Her Heart, His Scheme

CHAPTER 2

The words she read on her phone screen burned into her mind as she drove back home. She hasn't responded to the message. Millions of questions buzzed through her head, but one thought was clear that whoever texted her knew something important about Raymond. Although the sender didn't explain in detail. The time and place; Café Solaris at 9 p.m. was kind of risky, but she couldn't ignore it. She said to herself,"I am ready to know the answers, and I need them fast, not after witnessing what conspired between my best friend and husband.

Roselyn spent the afternoon pacing the living room of her house, her mind still swinging back to the betrayal she had witnessed earlier and also the mysterious messages.

Everything keeps replaying like a broken record: Raymond and Lillian on the couch, their laughter ,their touches, she couldn't hold back her tears.

She tried to focus, but her emotions kept overtaking her. The betrayal isn't just about her husband but her best friend, someone she had trusted since they were children. She couldn't hold back the pain she was feeling.

She threw herself onto the couch, hugging a pillow on her chest, her phone buzzed again. This time, it was Raymond. It was a missed call from him, but she wasn't ready to hear his excuses or let him twist the situation into something else.

Her phone buzzed again, it's was a voicemail notification. She pressed the play button, and his voice came smooth but with an edge of urgency. Rose, we need to talk. You've got this all wrong. Let's come together and fix this, okay?Am on my way to the penthouse.

She hit the delete button with her chest tightening with frustration. She wasn't ready to face the man who betrayed her. She picked up her car keys with her belongings and left for the hotel.

By the time the clock neared 9 p.m., Roselyn had made up her mind. She grabbed her coat and headed out of the hotel room. She ignored the nagging voice in her head, warning her not to walk into an unknown situation.

Whoever sent the message knew more about Raymond than she did.

She arrived at Café Solaris. It was dimly lit and was located at the corner of a quiet street.

Roselyn packed her car across the street and took a deep breath before stepping out.

She walked towards the Café, it was nearly empty, she spotted a barista cleaning the counter absentmindedly, then she turned to see a couple sitting far apart, sharing a pot of tea. Roselyn scanned the room , her nerves prickling her , and she felt uneasy.

Just as she was about to leave the Café, she saw someone alone at a table close to the window. A woman with sleek blonde hair tied in a ponytail. She looks up as Roselyn approaches her. She gestures for her to sit.

“You must be Roselyn,” the woman said, her voice low and deliberate.

Roselyn nodded, sliding into the chair that was opposite her. “And you are?” stretching her hands for a handshake

“Sophia” the woman replied without shaking Roselyn’s hands. “Sophia Blake.”

Roselyn brow furrowed because the name sounded vaguely familiar, but she couldn't recall at the moment.

“How do you know my husband?” Roselyn asked.

Sophia leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms.

“I'm his…" let's just say I've been involved with Raymond longer than you have.”

Roselyn's breath hitched. She was shocked. “Involved?”

“Yes,” Sophia responded with a smirk, her blue eyes glinting with bitterness and satisfaction.

“I've been his lover for years. Long before you came into the picture.”

These words hit Roselyn like a punch. She gripped the edge of the table, she had had enough for the day, and she couldn't stand this stranger.

“Why are you telling me this?” She asked, her voice trembling with anger.

Sophia's expression became serious. “Because you deserve to know the truth.”

“Raymond doesn't love you,” she continued

“He never did,you are just a means to an end, He is only with you for your money.”

Roselyn's stomach churned. All she wanted was to stand up and walk away, but somehow she couldn't. Something about Sophia’s tone kept her rooted on the spot.

“What do you mean? She asked in confusion.

Sophia leaned forward and whispered, “Raymond married you for your father's money. That's it.”

“He has been planning to take control of your family’s wealth and leave you with nothing.”

Roselyn stared at her, she couldn't process all she had heard, her mind raced back to all the moments that seems off; the lies, late meetings, the cold detachment she had dismissed because she thought it was stress, the way Raymond always seemed more interested in her father's business than her.

Sophia continued, “I helped with the plan at first, but seeing him with your best

friend makes me jealous.”

“He's using your best friend, Lillian, to get closer to your father's assets. She is feeding him important information, and he is stringing her with promises he has no intentions of keeping”.

Roselyn's heart pounded. “Why are you telling me this?”

“If you've been helping him all along, why betray him now?

She hesitated before responding; “Because I've realised that he is not loyal to anyone, not to you,not to Lillian and definitely not to me. He is ready to throw anyone under the bus to get what he wants. And I refuse to be his prey.”

Roselyn's mind swirled with anger and disbelief. “You expect me to believe and trust a snitch like you.” she asked, pointing her fingers.

Sophia leaned in, her gaze so intense, replied; “I don't care if you trust me or not, but if you want to protect yourself, you better listen.”she threatened.

“ Raymond isn't just lying to you, but he is dangerous as well. And if you don't act fast ,you are going to lose everything.”

Roselyn’s hands trembled as she clenched, the betrayal cuts deep to her throat, but a spark of determination sets in.

She asked; “what do you suggest i do?” Her voice steady despite the rage she felt inside.

Sophia pulled out a small USB drive and slid it across the table. “This is everything you need to expose him,” she said.

Roselyn stared at the drive, her mind racing, Taking it means committing to a battle that she wasn't sure she was ready for. But what choice did she have?

Before she could respond, Sophia glanced at the door and stiffened.

“I have to go now. She said abruptly, Rising up from her seat.

“Wait” Roselyn said, but Sophia was nowhere to be found.

Roselyn was frozen. She stared at the USB drive on the table and was confused.

As she reached out to pick up the drive, her phone buzzed. She rushed to see if it was Sophia that texted her, but to her greatest dismay, it was another text from a strange number saying

“Be careful, mind who you trust, he is watching.”

When she looked back at the table, the drive was nowhere to be found.