Reina I had gone back to my workaholic side as I was patiently waiting for Bruce to come up with any information about Helen. In a week's time, I was going to show her the updated design that she wanted. And for her dinner? I changed my mind from attending her dinner. I just was not feeling it. I didn't get anything from her, no text and no call. She was either cool with it or not. The day passed slowly and I was at home, working endlessly on the design. The house was very quiet without Ethan and Andrew was at school. I tried to wrap up my work for the day earlier than usual. Yet, I felt restless, like something was crawling under my skin. I stood by the kitchen sink, staring out the window. The sunlight shone aggressively on the leaves outside the house but it didn’t make me feel cheerful or any better. I thought of Ethan who had long boarded the plane to his destination, now he was flying somewhere far away. Why didn’t I stop him? My phone buzzed on the counter, pulling
Ethan I was at the other airport where I will take a plane straight to Japan. The airport was still so loud and bustling, but I felt completely disconnected from it. People hurried past me and they all looked like they had no worries in their life. My life felt like it was stuck in an impossible loop. I sat with my suitcase at my feet, staring at the boarding pass in my hand. My flight straight to Japan was in an hour. Everything I had worked for was finally coming together, yet it still felt wrong. I picked up my phone, scrolling through the messages Reina and I had exchanged. There was nothing special about it. They were very brief, distant, and polite. Nothing like what we used to be. I stared at the screen, debating whether to text her again. I had said I would call, but I could not. Not yet. I didn’t have the words to fix this. Was I really leaving my family behind? It all felt like a dream but it was a decision I had made. My thoughts were interrupted by the
EthanThe room was dimly lit and the heavy curtains blocked out the harsh sun that dared remind me of how far I had fallen. I was lying straight on the hotel bed, staring at the ceiling with an empty whiskey glass on the nightstand.My phone buzzed, breaking through the thick haze of self-pity that had settled over me.I was tired of living. I was feeling depressed and I didn't know how to handle myself. I ignored it at first, letting it vibrate into the mattress. Probably just work. Another email about something I could not bring myself to care about right now. But the buzzing of my phone didn’t stop. Reluctantly, I reached over and grabbed the phone, squinting at the screen.It was Carl.The name flashed brightly and I remembered the man I had met a few days after arriving in this foreign city. Carl did good to me. He was everything I was not at the moment. He was charismatic, carefree, and far too persuasive for his own good.With a groan, I swiped to answer. “What do you want
ReinaThe air still felt heavy, even in the quiet of my bedroom. The phone call with Ethan had ended hours ago and it didn't end well. I could still hear his voice echoing in my mind.I had been too harsh with him even as we were this distant. There was this exhaustion and frustration in his tone that he did not try to hide. I had pushed it all aside because of my own emotions.But now, in the silence of the night, guilt crept in on me. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my phone. Should I call him back? Apologize? And explain to him that I had nothing to do with Leonard. Maybe he just needed reassurance. Oh, why did I talk so rudely to him. Leonard’s name alone made my skin crawl. What he had said that time still rang in my head.“You think this is just about me flirting with you?” he had asked, leaning in too close. “It’s bigger than that. Someone sent me to you. Someone who wants to ruin Ethan. And you are the key. So, I have to get it first.”I knew that this was a very
EthanThe music made me feel alive and I had my head moving to every beat and insistent rhythm that I was hearing. My glass was empty again, though I could not remember finishing my drink. The red-haired woman that I saw at the club leaned against the bar beside me with her eyes sparkling in the flashing lights.I don't know why she looked at it like she was plotting something.“I'm sorry but I don't think I'm comfortable with you,” I said plainly to her. That was the truth. I was becoming so uncomfortable and my friend who brought me here was long gone. What have I gotten myself into? I asked myself but I had no answer to the question.I shrugged and decided to go with the floor, perhaps she would let me be after some time. That's the way some ladies are. I guess. “I think you are fun, young man,” she said and her voice was so soft and smooth as she teased me. She then signaled the bartender for another round of drinks for the both of us and I could not decline. The drink was
EthanI woke up to the sound of a door closing softly, followed by the faint click of heels on the floor. My head throbbed, pounding restlessly that made even the dim morning light coming through the curtains feel unbearable. Letting out a soft groan I tried to sit up, but the heaviness in my limbs kept me pinned to the bed.And then it hit me. I was naked. In her. By this time. I blinked, looking down to see the rumpled sheets tangled around my naked body. My stomach twisted as I began to remember what happened last night. The memories kept flooding back and I could not move. Her red hair glowed under the blue lights. Her laughter. Her hands. Her lips.Oh, my God! What have I done?The door clicked shut, and I turned just in time to catch a glimpse of her fiery hair as she disappeared down the hallway. She didn’t say goodbye. She didn’t even look back.I sat up quickly, clutching the sheets as if they could shield and protect me from the shame threatening to consume me. My cl
