Fair Play

Chapter Two: A Chance Encounter

“Oof!”

She collided hard with someone’s chest, the impact sending her stumbling backward.

“Whoa, careful there,” a warm, familiar voice said, steadying her with gentle hands.

Catherine blinked through her tears and looked up, startled. Standing in front of her was Adam, her childhood friend from their small town. The one person who had always been there for her before her life spiraled into this nightmare. His soft brown eyes were filled with concern, and his strong arms held her steady, preventing her from falling apart—both physically and emotionally.

“Catherine?” he asked, his voice low and worried. “Is it really you?”

“Adam. What are you doing here?”

“I came to deliver a painting to a client,” he said looking at her teary face. “What happened? Are you okay?”

The sound of his voice, so kind and familiar, made the dam of her emotions break wide open. She shook her head, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks as she tried to speak but found herself unable to. The weight of everything that had happened in James’ office crushed her chest, and all she could do was stand there, trembling, her throat tight with the effort of holding back her sobs.

Adam’s brow furrowed, his hands still resting gently on her shoulders.

“Hey, hey… it’s okay. You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. But you look like you’ve been through hell.”

His voice was so gentle, so filled with genuine concern, it almost undid her completely.

“I—” Catherine started, her voice cracking.

She looked away, biting her lip hard, trying to pull herself together. How could she explain it? How could she tell him about the horror that was her marriage, the way James treated her like a possession, like something to be discarded at will? How could she tell him about the humiliation she’d just endured, walking in on James with another woman? It was all too much.

Adam watched her closely, his expression growing more serious.

“Catherine, whatever it is… you don’t have to go through it alone.” He paused, fishing a card from his jacket pocket.

“Here, take this.” He held out the card. “It’s got my number. Call me anytime, okay? No matter what time it is, if you need someone to talk to, or even if you just need to get out of here for a while, just call.”

Catherine stared at the card for a moment, then slowly reached out and took it, her hand trembling.

“Thank you, Adam,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I… I appreciate your concern.”

“Hey, we are friends, okay,” Adam said softly. “I’m serious. I’m here for you. Just like I always was.”

“Yes,” she said amidst tears. “You were always there for me back then.”

He wiped the tears with a finger. “And I’m still here for you.”

She nodded, showing him the card. “I’ll call you.”

“Alright. Just… take care of yourself, okay?”

Catherine nodded again, forcing a small, grateful smile. “I will.”

Adam gave her a warm, reassuring smile, and for a moment, it felt like the darkness surrounding her wasn’t quite as suffocating.

With one last, concerned look, Adam gave her arm a gentle squeeze before turning and heading toward the elevators. As he disappeared from sight, Catherine stood there, rooted to the spot, her emotions swirling in a storm of despair, anger, and regret.

She looked down at the card in her hand, Adam’s name and number stood out against the crisp white background. Part of her wanted to call him right away, to spill everything and let him help her escape this nightmare. But another part of her—the part that had been beaten down by years of James’ cruelty—felt ashamed. How could she admit to anyone just how bad things had become in her marriage?

With a deep, shaky breath, Catherine tucked the card into her purse and made her way to her car. The drive home was a blur of tears and bitter thoughts.

When she arrived at the mansion she once considered her home, Catherine felt her heart sink even further. The massive, cold structure loomed before her like a prison. She parked the car and entered, barely registering the opulence that surrounded her. All she could think about was the emptiness inside.

As soon as the front door clicked shut behind her, Catherine collapsed onto the couch, burying her face in her hands. The sobs that she had been holding back since leaving James’ office finally escaped her, and she cried uncontrollably, her shoulders shaking as years of pain and frustration poured out.

How had she ended up like this? She thought back to the early days, before the marriage. Her father had been drowning in debt, and James had offered him a lifeline. She had been naive then, thinking that her father’s business dealings had nothing to do with her personal life. But she had been wrong.

Her marriage to James had never been about love. It had been a transaction—James had wiped away her father’s debts in exchange for her hand in marriage. She remembered the day clearly, the cold, calculating look in James’ eyes when he told her, “you belong to me now.”

From that moment on, Catherine’s life turned upside down. James treated her like an object, something he had purchased, something that was his to control. Though, to his credit, he provided her with anything she needed. And Catherine was content with that, believing that with time, he will come to love her.

Then, his woman returned, and everything went caput. The maltreatment increased a hundredfold. James acted like she was the one who manipulated him into marrying her. He regretted not waiting for his lover. Catherine found it funny at first because from what she had heard, the lady in question abandoned James for another guy.

Yet, immediately she came back and begged James for forgiveness, he forgot his wife and went after the woman. Catherine wondered what’s so special about her and secretly wanted to meet her, just to see and compare. Won’t that be shooting herself in the foot, she thought as she sighed.

After what had happened today, she knew she couldn’t pretend any longer. All is not well in her marriage. But what could she do? James had all the power. He owned everything. The only thing that makes her happy in this marriage is their child.

Wait a minute, she’ll soon be back from kindergarten.

The thought snapped Catherine out of her grief. She wiped at her tear-stained face just as the front door opened, and the soft sound of tiny footsteps filled the hallway.

“Mommy!” a sweet voice called out.

Catherine quickly composed herself, standing up and wiping away the last of her tears just as the nanny, Mrs. Porter, walked in with her daughter, Lily.

“There’s my little angel,” Catherine said, her voice shaking slightly but filled with warmth as she crouched down to greet Lily.

The little girl ran into her arms, hugging her tightly. “Mommy, you look sad,” Lily said, her innocent eyes wide with concern. “Did something happen?”

Catherine’s heart clenched as she looked into her daughter’s face—the same face she fought to protect every day. She forced a smile, gently brushing her hand through Lily’s soft hair.

“No, sweetheart,” she lied softly. “Everything’s okay. Mommy just had a long day.”

Lily’s brow furrowed in that adorable way that always melted Catherine’s heart. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” Catherine whispered, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s forehead. “Mommy’s fine now that you’re here.”

Lily smiled and hugged her mother tightly, and Catherine held her daughter close, closing her eyes as she tried to push the pain from earlier out of her mind. She couldn’t let Lily see how broken she was. For her daughter’s sake, she had to stay strong—no matter what.

“Let’s go get ready for dinner, okay?” Catherine said, standing up and taking Lily’s hand. “We can make your favorite tonight.”

“Spaghetti and fried eggs?” Lily asked excitedly.

“Spaghetti with fried eggs,” Catherine agreed with a smile, forcing herself to focus on the moment, on her daughter. For now, that would have to be enough.