ONE NIGHT WITH THE CEO

Chapter 1: Shattered I Was

Hailey’s POV

“Raymond…”

“Tell me this isn’t what I think it is.” I said gently as I slid the receipt towards his side of the dining table.

He had just returned from work but I couldn't wait.

“Where did you find this, Hailey?”

“Does that matter?”

He looked at it, he wasn’t moved, like there was nothing to hide.

“Raymond.” I called him again, my voice firm this time.

“Look at me.” I ordered.

He slowly looked at me.

“Tell me this receipt is random.”

He was silent and it passed a message but I needed to hear it clearly from him.

“Your last trip, you claimed it was a business trip, I mean that was what you told me.”

“But you were with someone, right?”

“Hailey, where’s all this coming from?” He finally said.

“Stop stalling and tell me the truth Raymond.” I raised my voice.

“You’re making assumptions.” This was the only man I had known all my life so I could easily tell by his eyes that he was lying.

“Assumptions you say? Prove me wrong then.” I said.

“It’s not so easy, it’s complex.” He looked straight at me.

“Then make me understand!" I was almost teary.

“One of the mums from Sophia’s school spoke to me today.”

“She said she had seen you in New York, she was also on a trip.”

“You weren’t on that trip for business, yeah?”

“You were with someone else.”

“Another woman.”

He didn’t speak but he was visibly trembling and beads of sweat formed on his forehead despite the room being well aired.

“I’m sorry Hailey." He tried taking my hands but I pulled them away even before he could reach.

“That doesn't answer my question Raymond.” He stayed quiet.

“Yes, I was with someone.” He dropped.

What I felt in that moment was unexplainable, it was like I couldn't breathe. I tried to process what I just heard. Does this mean the one man I loved and trusted had just broken my heart?

“How long has it been?” Silence yet again.

“Raymond, how long has it been?” I asked, raising my voice.

“A little over a year.” It was like I was being broken all over again. “A year Raymond, a whole year”

“This means every time you said you were traveling for work or business trips--”

“It wasn’t always for work” I bawled my eyes out.

There and then, I began recalling times I had doubts but chose to ignore them because of my complete trust in him.

“Not all trips."

"So it's justifiable then?"

"No no, I didn't mean that."

“Who is she?”

He paused and I gave him a stern look.

“Vanessa."

He said her name, she was real, I was still trying so hard to not believe any of this was occurring.

“And do I know Vanessa?”

“You don’t”

“Do you love her?”

Raymond was usually chatty so his silence was a surprise to me.

“Hailey, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen”

“That wasn’t my question”

“I care about her”

“So you love her then?”

He didn’t answer, he didn’t need to. I stood up.

“All these years Raymond. I quit my job, I supported you through everything, yet this is all I get in return for my loyalty to you."

“Were you ever going to tell me?”

“I wanted to. I just didn’t know how to tell you”

“What if that woman hadn’t seen you or I didn't find that receipt, would you still lie to me?”

“You didn’t even try for us, you didn’t even consider me, you didn’t think about what we had.”

“Look at this life we built, what more could you have wanted Raymond? What more?”

He stood up and began walking towards me. I stepped back, almost tripping on the seat by my side.

“Hailey please.”

“I need time to think and you need to leave, now!"

He looked like he understood what he had done to me and how broken he left me, picked up his car keys and I heard the front door close.

I sat on the floor and let myself cry till I couldn't feel my face. I wondered if I wasn’t enough and what went wrong with us.

I thought about how we would move forward from this, how we would tell the kids or if I wanted to stay.

Memories from the day we met in uni flashed through my mind. We lived really different lives but we still crossed paths.

On our first date, he took me to his favorite spot on campus and soon enough, it became mine too.

The day he said he loved me first and how cheesy I was. That moment was top five best in my books.

The day he proposed, our wedding, which was absolutely glorious. The day I found out I was having Jack, how happy Raymond was. Sophia’s first words.

I thought about everything and I didn’t know how long I remained there.

Every memory was genuine and happy. So what went wrong? Despite the fact that I was hurt, I had to be strong for my children that depended on me and for myself too.

I finally found strength to pick myself up. While walking up the stairs, I stared at our family pictures as I moved. These happy moments, they were all gone. I was there for a hot minute and eventually went into my bedroom.

I took off my ring, stared at the line where it had been sitting. It was part of me but not anymore.

I placed it on the bedside table.

That was it, twelve years of being together was over.