IN HIS BROTHER’S BED

CHAPTER 5: “The Last Performance”

Olivia lay on the bed, recalling the message she had read earlier on her husband Daniel’s phone.

“I need to find out,” she whispered to herself, pushing the blankets aside and getting up. She headed toward the living room, every step feeling heavy, as if the weight of her suspicions pressed down on her.

Her mind kept replaying Daniel’s message. Was he unhappy with their marriage? Or had he never truly loved her? Olivia couldn’t stop asking herself these questions.

She sat uneasily on the sofa and realized Daniel was gone from the living room. “He’s probably outside, laughing and smiling at his phone, as always,” she thought.

It seemed strange to Olivia that the once sweet, caring, and loving Daniel, who had spent so much time with her, had now isolated himself. He didn’t seem to enjoy her company anymore. Whenever she tried to grab his attention, either he walked away with a smile at his phone or let out harsh words.

“I need to find out what’s behind the curtain,” Olivia muttered as she crept closer to the living room entrance, trying to see what Daniel was doing on his phone, or who he was talking to with that constant smile on his face.

Olivia couldn’t shake the feeling that Daniel was hiding something. She no longer wanted to live in the illusion that everything was fine while suffering deep inside. She was ready to do anything to uncover the truth behind Daniel’s sudden change of attitude — as though she had never existed in the first place.

“Oh, yeah, Ethan, I think she’d be a good fit.”

“She?” Olivia whispered. Who were they talking about? Her curiosity and frustration grew with every passing second. Who were they talking about — her? Were they planning something against her?

She leaned closer, trying to clear her doubts.

“Let’s meet at where we usually do, Ethan. Better to talk in person,” Daniel said, standing and walking toward the living room.

Olivia quickened her pace, sitting comfortably and smiling so Daniel wouldn’t suspect anything.

“Another meeting? What are they trying to do?” she wondered.

Suspicious and tense, she knew she had to act smart and fast to unravel what the two brothers were hiding. The last performance.

Daniel walked past her as though she were a ghost. He tiptoed into the bedroom and changed his clothes — a simple black T-shirt with jeans and white sneakers.

He didn’t even tell Olivia he was going out to meet Ethan. He just walked past her again, grabbed his car keys, and muttered, “On my way, Ethan.”

Olivia’s gut twisted. Daniel seemed completely uninterested in building a family with her. For once, she decided to step into the unknown. She would drop her illusions and face reality.

As Daniel drove off, she rushed to her room, changed into a dress that covered her whole body, locked the house, and quietly followed him. She reached for her phone and called Keziah, her college roommate.

“I need you to help me,” Olivia said urgently.

“Track my husband’s location for me,” she instructed.

“What?!” Keziah exclaimed.

“C’mon, you’re an expert at this. I’ll explain later.”

Without hesitation, Keziah agreed. Olivia sent Daniel’s number for tracking. She quickly hailed a taxi, and minutes later a notification popped up on her phone.

“5 Star Avenue Street.”

Olivia relayed the address to the driver. Perhaps 25 minutes away, she thought. As she sat in the taxi, her heart pounded with suspicion and dread. Everything Daniel had been hiding was about to be revealed — if, and only if, she acted smart.

When the taxi pulled over at 5 Star Avenue, Olivia paid quickly and scanned the street. A black car caught her eye. It was Daniel’s Toyota Camry, heading toward the hotel up the avenue. She ducked behind the taxi.

“Oh, there he is,” she whispered, watching him closely.

Daniel pulled over at the hotel entrance and got out of the car. Before Olivia could react, Ethan and a tall, curvy woman emerged. Through her eyes, Olivia saw the woman hug Daniel tightly and passionately.

What? Something he’s never done with me in all these years!

Olivia’s heart ached with jealousy and frustration. She followed slowly, hiding behind bushes and walls, as Daniel and the woman walked toward the hotel entrance.

“You good, man?” Ethan asked, tapping Daniel on the shoulder.

“Yeah, man. She looks freaky gorgeous,” Daniel replied, rubbing his hands around the woman’s waist as they entered the hotel.

Olivia felt a sharp pang of betrayal but forced herself to stay calm. She crept into the hotel, hiding behind walls, observing them.

They gathered in a private area and shared a few glasses of wine. Daniel looked happy. Olivia whispered to herself, “He is never happy with me. So truly, he’s been cheating on me. I can’t believe my eyes.”

She stood there for about fifteen minutes until a hotel security guard confronted her. “What are you doing here?” he demanded.

Before she could answer, Daniel and the woman had disappeared from the restaurant, leaving only Ethan behind.

“Where the hell did they go?” Olivia muttered, trying to calm herself. I can do this, she reassured herself. She decided to confront reality head-on.

Without hesitation, she approached Ethan.

“Who the heck are you?” he asked, pulling back slightly.

Olivia removed her shades, hands resting on the table. “Where is he?” she demanded boldly.

“Where is who? I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ethan stammered.

Anger and betrayal surged in Olivia’s heart. She slammed her hands on the table. “Where is he!”

“R-R-Room 5,” Ethan stammered, body trembling.

Olivia moved quickly toward the hotel room. Ethan, shocked at her sudden fierceness, grabbed his phone, hands shaking. “Liv is here,” he texted Daniel, who didn’t see it in time.

Olivia crept toward Room 5, hiding behind walls to avoid the security guards. When she reached the door, it was locked.

“What else can I do?” she whispered, plotting her next move.

Suddenly, the door banged open. Daniel emerged with the woman, half-naked, trying to leave the room.

“Daniel? What the…?” Olivia gasped, frozen in shock.