Chapter Two: Whispers of Doubt

The lounge room was awash in expensive chandeliers' warm, golden glow bouncing off the polished mahogany furniture. My father was in full swing, his voice booming with excitement as he outlined another business venture, punctuating each declaration with grand gestures. For a brief moment, I envied his enthusiasm. It must be nice to live so blissfully blind to the real world.

Lena sat next to me, her phone clutched in her manicured hand. She seemed disinterested at first, fidgeting with her diamond bracelet, but then I noticed her glancing at her phone with a smile, her eyes lighting up in a way I hadn't seen before. Suddenly, she stood up, her chair scraping against the floor.

"Where are you going?" our father asked, more out of obligation than curiosity.

"I need to make a call. I'll be right back," Lena said, her voice tinged with urgency.

I watched her disappear down the hallway, something about her behaviour nagging at me. It was rare to see Lena smile like that. I shrugged off the thought, telling myself to stop overanalysing everything.

My father continued his monologue, oblivious to the world around him.

"...and with this new contract, our profits will skyrocket. I'm telling you, it's going to change everything!" His eyes gleamed with an almost maniacal fervour.

Suffocated by the constant chatter and the oppressive atmosphere of the room, I quietly excused myself and headed towards the garden for some much-needed fresh air. The night was cool, and the scent of blooming jasmine wafted through the air, offering a momentary solace from my turbulent thoughts.

As I rounded the corner, I heard Lena's voice. She was speaking softly, but her words had a jubilant lilt that caught my attention immediately.

"Oh, I can’t wait to see you later," she said, her tone laden with excitement and something else, something secretive.

I halted in my tracks, not wanting to eavesdrop but unable to move. The words were innocent enough, but they had a peculiar edge. The whole time in their marriage, I had never heard Lena speak to Nicholas like that; her tone was so bubbly. Come to think of it, I had never heard her talk to anyone like that.

Quietly, I turned around, not wanting to intrude on their conversation, but a strange feeling settled in my stomach. Who could she be speaking to with such excitement? Slowly making my way back inside, I tried to shake off the burgeoning suspicion eating at me.

I re-entered the lounge room and took my seat, trying to blend back into the scenery. Several minutes later, Lena returned, her eyes darting briefly around the room before settling back into her chair. She sat beside me, and that’s when I noticed a new bracelet on her wrist. It was intricate, almost vintage, not at all within her usual taste for flashy, modern jewellery. It looked out of place mixed in with her shiny diamond ones.

"Nice bracelet," I commented.

Lena's eyes flicked down to her wrist, a brief flash of something—worry?—crossing her face. She hastily pulled her sleeve down to cover the bracelet. "Oh, this? A friend got it for me."

"It's lovely." I reached out, hoping to examine it more closely, but she drew her arm away and pulled her sleeve down to cover it.

"Yeah, just something small," Lena said, her voice strained.

Her phone began to ring again. My father turned to look at her, irritation clouding his face. "Lena!"

"Sorry, I have to take this. It could be Nicholas calling from his office," she said as she answered the phone and placed it to her ear.

Again, my mind swirled. If it was Nicholas last time, why did she leave the room and not now? Shaking my head, I pushed the thought out of my mind. I shouldn’t worry about what my sister is doing in her private life, which I never normally would. I was projecting my problems onto others, which wasn't okay.

Lena turned slightly, her back facing me as she listened intently. And then, her hand shot up to her mouth, and her eyes became wide as she sat there frozen.

"oh god!" Lena's voice echoed through the room.

Every head turned, and a chilling silence followed. My mother stood up, her face a mask of concern and confusion.

"Lena, what's going on?" I demanded as I grabbed her hand.

"It's—it's Nicholas," she stammered, struggling to form the words. "He's been in an accident. The hospital just called."