Chapter 6:What I Was Never Meant To see
1067 Words
I slowly turned towards whoever grabbed my arm.
A chill ran down my spine.
Standing there before me, was Damien, Nathaniel’s personal assistant.
He looked towards the reception where Nathaniel and the lady were still standing. The look on his face told me he never expected to see me there.
“You shouldn't be here,” he said, lowering his gaze to the polished tiled floor.
“Oh really?” forcing a faint smile that even I knew was fake.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his finger adjusting the frame of his glasses before falling back to his side. It was a small gesture, but it was enough to tell me he was uncomfortable.
For a second, I almost believed him.
Maybe it was really an important meeting.
Maybe Nathaniel had simply forgotten to tell me.
Maybe I had misunderstood everything.
As always, I searched for excuses to protect him from my own doubt.
But something about Damien’s reaction… The uneasiness in his body movement, the way he avoided looking at me…made it impossible to believe the lie I kept telling myself.
It wasn't just about what he said.
It was about what he wasn't saying.
And somehow, that frightened me even more.
“Who is she to him?” I asked, demanding answers.
“I know nothing about that ma'am, you should ask your husband”, his tone unusually firm.
He then moved slightly, as if he was trying to block Nathaniel’s view of me.
Just then Nathaniel and the young lady walked past us into the elevator that led to the hotel's upper floor.
“Tell me who she is, Damien,”
“I’m sorry ma’am I can't?”
“Why can't you?”
“I’m sorry ma, it's confidential.”
I slipped my hands into the pockets, hoping he wouldn't notice how nervous and angry I was.
He hesitated.
“Ma, I'm sorry, I can't provide any information.”
That hesitation told me everything.
He knew.
He just wouldn't say it.
“You need to leave now, Mrs Kings,” he said.
“You mean I should leave, right?” I repeated, forcing out a bitter laugh.
“Fine”
I moved away, returned to my car, and drove out.
Instead of heading home, I parked the car beside a large building with a landscaped garden directly opposite the Astoria crown hotel.
I rested both hands on the steering wheel and looked straight ahead.
Before I knew it, my thoughts carried me back to the man Nathaniel used to be.
The man who made me believe I was the only woman he’d ever love.
Without checking the time, I knew I had been sitting there for almost two hours.
Still, there was no sign of Nathaniel or the woman.
My phone vibrated against my thigh.
Chloe.
“Hey sis, I just got home, and you are nowhere to be found?”
I could tell she was concerned.
“I'll be home soon. Did you enjoy yourself with your friends?”
“I did but–”
Before she could finish, Nathaniel and the woman came out of the hotel.
I convinced myself they would go their separate ways.
But rather.
They stopped beside his Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Damien stepped forward to open the rear door for Nathaniel, but Nathaniel stopped him and opened for her himself.
Something inside me broke.
He had never done that for me.
Not once in our five years of marriage.
I watched the car until it drove out of sight, hoping I’d wake up from what felt like a terrible dream.
The drive home felt endless.
No matter how much I tried.
I couldn't stop replaying everything I'd seen.
Then my concerns returned to Damien.
His reaction.
His hesitation.
He knew something.
I was certain of it.
I wish I could see through Damien.
I could see through the hotel walls.
I wish I could see the dark-tinted windows of Nathaniel’s Rolls-Royce.
Two short honks later, the gates of the mansion opened.
When I pulled into the garage, Nathaniel’s car wasn't there.
I wasn't surprised.
Inside, Chloe was waiting in the living room.
“Where have you been?”
I wanted to tell her everything.
About Nathaniel.
About the woman.
About how her suspicions might have been right all along.
But the words wouldn't come out.
“I just went to get something”
“What was it?”
“Chloe, please.” The frustration in my tone startled even me. “ I said I went to get something”
She jerked back.
Regret hit me instantly.
I reached out for her, but she drew back and went to her room.
“What happened to me?” I muttered.
“Why am I hurting the only person that truly cares about me?”
I went upstairs and sank onto the bed, but my mind couldn't let go of Nathaniel and the woman.
A knock pulled me back to reality.
When I opened the door, Chloe was standing there.
“Come downstairs. We need to talk.”
She waited until we were seated before taking my hands.
“What happened to you? You’ve never pushed me away like that.”
“I’m sorry..”
“Is this about Nathaniel?”
I tried to deny it, but couldn't find the words.
Instead, I broke down.
She embraced me in her arms.
“I’m here," she whispered. “You don't have to do this alone.
I drew in a shaky breath, finally ready to tell her everything.
Just then the front door opened.
Nathaniel was home.
His colon lingered in the air as soon as he entered.
Chloe glanced at me.
“We’ll talk later.”
He went upstairs without a word, and I followed him into our room.
“I didn't think you’d be coming home tonight.”
He looked at me briefly before looking away.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
“Nothing”
He just gave a dry laugh, and disappeared into the bathroom.
Moments later, the tone of running water filled the room.
Then his phone lit up.
p.
I wasn't trying to look.
But I couldn't resist.
Nessa
I enjoyed tonight.
The washroom door opened.
I looked away before Nathaniel came out.
But it was already too late.
Those three words had changed everything.
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