**Valerie**“Huh?” I stuttered, pulling my hand away from his. I wasn't expecting Adam to be so straight-forward.And wasn't it too soon?"Look, Val, I will provide you with whatever you want; you'll never lack anything,” he assured me.I was staring into Adam's eyes. He looked so sincere. If only he'd shown me just a little bit of this part while we were married... Maybe I wouldn't be so angry.I swallowed. “What about your wife?”“And what about her?” He reiterated as if he didn't know what I meant.“Would she be okay with this?” I asked, trying to study his face.Of course she wouldn't!No woman would be okay with her husband having a mistress, but I was curious as to what his reply would be.He leaned forward and smiled. “Does she have to know?”The irritation in me bubbled up. “She's not even as beautiful as you are,” he continued."Oh, Adam..." I sighed inwardly. How was I able to stay married to him for three years?“Valerie, you're by far the most beautiful woman I've ever s
**Third person** Amelia's mind raced as she sipped her coffee in a corner of the dimly lit cafe. Her eyes flew to the watch on her wrist yet again. She'd planned to leave by 9PM. She swiped her phone screen and read his message again. “Don't forget your deadline is Monday.” Taking a deep breath, she took another sip of her coffee, allowing the liquid to burn through her throat. This wasn't the time to hesitate. She had to carry on since she'd exhausted her only option; her savings. No friends who'll be willing to lend her some money, and definitely not Karen. She had acted on her own accord, and it didn't turn out for the better like she'd expected. That would only make Karen furious. The last option lingered in her mind; it was the only way, and she bet Adam wouldn't even notice. After taking the last sip of her coffee, she rose to her feet. It was already 9PM. She paid for the coffee and then headed out. Amelia made her way back to the office building, her heart pounding
**Valerie**My heart pounded in my chest. What was I going to do?Surely, I couldn't let them find me here.“Think, Valerie. Think fast,” I urged myself. Just then, I looked above me, and a thought came to my head. I'd seen it in movies. “You don't have the right to look around in the CEO’s office,” Amelia scolded.Whatever she did in Adam's drawer, I'm sure she was scared of them finding out.They bickered a bit more, and I used the opportunity to do what I'd thought of. It was my best shot.I heard the drawers open. He was already here. I held my breath as the guard looked under the table.And thankfully, he didn't see me because I clung to the underside of the desk.Phew… It worked.After what felt like an eternity, the voices faded away. The door clicked shut as they all left the room. I let out a shaky breath, my heart still racing. Then I dropped to the floor, my mind immediately flying to Matthew. “Hey, Matt,” I whispered.“Jeezzzz, Val," he exclaimed. "You scared me. What
**Valerie** The women's laughter grew louder, creating a chorus of mocking chirps. "What's that look on your face? Too big to pick up her clutch?" Amelia fired again, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Maybe Karen was right. It wasn't a big deal, after all. I just need to swallow my pride and pick up her bag. This job was really important to me, and I needed to keep it. Just as I stepped forward to pick up the bag, Lucas appeared and picked it up. “Here.” He extended the bag to Karen. He turned to me, his eyes sparkling with a warmth that melted away the tension in my chest. "I've been looking for you everywhere," he said, his voice soft and reassuring. “Uh…” I mumbled, my eyes wide with surprise. Lucas wrapped his arm around me, his touch sending a jolt of electricity through my body. My heart pounded in my ears as I struggled to catch my breath. My mind raced. “Lucas?” I managed to murmur. He smiled at me and cupped my cheeks. “Are you okay?” My eyes moved to his han
**Valerie**I swallowed. And before I had time to process what was going on, a woman who seemed to be in her late fifties was standing in front of us. The woman's lips seemed to have parted in shock, and a young, beautiful, brown-haired lady stood beside her.Lucas's grip on me tightened, and he looked up at the woman with a serious expression. "Mom, this is my girlfriend, Valerie; the one I told you about," he announced.What???!His what??My cheeks suddenly became really warm.Lucas glanced at me again and gave me a small nudge for me to play along.Smiling sweetly at his mother, "Nice to meet you, Mrs. Stone,” I greeted.Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized me.I forced a small smile, feeling her stare burn into my skin. Was she going to say she doesn't like me and disapproves of the relationship? “You're not trying to mess with me, right?” She asked her son, her voice laced with suspicion.Lucas tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his touch sending a shiver down my spine. "
**Third person**Adam laid face-up on his bed, his mind replaying the events of the day, and all of them were filled with Valerie. Was she dating Lucas? Could she also date him?No, she can't be dating Lucas. If she was, she'd have mentioned it when he told her that he loved her, right? He squeezed his eyes shut, the image of Lucas's hand wrapped around Val's waist burning brightly in his mind. And then it seemed Lucas was about to kiss Val on the lips.Adam's eyes flew open, a jolt of jealousy coursing through him. No, no, that part didn't happen.Just then, he felt Karen's arm wrap around his chest, and she planted a kiss on his neck. Adam shrugged and pulled away, feeling a surge of irritation bubble up within him.“What is it?” Karen asked innocently, her voice soft and seductive."Nothing, I'm just tired," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper."Then I'll be the one riding you," she suggested, her eyes sparkling with desire as she ran a palm on his bare chest and traced it d
**Valerie**I got into the conference room and took a seat at the back. Mr. Denver walked over to the front, where most of the department heads sat.Within 10 minutes, the conference room began to fill with curious and concerned employees. Pockets of hushed conversations sprouted around the room, like wildfires fueled by curiosity."I heard it was someone from accounting," a coworker whispered to another, her voice barely audible over the growing murmur.“No, I heard the person is from the finance department,” the other person countered.I let out a small chuckle, as if...Nearby, another group of colleagues huddled around the watercooler behind me, their voices barely audible."Do you think it's true? Did someone really steal from Mr. Smith?""Yes, it is; I heard it from one of the guards.” Then she looked around and covered her mouth to whisper into the other lady's ear. “I heard it was someone close to him."But it was still loud enough for those around, me included, to hear.Scan
**Valerie**The murmurs in the hall increased even more.Mister Denver's face contorted in despair as he walked up to the podium where Adam was and fell to his knees, his hands clasped together in a pleading gesture. "No, sir, please! I've given my life to this company!” He begged. “I've worked tirelessly for years, dedicating every waking moment to its success. I would never, ever betray that trust!"His voice cracked as he spoke, his eyes welling up with tears, and he clung onto the hem of Adam's trouser. "I swear on my family's name; I am innocent!"My heart ached, my eyes shifting to the side instinctively, and that's when finally I saw it—the smile on Amelia's face.I clenched my jaw.So she'd known all along that she wasn't going to be called out as the culprit? What the hell was going on?How exactly did she do it? Then my gaze snapped back to Mr. Denver, who was still pleading his case. "Please, sir, have mercy! I'll do anything to clear my name! I'll work for free; I'll do