Chapter 2: The Photograph
1656 Words
Kayda’s POV
Something about the situation didn’t feel right.
Dad’s assistant sounded nervous during their phone call.
The call ended.
“He also asked to collect the envelope that was delivered this morning,” he said while his eyes were fixed on the envelope.
“Those are confidential business documents”
Mom frowned.
“Business documents?”
“Yes ma’am, the envelope and the photograph belong to an important client. Mr. Hart asked me to collect them immediately”
His explanation came too quickly, almost as if it was rehearsed.
Mom lowered her eyes to the photograph.
Daniel took a cautious step forward.
“If you don’t mind ma’am”
She hesitated for a bit.
Then slip the photograph back inside the envelope.
“If it’s really business related, then I suppose he needs it.”
Relief spread across his face.
“Thank you ma’am”
She handed him the envelope before walking to Dad’s study.
His laptop were exactly where he left it.
She gives the assistant the laptop.
“I appreciate it.”, he accepted with both hands.
As he turned to leave. Mom called after him.
“Daniel.”
He stopped.
“Yes ma’am.”
“Is Richard under a lot of pressure lately?”
Daniel forced a smile.
“The company has been very busy.”
“I’ve noticed”
“He’ll be alright”
She nodded slowly.
“I hope so.”
Daniel bowed politely before hurrying out of the mansion.
From the front window , Mom watched him climb into the car.
The moment the vehicle disappeared , an uneasy feeling settled deep inside her chest.
She couldn’t explain it.
Everything about today felt strange.
Across town, Dad paced back and forth inside his office.
The moment Daniel entered, Dad snatched the envelope from his hands.
“Did she see it?”
“I don’t think so”
“You don’t think so?”
“She picked up the photograph but I arrived before she could really look at it”
Dad took a long deep breath and sat on his chair.
“Thank God.”
Daniel remained silent.
“She didn’t ask any questions?”
“A few”
“What did you tell her?”
“That everything was related to business.”
Dad nodded.
“That’s good.”
Daniel hesitated.
“Sir..”
“What?”
“I don’t think we can keep this from her much longer”
“I’ll decide when the time is right”, he gently slid the envelope into his drawer.
“But-“
“I said I’ll decide”
Daniel lowered his head.
“I’m sorry sir”
“No one can know about this”
“Okay sir”
Daniel quietly left the office.
The moment the door closed, Dad rubbed his head.
He felt trapped between two worlds.
One was the family he had built with Mom..
The other was the family he had hidden for years.
Back at the mansion, Mom tried to distract herself by cleaning the kitchen.
She washed dishes that were already clean.
She rearranged the flowers in the dining room.
She even watered the garden herself for the first time in years.
Nothing could distract her enough.
“Mom?”
My voice pulled her out from her thoughts.
“You look tired.”
“I’m fine”
“You don’t look fine mom”
Mom smiled weakly.
“I’m just worried about your dad”
I frowned.
“He’ll probably come home late today.”
“I hope not”
“So do I”
We shared a smile before I headed up to finish my homework.
Mom walked into the living room and sat on the couch.
Just then, the house phone rang.
She answered.
“Hello?”
“Isabella?”
It was Dad.
“I’ll be working very late tonight.”
Mom closed her eyes for a moment.
“Another meeting?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll leave dinner in the oven”
“Thank you”
There was silence between them.
“I have to go”, Dad said.
“I know”
The line went dead.
Mom slowly put the receiver back on its stand.
She looked towards the staircase.
Then towards the front door.
She sighed.
She stood and went to her room.
As she was about to lay down,something caught her eye on the table.
Dad’s second phone.
She picked it up.
“He forgot something far more important than his laptop after all,” she murmured.
The screen suddenly lit up.
One new message.
Her eyes widened as the notification appeared on her screen.
“The boys have been asking about you all afternoon…”
Her fingers tightened around Dad’s phone.
The screen dimmed before she could read the rest of the message.
“The boys, what boys?”
She shook her head.
“It could be work”, she whispered.
Perhaps one of his employees had children.
Perhaps she was overthinking.
She placed the phone back and went to the kitchen.