ReinaThe clock on my desk kept ticking loudly and I wondered if it was because I was paying attention to even the little things that I was able to hear it. On a normal day, I would care less about a clock. The sound of the clock was made louder by the silence that engulfed the house. At first, I was sketching a few designs that I was going to put up for sale in the online market but my attention became divided when I remembered that there was something I had to do quickly. tapped my pen against the edge of my notebook, staring at the half-written page in front of me. Research on Leonard had consumed my thoughts for the past two days, but the deeper I dug, the murkier things became.Something about him didn’t sit right with me.I sighed, pushing the notebook aside and reaching for my phone. My messages with Ethan stared back at me, our recent exchange still fresh.“Hey. Busy morning. I will call you tonight. Miss you.”His words these days had been reassuring, but something felt of
EthanThe cold shower did little to wash away the guilt clinging to my skin. I stood there, water pouring over me, hoping the icy sting would calm the storm in my chest. But it didn’t.I was haunted by memories and all I could see and hear and feel were The redhead’s laughter, her touch, the softness of her lips. it all kept on haunting leaving a relentless echo in my mind.“You are a fool, Ethan,” I muttered, slamming my fist against the tiled wall. “A bloody fool. How could you do such a thing?”I turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing a towel. My reflection in the fogged-up mirror stared back at me. I looked like a total stranger. A stranger with bloodshot eyes and a fucked up face. This was not me. This was not the man I promised Reina I would be.Reina. My sweet wife. Her face swam before my eyes and I could still see her bright smile, the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed. What would she think of me now? Would she even look at me the same way if she knew what
Reina Again, our meeting ended in a deadlock. I was slowly giving up on what was happening in my life. Since I could not get Leonard to change his mind towards me and Ethan, I might as well wait for him to pounce on me like a thief.If he needed me so badly in his life, he might prefer to dance with my corpse. I was in the middle of sorting fabric samples in my home office when my phone buzzed on the desk. The persistent vibration told me it was not just a regular notification. Nowadays, I have been getting a lot of calls and notifications from random people that hearing my phone buzz or ring gave me anxiety. Hesitantly, I picked it up and saw dozens of missed calls and texts. My heart sank as I opened the first message from an unknown number. "Saw the photos. So much for loyalty, huh?"This unknown number has sworn never to let me be. I anticipated the next thing that he had to tell me even though it hurts me. Photos? My pulse quickened. I tapped on a link someone had sent, a
ReinaAfter meeting Leonard once, we had to schedule another meeting since the previous one didn't yield any result. I only took it upon myself to shout at him at the top of my voice. I was heartbroken and he could see it. I entered the private dining room Leonard had requested with my heart pounding in my chest like a drum. The room smelled faintly of some expensive woody cologne but I didn't mind. This was the second time I was sneaking out of the house without Ethan's knowledge to see Leonard. It's not like Ethan had any authority over me. Not when he did what he did to me. I had still not been able to address his cheating on me. Neither have I been able to recover from it. As I spotted him, I sighed deeply. Leonard was already seated and his posture felt relaxed, but his smile was as sharp as a razor. “Reina,” he said smoothly, standing as I approached. “I’m glad you came. For the second time, you honored my request. ”“I seriously don't care, Leonard. Please the pleasantri
ReinaI had followed Ethan home because I was stupid. I could call myself names at this point. The silence between Ethan and me stretched like a taut rope. He sat across the living room, phone in hand, typing furiously.His shoulders were tense, his jaw tight. He was just a man cornered, desperately trying to claw his way out.I didn’t know what to say anymore. The days of heated arguments had passed, leaving only exhaustion in their wake. I sat on the edge of the couch, staring at the coffee table cluttered with papers, receipts, and phone records. Ethan’s latest decision was to hire a private investigator and it was like our last shot at salvaging whatever was left of our lives.“Do you think this private investigator will find anything? Most of them are just a waste of time” I asked, breaking the heavy silence between us. Ethan didn’t look up at me. He was more interested in what he was doing. “He will. He has to.”His certainty made my stomach twist. I wanted to believe him. G
