REINAI would have been more mean if I wanted to but I decided not to. Following Ethan up was not that hard to do. I just had to remain calm so that he could get the impression that I was not angry at him anymore.To him, I was a changed divorced woman who would see any man and try to be in his good books.I bet Ravenna would be somewhere plotting something against me again. Well, her cup was going to get filled up soon. It was just a matter of time.We had some mini chats and everything that Ethan brought about was heading towards a relationship.“Is that why you called me out here, Ethan? To start a relationship with you? When you are married? Have you forgotten that we are divorced and I can't go back to my vomit,” I blurted out in anger.Whatever he was trying to do was not going to work. Not this time around.I was more than disgusted that he brought me out at night to say such nonsense to my face.I had never felt this insulted in my life.“I know we are divorced, Reina. I can
REINA“What are you still doing messing around with my husband, you daughter of a bitch?”That was the first question that welcomed me when I resumed work for the week.“Excuse me?” I asked, staring at the already raging woman in front of me.Ravenna was fuming with anger when she barged into the office. I could see the anger written all over her and I knew I had to thread carefully.“Respect yourself, Ravenna or I will call the security to get you out,” I warned her.That was not an empty threat. I would never make any empty threat now as regards Ravenna. She had been in my bad books for a long time now.“Do you think I should be scared because you want to call the cops for me? You call them and explain to them why a wretched divorced woman like you keeps following another woman's husband,” she blurted out.I pushed the chair I was sitting away and stood up to face her. I clenched my fist together, preparing to slap the hell out of her if she utters anything that will make me angry.
REINA“Know what?” I asked. My heart kept thrudding greatly against my chest.What she said made me so disturbed that I began to overthink things.“Don't do this now. You know what I am talking about. I thought you would tell him about the child,” she said.Hearing this again made it seem as if the world stopped spinning for some time.“Why are you so engrossed in my affairs? Why do you care if I tell him that or not?” I asked her and she just laughed.“Because I want to be. You are keeping him in the dark,” she answered.“I choose to. I have my life to live and he has his. You are the only fool trying to spoil things between the both of us,” I sneered.I guessed that push towards the cupboard was not okay enough. She deserved more than that. Something that would bring bruises and injuries to her. I bet that is what she would want in order to keep shut and stay away from my affairs.“I will tell Ethan myself since you don't want to. Trust me, you will regret the day you gave birth t
REINAEverything Bruce said to me made me super happy. It was a thing or joy entirely to see that someone was particularly interested in everything that you did.“I can't wait to see you on that day, Bruce. I really can't,” I said and grinned over the phone.“You have no idea how honoring your request means to me. If I am not there on your big day, I doubt if my mind would be at rest,” he responded.I felt my heart leap as he talked. He had a special way of making me wear a smile on my face for the remaining hours of the day.The big day was already approaching and I knew that I had given this project my best.Anything that would happen that would make this project successful, that I had already put in place.Myself and Bruce talked for a few minutes before the call went dead and I went around my other businesses.***The day of the launching was soon coming fast. The D-day that we had all been expecting. I have been feeling quite skeptical about it for the last few days on this proje
REINAI woke up to the sound of my alarm clock, buzzing through the walls of the room.Without wasting time, I had my bath and got prepared for the big day in front of me. I could not believe that I had woken up this early just to get to the office for the launching.I stood in front of my mirror and tried different dresses for the occasion. I had to let my instinct tell me which dress I could wear for this event.As the lead designer for this project, I could not be caught wearing something not up to standard.I would make the headlines for something not worth it. On my body was another piece of clothing that I finally settled with. An ash coloured pants suit with a bow tie hanging down from my neck. I tried to keep it as minimalistic as possible and I ended up giving off the old money vibe.My makeup was mild and simple and I complimented it with a nude lipstick. On my legs were my black loafers and I grabbed a sun shade over my eyes to match.My hair was not left out, it was st
