The elevator doors opened with a soft ding, revealing Ray standing inside, his hand poised to step out. Samira, ready to board, froze at the sight of him, her heart skipping a beat. Ray’s eyes locked onto hers, and for a moment, neither of them moved. The world outside the elevator seemed to vanish, leaving only the two of them in the stifling silence. Ray’s expression was unreadable, his sharp features masked with a calm that Samira knew all too well—a calm that always came before the storm. Her pulse quickened, but she refused to show any sign of weakness.She squared her shoulders, lifting her chin slightly, her gaze unwavering. “Ray,” she greeted coolly.“Samira,” Ray responded, his voice low and controlled, but there was a fire smoldering behind his eyes. He took a step forward, as if to exit, but then something in his expression shifted, a flash of determination crossing his face. Without another word, he stepped back, leaning against the side of the elevator, his eyes never leav
Samira stood in the sterile, brightly lit perfume production room, her senses assaulted by the pungent scents of various floral extracts and essential oils. The air was thick with the cloying sweetness of roses, the sharp tang of citrus, and the earthy undertones of sandalwood. Yet, to her dismay, she could barely discern the delicate nuances of the fragrances she was supposed to be working with. Her heart sank as she tried to focus on the task at hand. She was stationed at her usual spot in the far corner, near the large steel blending machine. Her hands moved mechanically, guided more by muscle memory than by any real connection to her work. The flowers—delicate jasmine and violets—lay before her, waiting to be processed. The petals were soft and velvety between her fingers, but the once intoxicating scent felt distant, almost like a memory she couldn’t fully grasp. “Extract the liquid from those flowers and don’t just stand there like a statue!” Charlie, the head of production
As soon as Ray walked into the cafeteria accompanied by Joey, a hush fell over the room. Every employee in the vast, bustling space stood up as if on cue, their trays and forks clattering in nervous unison. "Okay, this is weird," Ray muttered under his breath, causing Joey to raise his hand to motion them back into their seats. As if they were strings attached to his fingers, the employees promptly sat back down, their stiff postures and forced smiles still firmly in place. Ray sighed, taking a seat at an empty table with Joey by his side. The atmosphere was thick with tension, the air heavy with the aroma of spaghetti, meatloaf, and stress. "Why is everyone acting like they're at a funeral?" Ray asked, his brow furrowed as he scanned the room, his gaze landing on a group of employees nervously spooning soup into their mouths as if they expected it to explode. Joey, grinned and leaned back in his chair. "Well, Ray, you are the most powerful CEO in the city. They probably think
The cafeteria had emptied out after all the employees finished their meals very fast to avoid any problems considering their boss was around. The chatter and clinking of utensils was replaced by an eerie silence. Only three people remained: Ray, Joey, and Samira, who was still leisurely eating as if nothing had happened.Ray sat at his table, lost in thought, replaying that moment in his mind when Samira had confessed the truth of her being a fake. He had been so angry, so hurt by her deception, but now, sitting here in the cafeteria, he felt something different. There was a tightness in his chest, a longing he couldn’t quite shake because he'd already been smitten by her the moment he laid eyes on her the very first time they met.Joey, who had been watching his friend closely, finally snapped him out of his reverie. “Hey, man, what’s up with you?” he asked, nudging Ray with his elbow. “You’ve been staring at your food like it’s about to tell you the meaning of life.”Ray blinked, sh
“Ray, man, you’re really stepping in it,” Joey had said, shaking his head in disbelief. “This is like walking into a lion’s den and poking the lion with a stick.”Ray had frowned then. “I’m not poking any lions. I’m just… visiting.”“Right,” Joey had said, his voice heavy with sarcasm. “Visiting. While she’s at work. During lunch.”Ray had shot Joey a glare, but Joey only shrugged, as if to say, Hey, don’t shoot the messenger.Samira, meanwhile, had leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest in that way she did when she was about to lay into someone. Ray braced himself.“You think because I’m your wife, you can just show up unannounced and keep tabs on me?” she asked, her tone deceptively calm.Ray opened his mouth to deny it, but Samira wasn’t finished.“You didn’t want me to work in the first place, Ray. You wanted me to stay home and play house. But I’m not the kind of woman who sits around waiting for her husband to come home. I have a career, a life, and I won’t let yo
The night's lights cast long shadows across the room as Samira stepped inside after her long day at work. She was really feeling the weight of the day in her bones. She spotted Ray immediately, sprawled arrogantly on her favorite sofa with papers spread out across the coffee table, his phone glued to his ear. He was deep in conversation, his tone authoritative and commanding. He was far from the man who was always acting childish and petty towards her—the man in front of her was the typical Ray she had grown to despise or the one she'd failed to understand. She had barely put her bag down when he saw her approach. He ended his call abruptly when he saw her, his eyes locking onto her with a gaze that could strip paint."So, you've finally decided to come home," he remarked softly, his voice deceptively calm. "I thought you might stay out late with those male colleagues of yours."Samira was dumbfounded. I think you need a good checking, because the level of childish