ReinaThe hotel room was quiet, apart from the soft hum of the air conditioning. I sat cross-legged on the plush armchair, staring at the untouched glass of juice on the table.My luggage sat in the corner, still zipped shut. I had not bothered to unpack. This was not home. It wasn’t even close.I leaned back, rubbing my stomach slowly. My phone buzzed on the table, but I ignored it. No doubt it was Ethan again, calling to apologize, to promise that things would get better, to swear he was not hiding anything else. But how many times could someone make those promises before they started behaving like a sane human?The fight we had replayed in my mind for the hundredth time.“You don’t get it, Ethan!” I shouted at him, my voice cracking. “Every time you keep something from me, it feels like you are building a wall between us. How am I supposed to fight for us when you keep shutting me out?”Ethan had run a hand through his hair, feeling frustrated and confused. “I’m not shutting you
Reina I was scared of making a terrible decision. The air was heavy as I sat at the small café table, my hands cradling a lukewarm cup of tea. My eyes darted nervously around the room, scanning every face for any hint of familiarity. This meeting felt risky, but I had no choice. I needed answers. I had already made a decision a long time ago on how to deal with my relationship with Ethan. The door chimed, and in walked Sarah, her sharp heels clicking against the tiled floor. Her tailored navy suit and confident posture reminded me of the ambitious PR strategist I used to know. She spotted me and waved at me and her expression softened as she approached me.“Reina,” she greeted warmly, pulling me into a brief hug. “It has been a while.”“Too long,” I admitted, gesturing for her to sit.Sarah settled into the chair opposite me and leaned forward. “So, you said you needed help. I read about the scandal. It’s brutal. I wonder why someone would pull off something as terrible as that
ReinaI stared at the headline plastered across the screen of my phone: “Designer Reina Traps Billionaire Husband: Isn't she such a Gold Digger?” My chest tightened as I scrolled through the venomous comments flooding the article.“She is clearly after his money.”“Poor Ethan. He deserves better.”“I knew she was too good to be true.”“Okay, I like this. I have never liked that woman for any thing.”The words felt like daggers. Each one sliced deeper into me, leaving me raw and exposed. My hands trembled as I tried to lock my phone, but I couldn’t look away. O was shaking and deep down, I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me. Why was all these happening to me? This was because of the stupid man I fell in love with. Because of him, I have suffered a lot of things. I have been treated like a filthy rag and I was no longer respected. I was thinking of filing for a divorce and the thought of my son came to me again. I didn't want to drag him into this mess. “Reina!” Ethan’s
ReinaI sat on the edge of the couch, staring blankly at the rejection email on my laptop screen. My chest felt tight, as if someone had tied a band around it and kept pulling.“We regret to inform you…” the words blurred before my eyes. This was supposed to be my moment. My designs, my heart and soul, were rejected not because they were not good enough, but because I was not safe to associate with anymore.All because of the scandal on the internet. Ethan walked into the room, his tie loosened and his face weary. He carried a raging anger with him as he walked and his energy was practically crackled.“Reina,” he began, but I cut him off, holding up my hand.“Not now,” I snapped. “I just got rejected from the showcase. They said they can’t afford the bad press. Thanks to you, cheater.”His face hardened. “What?”“You heard me,” I said, shoving my laptop toward him. “This scandal of yours is ruining everything.”“Mine?” he barked, his voice rising. “You think I wanted this? Reina, som
Reina The last thing that I would believe without a visible evidence was Ethan cheating on me. I stared at my phone screen, the photo staring back at me like a ghost haunting my marriage. But this time, it was not just in a private message. It was plastered all over social media, accompanied by salacious headlines.“Billionaire Ethan Spotted with a fling.”My fingers trembled as I scrolled through the comments. Some people mocked the situation, while others speculated about the woman in the photo. There were even fake stories weaving tales of Ethan’s supposed sexual stories with her.My stomach rumbled and I was dumbfounded. I had gone from deceiving myself that this was not true to believing it in an instant. My husband’s name, our family, dragged through the mud like this, it was unbearable.I don't know why Ethan did something like this to hurt me. It was difficult for me to believe all of these up till now. But guess what? I was yet to approach him up till now. “Mommy, can
Reina“I was done for and my joy had been short-lived. I don't think I would be able to recover from this shock,” I muttered to myself. The house was still quiet except for the ticking of the clock in the kitchen. I sat at the table, staring at the blurry photo on my phone, the message below was still burning into my mind: “Is this your husband?”My chest felt heavy and like a heavy weight pressing me down, it made it hard for me to breathe. The image was a little blurry but I could not deny it.Ethan’s face was unmistakable, the curve of his jaw, the way his shoulders hunched slightly when he leaned in to talk. And the woman? She was a shadowy figure, even though her face was half-hidden, I could still notice her hair and the way they held themselves. The closeness between them made my stomach rumble. My fingers tightened around the phone as a thousand thoughts raced through my mind. Who sent this? Why now? We had just started putting the pieces of our life back together. Why