Her Heart, His Scheme

There was silence and tension in the penthouse, Roselyn Harper could only stare out at the glittering city skyline, the glass wine in her hands was half empty, the only sound that could be heard was the faint hum of the air conditioning and the distant sound of traffic below. The city was alive ,but everything felt cold within. She turned immediately when the door clicked open. Raymond stepped in ,trying to loosen his tie. His sharp jawline and piercing blue eye might have captivated her, but tonight, they only made her feel uneasy. "You are late again," she said, her voice more serene than she intended. Raymond smirked, passing her to pour himself a drink. “Work, Meetings , as usual. You know how it is”. He responded. She watched him closely, noting how his hands lingered on the glass of wine. “What about the company's accounts ?” Raymond paused, smirked slightly before he turned to face her. “What about them? he asked?” “There are discrepancies. Large amounts of money are leaving the account, and I don't remember approving them”. She explained . He shrugged while taking a sip of his whiskey. Probably just a mistake or you're overthinking ,as usual”. She gripped her glass's stem more tightly. Overthinking ? Raymond, you think I am overthinking, I am serious, I checked twice, and I know I didn't authorise those transactions”. She responded angrily. “My darling rose,” he said, putting his glass down and stepping closer to her. His hands settled on her shoulders, his voice dripping with charms. “You're stressed, my love. Just let me handle everything. It's just numbers, nothing to lose sleep over.” Her Hazel eyes searched his charming face, hoping to find reassurance, but instead, she found something that made her chest tighten, an irritation, quickly masked by his usual charms. “I'll look into it tomorrow,” he added. “Stop worrying so much, but trust me.” he leaned and kissed her on the forehead. But trust was something she no longer had. As he turned away, her gaze was on the empty glass in her hand. She had always believed in Raymond and their life together. But for the first time, a chilling thought gripped her heart: What if I've been wrong all along? The next day; Roselyn's heart pounded. She was afraid she needed Lillian, her childhood friend. She needed someone to confide in at this point of her life. She just couldn't shake the hollow feeling that settled in her chest after her conversation with Raymond, her husband, a night before. She pulled out her phone to call Lillian, who was her rock. The phone rang once twice and then went to voicemail. “This is unlike Lillian," she said while biting her lips”. “Lillian always answered her calls,” trying to push the unease away. “Maybe I should pay her a visit instead. Perhaps seeing her in person would help in clearing my mind,” she thought She picked up her car keys and drove to Lillian’s apartment. Her thoughts filled with lots of unanswered questions. Maybe I'm imagining things, maybe Raymond is right, I am just stressed out, she thought. But the gnawing sensation in her gut refuses to let it up. She arrived at Lillian's building, parked her car properly, but she noticed a familiar car , a sleek black car that belonged to Raymond. “Why is he here?” She thought, her pulse quickening. Maybe he was here to plan a surprise for her with the help of Lillian, or maybe Lillian has called him for some business advice. Roselyn thought to herself that she didn't want to conclude immediately,but she was filled with anxiety. She climbed the stairs with her heart hammering loud,at each step she took. She noticed that when she reached the door, it wasn't fully closed. She heard soft laughter from inside, but she hesitated. She was in contemplation whether to announce her presence or walk away. But before she could decide she heard another voice. Raymond, her husband His tone was light, teasing almost intimate. With annoyance, she pushed the door just to see what was going on. The sight before her sent a cold shock through her body, leaving her dumbfounded. Her stomach twisted violently, and she couldn't believe her eyes. “this can't be real. This isn’t happening” she breaks down. There were on the couch, Raymond’s hands were in Lillian's thighs while whispering into her ears, this made her giggle loudly, her expression was that of adoration. Roselyn's breath hitched, her legs are trembling,the scene before her had shattered her world. She didn't know when her car keys fell from her hands, causing Raymond and Lillian to turn to her direction. “Roselyn!”Like a razor, Raymond's voice sliced through the atmosphere. He spotted her, and his expression shifted from shock to forced calmness. Lillian as well was in panic, she stammered, "I can explain!” while standing abruptly. But Roselyn wasn't interested in their explanation. She knew the intimacy between them was long-term. “How long?” she asked, her voice trembling. How long have the two of you been acting in this manner behind my back? She added . Neither of them answered. Lillian looked away, her hands wringing nervously. Raymond took a smooth step forward, well calculated with his voice soft and smooth. “Roselyn, you're misunderstanding.” “No!” Her voice cracked as she yelled at him. “Don't you dare try to fool me. I saw everything!” Her eyes blurred with tears, and she stumbled back, her mind still in disbelief, anger, and heartbreak. She turned away. The sound of Raymond calling her name faded away as she raced towards her car. Roselyn barely made it to her car before the tears came. They poured down her face as she gripped the steering wheel. Her entire body was shaking furiously. She could not believe that her husband and her best friend could betray her, the only people she had trusted most in this world. Immediately, her phone buzzed on the passenger seat, jolting her from her thoughts. She quickly glanced at the screen of her phone, expecting to see Raymond’s name, but surprisingly, it was an unknown number with a message. She quickly opened it. The message preview reads: “Meet me at 9p.m. at Cafe Solaris. I have something important to tell you and it is about your darling husband.” Roselyn's heart raced as she read the message again. Her tears momentarily stopped. Her hand beats the steering debate, debating whether to respond. She knew she wasn't ready for another drama. But she couldn't stop asking herself: Who could this be? And what did they know about Raymond? Her grip on the phone tightened as she started the car. Whatever this person knows, I need to find out.