Ray was a master of deception. That's what Samira had come to realize; he always knew how to turn every situation to his advantage. He had a way of bending reality to his will with a charm that was so smooth it could convince even the most skeptical and crazy mind. Samira thought she was not crazy, that she could never fall for his schemes, but she was wrong. She once again found herself swept up in his theatrics the moment they stepped into his mother's grand sitting room. The place was a blend of modern elegance and vintage charm—white marble floors, dark mahogany furniture, and large French windows that bathed the room in soft, natural light. She noticed how Ray seemed at ease here, comfortably playing his role as the loving son and husband. Ray's mother, Elena Ray, was a sharp woman in her early fifties, her elegant demeanor accentuated by her pearl necklace and perfectly styled silver hair. She watched them like a hawk, her keen eyes missing nothin
Samira followed Elena out into the garden, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being led into a trap. The garden was sprawling and meticulously maintained, with rose bushes in full bloom and a small fountain gurgling softly in the center. Elena walked slowly, her posture graceful, every movement calculated. Samira kept her eyes forward, determined not to show any signs of weakness. She had dealt with worse than Ray’s mother; she reminded herself she was not some innocent lamb to be led to slaughter. But the air around them was thick with their unspoken words, and Elena’s silence was more unnerving than her sharp remarks. "You know," Elena began, breaking the quiet, "Ray is very dear to me. He’s my only son, my greatest joy. But he’s also my greatest worry." Samira nodded politely, unsure where this was going. Elena stopped by the fountain, turning to face her directly. The older woman’s eyes were probing, as if searching for some hidden truth beneath Samira's calm exterior. "Bei
Ray sat motionless in the hospital chair, his body slumped forward, elbows resting on his knees, his head buried in his hands. The harsh fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting a sickly glow over everything in the ICU. Time seemed to stretch and contract in strange, disjointed intervals—he couldn’t tell how long he had been sitting there, waiting. Waiting for news that would either break him or bring a small glimmer of hope. Samira had just undergone an emergency surgery as a last, desperate attempt to save her life. Ray had barely caught the doctor's words as they rushed her into the operating room, the sounds of alarms and the frantic shuffle of nurses ringing in his ears. It had all blurred together, becoming just another wave of horror in a day that already felt unbearable. He had spent the entirety of the surgery in a fog, pacing the narrow waiting area, replaying the events of the last few days in his mind. The scandal, the betrayal, his drunken mistake with Delly it al
Ray stepped out of Delly’s apartment, his head pounding from both the hangover and the crushing weight of what had just happened. His entire body ached with regret, guilt swirling in his chest like a storm ready to tear him apart. He couldn’t believe what he had allowed to happen, what he had done. The cold morning air did little to clear the fog in his mind, the realization of his mistake bearing down on him like a physical weight. As he hurried down the steps, pulling his phone from his jacket, Ray felt his heart race. The first person he thought of was Samira. Guilt knifed through him again as her face flashed in his mind—the woman he loved, the woman he had betrayed. He had to get home, had to find a way to fix this mess before it got any worse. But as soon as he unlocked his phone, a barrage of missed calls and notifications lit up the screen. His stomach lurched. Most of them were from Mike and several other business contacts, but one message stood out—the one from Samira's pa
Ray found himself sitting at a corner table in one of the most upscale restaurants in the city, nursing his third glass of scotch. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. The evening had started out as a routine business dinner, a gathering with potential investors to discuss a lucrative new deal. But after a few drinks, Ray couldn’t shake the gnawing feeling in his gut, the persistent reminder that something was deeply wrong at home. Samira had been distant for weeks now, almost like a stranger living in his house. He couldn’t get her to open up, couldn’t find a way to bridge the gap that had grown between them. No matter what he said or how much he tried to reassure her, it always seemed like there was an invisible wall standing between them. The investors chatted on, laughing, their conversation buzzing around him like static. Ray’s mind, however, was elsewhere. The whiskey burned as he downed the last of his drink, and for a brief moment, he welcomed the warmth it brought. It was ea