ETHANRunning helter skelter was not the word. I was literally everywhere on this D-day.Dressed in my most expensive and best suit. I began by greeting every important personnel that I came across.While I was exchanging greetings with the people that matter, I spotted Ravenna from afar. Her face was so uptight and I tried to avoid her but the man who I was talking to didn't let me go on time.The ceremony had just begun and my attention was not needed indoors almost immediately. I still had about twenty minutes to run around outside and do a little networking before I went back in.Reina had been helping me with the introduction and everything needed. “It was nice speaking with you, Mr. Ethan. I guess I will have to sit and wait for the best part,” a Chinese exporter said to me. That was the end of our discussion . This time, Ravenna was very close to me. I could smell her even from a distance.“You are avoiding me again, aren't you?” she asked as she got to where I was.If there
REINAAfter my conversation with Ravenna, I had been quite disturbed. Yes, I went back into the studio dark room to confirm that nothing had been done to the clothes.My dear was relieved a little when I confirmed that the clothes were still in good shape. Nothing was done to the clothes. Everything was still as it were.But, now sitting beside Ethan in this hall was the most awkward thing ever.The media personality in charge of the event was doing his work perfectly well. Calling us to speak when it was required of us and calling on the live band in charge of the music to play when it was necessary.I was enjoying every bit of it until my phone lightened up.I quickly swiped up to check what it was. It was a text from an unknown number and it read.“Be careful. Ravenna is about to do something unexpected. This is not about the dresses. It is about your child.”I almost screamed and Ethan noticed my unusual behavior. I was going crazy in the middle of the event. I swiped to check w
ETHAN“I will get you the drink you want now,” I offered.“No, please. I can cater for myself. Besides, it won't make too much sense if both of us are seen at the bar when it's our ceremony,” she protested.She was only looking for excuses to make but, I won't give in to her excuses this time.This launching ceremony was so important to me but still I am still looking out for her.She better notice the sacrifices I am putting up for her to fall in love with me.“Other trusted staff are there to make sure the event goes as planned. Besides, I am not planning to stay there throughout today. Just for a few minutes, when you get yourself. We can both go back and join the “Hmmm…what if you are needed somehow? I still don't buy this idea,” she said.“If I am needed, then I will go and attend to it. There is no cause for alarm. I want to make sure that my designer is okay.”She chuckled and I walked down with her to the little bar in the building. I looked back over my shoulder with my dar
EthanI stood by the window in my hotel room, staring at the city lights shining brightly against the night sky.The streets below were alive with honking cars and I could hear laughter, and the distant thrum of music right here in my room. Yet inside this room, the silence I felt indifferent. I felt something that I could not quite shake off. The events of the last two days replayed in my mind like a broken record. The redhead, the alcohol, the shame. And Carl, my so-called friend who had managed to vanish when I needed him most.I clenched my fists, anger bubbling under the surface. “You are an idiot, Ethan,” I muttered to myself. “An absolute idiot.”My phone buzzed on the bedside table, snapping me out of my thoughts. I reached for it, half-expecting Reina’s name to light up the screen. But it wasn’t her.It was Carl. “Come on dude. Let me be.”I hated the way I was dwelling on all of these. I had work to do and I haven't been able to do anything yet. For a moment, I conside
ReinaThe dinner with Leonard didn't go as expected. As usual, he was cutting through corners. If he knew that I had submitted his name to the cops, maybe he would have given me more information. I was left to rack my brain over this. This was something that was meant to be the detectives work but I have not gotten any report from them. I wanted to call them to ask if they are making any progress but I guess I should just wait for some time. I sat at my desk, staring at my computer screen. The article I had been reading earlier blurred before my eyes. Leonard's words from the night before were still looping in my head. How would I get him to tell me all I need to know?Ethan was in Japan and some unknown people see plotting to kill him. Getting anything from Leonard seemed impossible especially when I knew that he was more interested in my body. But, I can't give in him or anyone. I was w married woman and I had a child. "They see Ethan as a threat,” I repeated as I thought alou
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
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
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
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
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 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
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