Chapter Three

Brenda’s POV.

Slowly, my eyes fluttered open, taking in my surroundings. I blinked repeatedly when the room didn't seem familiar, and I quickly sat up on the bed wondering how I got there.

My head felt heavy as I tried to understand what I was doing in a hotel room, instead of my bedroom in my husband's house.  On the next attempt, memories of the previous night came rushing back.  I recalled the reunion, Hailey leaving, and then... Kenneth. We talked, and then he got us drinks. I remembered feeling dizzy and then... nothing.

Panic enveloped me as I tried to recall what happened afterward. I looked around the room, but there was no sign of Kenneth or anyone else. I threw the duvet off me and my dress was still intact, which calmed me down a bit.

I scurried off the bed and grabbed my clutch from the table. I took out my phone and was surprised to see it switched off. I don't remember turning it off, but then I shoved the thought aside. I probably did, but don't remember.

Turning the phone on, I dialed Kenneth's number but his number was unreachable. One might be wondering how I got his number, well we belong to the same W******p group chat and everyone's number is there.

I dialed the number again and was redirected to voicemail so I decided to ask him later since nothing of mine seemed tampered with.

As I prepared to leave, my phone rang. I eagerly peered the screen, hoping it was Kenneth but my heart sank when I saw it was Desmond.

"H...Hello," I answered, steadying my voice.

"Brenda, where have you been? You didn't return home last night and I've been trying to reach you the whole time," Desmond's worried voice sounded on the other end.

"E...em, I'm fine. I'm heading home now."

"That doesn't answer my question. Why was your phone switched off too? I even called your mother, but she was unreachable as well."

"I'm sorry, my phone was dead and I charged it through the night. I just turned it on, before your call came in," I said, wincing at the lie I told.

"You shouldn't let that happen again, I was worried sick. I called Hailey too, and she said she left the reunion earlier, and she left you with Kenneth. What happened?"

My heart skipped a beat. Desmond knew about my past with Kenneth, and I didn't want to stir up any unnecessary drama by telling him I had a couple of drinks with Kenneth and ended up in a hotel room. So I lied again, for the second time that morning.

"Nothing, Kenneth and I just talked, and then I left. I didn't want to drive home late, so I spent the night at my mother's."

"Okay," Desmond said, seemingly convinced by my explanation. "You need to rush to the company now. My mother wants you to be the host for the welcome back party. We're launching new designs, and it's a big feat for us."

"Okay, I'll be there soon."

"You have just an hour to prepare. Visit a beauty parlor on your way here. You don't have time to go home and get ready," Desmond instructed.

"Alright."

"See you soon," he said, and the call ended.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. Shoving aside my concerns about what happened the previous night, I got ready and left the hotel.

Outside the hotel's gate, I hailed a cab and got in, instructing the driver to take me to any beauty parlor. It was one of  Desmond's family small businesses. On the way, I dialed Hailey's number, and she picked up on the first ring.

"BRENDA!," She yelled, and I had to take the phone from my ear to save my poor ear drums.

"Oh my God, Where have you been? I've been so worried," Hailey screamed on the other end.

"Hailey, I'm fine m I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier," I replied.

"Oh dear, you're truly fine? I called you and your mum several times at night, but you were both unreachable. I didn't sleep much last night, I was so worried about your safety."

"I'm sorry. I...uh..." I said, and then proceeded to tell her same lie I told Desmond. Don't get me wrong, I hate lying to my best friend, but I have to, until I discover what transpired between me and Kenneth, and how I ended in a hotel room.

"I'm just glad you're fine," Hailey said, sounding relieved. "Where are you now?"

"I'm on my way to a beauty parlor, then I have to head to the company. Desmond's mother wants me to host the welcome back party," I announced.

"Now, that sounds like a big deal. Good luck. But, what's going on with the company?"

"The company's launching new designs, and seems like one of her biggest projects ever."

"That sounds amazing. You'll do just great, girl. I know you'll make a fantastic host."

I smiled at Hailey's words. She's been my greatest cheerleader and support system, and I'm grateful to have her in my life.

"Thanks, girl. By the way, how did everything go with the emergency you had to attend to last night?" I asked, mentally smacking myself for not asking earlier.

"It's been sorted."

"Okay," I said, not pushing further because she didn't seem like she wanted to talk more about it. "Talk to you later."

"Talk to you later, too. Bye! Hailey said, dropping the call.

By now, the driver was pulling into the beauty parlor parking lot. I paid him and alighted, before walking into the building.

Inside the building, I was greeted and welcomed by familiar faces. I was no stranger there, because I visited in days when I needed to prim up and follow Desmond to one of his numerous functions, posing as his trophy wife.

"Welcome, Mrs Brenda. It's been ages," the head of the beautician's days, beaming with smiles. "Your husband sent us a message to expect you. We'll make you look stunning as usual, in no time."

I smiled, "Thanks, Evelyn."

They quickly got to work. First, I had a shower before getting dressed in the clothes and accessories made available. I turned down the makeover offer as I was already late. Desmond said I had just one hour.

After I finished, I hailed another cab to the company. On the way, I rehearsed my  speech for the welcome back party. It had been five years since I last worked, and I was nervous about hosting such a big event.

When I arrived, the party was in full swing already. I was immediately ushered into the stage to begin my host job.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you are all welcome. I'm Brenda Robinson, and I'm thrilled to host this event that marks a new Chapter in the company's innovation and style. Please put your hands together for the amazing team that made this possible."

The audience applauded, and slowly my nervousness ebbed away. I became confident as I owned the stage, delivering my speech without flopping, and talking about the company's achievements over the years.

Finally, it was time to unveil the new wear design. "And the long awaited time is here. Without further ado, let's take a look at the stunning new design collection," I announced, and then turned to the tech guy. "Please, display the designs. Videos, pictures, all of them."

He nodded and got to work. The lights dimmed, and the projector behind me came on. But instead of the designs, photos of Kenneth and I in intimate positions in the hotel room appeared on the screen.

Gasps echoed through the room and my heart sank in my stomach. I stood there frozen, unable to believe my eyes.

How is this possible???