pregnant with our baby, I thought it was real. And she seemed so happy to be carrying my child. Now, we’ve lost that baby and she’s blaming me. I didn’t do anything to her, I had nothing to do with it. I wonder how far she’s gone. She’s a good actress. (Mihai’s voice trails off.) I should have known she was an actress. I should have suspected it. And maybe I should have known what she was going to do—I just didn’t want to hear it. I was trying to stop it. I can’t be a good father if I’m always fighting off the women I love. (Mihai’s voice becomes slightly whiny, as he continues.) Well, I don’t have to worry about it now. I’ve hired security. I need to get my life back. (Mihai continues to talk, but it isn’t understandable. There’s no point to what he’s saying.) Well, I guess I’m off to the next part of my story. (Mihai sits on the edge of the bed. He still can’t hear her.) Well… As I was saying, I’ve already hired security. I want my life back, but I can’t have it back if I’m hiding from everyone and lying to my friends about it. I want to get the story behind Mihai’s eyes out. I want the truth about Mihai. I want to know who I married. So… (Mihai stops, then he moves to the bed, opens the nightstand drawer and pulls out a pack of cigarettes, then takes out one and lights it. He inhales and holds the smoke for a while. He closes his eyes.) I’ve been smoking all my life. People say I’ve got a bad habit, but what’s the harm? I’m going to die anyway. A cigarette always calms me down.