The news about her and Ray hit the gossipy Media like a storm. Ray was a well-known figure in the business world, his every move was always scrutinized by the press. And now, after a long period of silence about his personal life, a major media outlet had somehow gotten wind of his marriage to Samira. The story was everywhere—headlines speculating about their relationship, photos of them together at romantic hotels, there were also wild rumors about family drama, and, of course, the inevitable speculation about when they would start a family since they were already married for over a year now. Samira hadn’t been prepared for any of it. She had left the house that evening to find her peace of mind because the house had felt kind of stuffy, she sat on the park bench, seeking some solitude. The cool breeze carried with it a fleeting sense of peace as she closed her eyes, trying to block out the world. For a moment, she felt distant from everything. But peace was a luxury she didn’t ge
The days after Elena’s departure felt like an eerie calm. Samira had managed to keep up her polite, dutiful wife routine while Elena was around, even engaging in brief touches and stolen kisses with Ray, all under Elena’s watchful eyes. It was like playing a role on a stage, a performance they both had to give. But now that Elena was gone, the façade crumbled. It started small. Samira found herself flinching when Ray reached for her hand at night, instinctively pulling away. She couldn’t even explain why it happened. His touch—once familiar, warm, and reassuring—now felt foreign, almost repulsive. Each time he tried to kiss her, she felt nothing, no flutter in her stomach, no soft warmth spreading across her chest like it used to. There was just… nothing. She would lie awake at night, Ray's arm draped across her waist, his breaths soft against her neck, and wonder when things had changed so much. There had been a time when his presence made her feel safe, cherished. Now, it was suff
Ray lay on his side of the bed that night, keeping a deliberate distance from Samira. The room was silent except for the faint sound of the ceiling fan turning slowly above them. The air between them felt heavier than it ever had, weighed down by unspoken words and lingering doubts. Samira could sense the tension in Ray's body, the way he kept his back to her, as if touching her might shatter the fragile peace they had managed to hold onto since that call. She stared at the ceiling, her mind racing with the memory of Delly’s video and Ray’s promise that he had never lied to her. A part of her wanted to believe him, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw that look on his face in the video—comfortable, intimate, with Delly. It didn’t add up, but for now, Samira told herself to trust him, no matter how much it hurt to push the doubt aside. The days that followed were quiet. Ray left for work early and returned late, and although they shared meals together, the words between them w
Samira’s hands trembled as she set her phone down on the table, her mind swirling in a storm of confusion and betrayal. She had wanted to believe Ray, to hold onto the warmth of his proposal, the hope of a future filled with love and forgiveness. But now looking at Delly’s video, she felt like she was free-falling into a dark chasm, that made her unable to catch herself. The room she was currently in felt suffocating, She paced back and forth in the living room, as her footsteps echoed in the silence. Everything in her screamed for answers, for a confrontation, but at the same time, she feared what she might uncover if she pushed too hard. Finally, Samira sank down onto the couch, burying her face in her hands. How could Ray do this to her? Hadn’t they been through enough already? The short memories of their fights, their moments of reconciliation, the promises made—and broken—appeared to be just a farce. And now, just when she had started to believe in him again, to trust in their
Ray had always envisioned a grand proposal, one that would sweep Samira off her feet, leaving her breathless and undeniably sure that he was her forever. But as the plane descended back into the city, he realized that what mattered most wasn’t the grandeur, but the sincerity. Samira wasn’t the kind of woman who needed extravagant displays of love; she needed honesty, commitment, and a promise that he would be by her side, no matter how rocky the road got. When Ray finally made it back to their shared home, he found Samira sitting in the living room, lost in her thoughts. Her gaze was fixed out the window, and he couldn’t help but feel the sadness around her considering she'd just lost a competition and her job. But tonight, he was determined to change that. “Hey,” he said softly as he entered the room. Samira turned her head slightly but didn’t fully meet his eyes. “You’re back,” she said quietly, her tone neutral, revealing nothing of what she was feeling. Ray sat beside her on
As Samira pushed through the heavy glass doors of Joey's company, the cool breeze from outside kissed her flushed skin, offering a momentary reprieve from the heat bubbling inside her. Fired. She couldn't get that word out of her head. It echoed over and over, like a cruel joke that she couldn't escape. She clenched her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palms as she tried to steady her racing heart. But just as she was about to make her way to where she'd parked the new mountain bike she'd chosen to drive today, since the day she bought it with Ray's credit cards, her eyes landed on a familiar figure standing by the entrance—a tall, elegant woman with dark hair tied neatly into a bun. Her posture was regal, her gaze sharp, and her lips set in a soft, knowing smile. Elena. Ray's mother. Samira's chest tightened. Of all the people she wanted to avoid today, Elena ranked high on the list. But there was no turning back now. She forced a smile onto her face as she approach