She had no right to invade her husband's privacy.
Trust was the foundation of every marriage.
She had always believed that.
An hour later, Mom placed dinner on the table.
Three plates.
Three glasses.
Three sets of cutlery.
Exactly as she had done every evening for years.
“Kayda”, she called.
I came downstairs with a book in my hand.
“Is Dad home?”
“No yet love”
I sighed.
“Again?”
“I’m sure he has a good reason”
I didn’t reply.
I sat down and stared at the empty chair my father should have been in.
The silence around the table felt heavier than usual.
After a few minutes of me staring at my food, I pushed it away.
“I’m not hungry anymore”
“You barely ate”
“I’ll eat later”
She kissed me on the cheek before I headed back upstairs.
Mom remained seated.
The empty chairs beside her made her feel heartbroken.
How long had this become our routine?
How many dinners has Richard missed?
She couldn’t remember.
She stormed off and went to the bedroom to get some rest.
As she lay on the bed, the vibration of the phone came on.
Bzz…
Bzz…
Dad’s phone.
Another message had appeared, this time the notification stayed on the screen a little longer.
Don’t forget Ethan’s birthday cake, he’ll be heartbroken if you’re late again
Her breath caught.
“Ethan?”
“Who is Ethan?”, she whispered.
The message disappeared before she could think any further.
Her heart began to race.
She picked up the phone.
“No,” she whispered.
“I can’t do this”
Opening the phone would be wrong.
Dad has never checked her phone.
She shouldn’t check his.
Then it vibrated once more.
Another message.
I already told the boys daddy is coming tonight. Please don’t disappoint them again.
“Da..Daddy?”, her voice cracking.
The word struck her like a bolt of lightning.
The phone almost slipped from her hands.
“No!, this isn’t real”
Her vision blurred.
She tried to laugh, but couldn’t.
“There must be another explanation”
She repeated those words over and over, as if saying them so many times would make them true.
“Maybe the messages weren’t meant for Richard”
“Maybe someone had sent them to the wrong number”
“Maybe”
But deep inside , a voice she has been trying so hard to ignore whispered the truth.
The perfume.
The late nights.
The endless excuses.
The sudden business trips.
The envelope.
The photograph.
Nothing was making sense anymore.
Mom sat on the couch staring at the lock screen.
She knew Dad’s habit better than anyone else.
He wasn’t good at remembering passwords.
He always chose dates that meant something to him.
Their wedding anniversary.
Moms birthday.
My birthday.
She hesitated.
Mom’s fingers went straight to the keyboard.
“No, I can’t do this”, she pulled her fingers away.
“If I do this, there will be no going back”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
She loved Dad
She had loved him since university.
She had believed they would grow old together.
She wanted to believe that man still existed.
The man who was by her side when they had nothing.
The man who promised to love only her.
Another vibration.
Another message popped up.
This time, there was a small image beneath the notification.
It loaded for only a second.
Long enough for mom to see.
Dad.
Smiling.
Standing beside two teenage boys.
The screen locked again.
Mom covered her mouth with her trembling hand.
She sobbed.
“What in the world is this?”
She could no longer pretend.
With her shaky fingers, she typed Dad’s password.
Incorrect password.
She tried their wedding anniversary.
Incorrect password.
She closed her eyes.
“What else would you choose?”
Then she remembered.
The day they started Hart Group.
Dad had once said that it was the second happiest day of his life.
She entered the date.
The phone unlocked.
Mom froze.
For a long moment, she stared at the Home Screen hoping it wasn’t true.
She still had time to put it down.
Instead.
She opened the messaging app.
Dozens of conversations appeared.
Her eyes immediately fell on one contact.
My love.
Her heart shattered.
Her trembled thumb moved towards the conversation.
Just before she opened it, the front door opened downstairs.
“Isabella!”
Dad calls out for mom.
She looked towards the hallway.
Then back at the phone in her hands.
Dads hurried footsteps raced up the stairs.
He knew.
He knew exactly what she had found.
Mom lifted her eyes towards the bedroom door as the handle began to turn.
And with one trembling thumb.
She tapped the conversation open.
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