I swallowed, barely managing a muted “Thank you.”
“How do you like the ring?” she chirped. “Thomas said it was exquisite!”
Because I never received a ring.
“Oh… yes, it’s beautiful,” I lied.
“Such a shame Thomas had to leave today,” Gloria sighed dramatically. “But what a wonderful opportunity for a surprise!”
“A surprise?”
“Of course! He told me he’s staying at,” she giggled, “the same hotel where you two once stayed, remember? Oh, how romantic! I know you’re spontaneous, Anna. Buy a ticket and surprise him!”
Something inside me opened place.
The cake. The note. The mysterious ring I never got. That wasn’t an acci.dent. Is Thomas che:ating on me?
“That’s a wonderful idea, Gloria,” I said sweetly. “I’ll book a flight right now.”
“Oh, how exciting! Can’t wait to hear all about it.”
“Of course,” I said, staring at the cake one more time. “Thank you for calling.”
I ended the call and set my phone down.
Then, without hesitation, I decided to grab my purse and book the next flight.
Am I making a mistake? Am I about to walk into something I couldn’t unsee?
My hands trembled as I checked the room number.
For illustrative purpose only
Room 614.
The door swung open, and I almost nẻvous.
A brunette. Gorgeous. Effortlessly styled waves of dark hair cascaded over one bare shoulder.
Behind her, on the bed, lay Thomas’s clothes. The air left my lungs.
“Thomas is in the shower,” she purred.
“I’ll let him know you stopped by.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Oh? Wouldn’t want to disturb him?”
“Something like that,” I said.
“You look tense. Maybe you should get a massage while you’re here. There’s a great spa downstairs.”
“Thanks for the suggestion,” I said sweetly. “But I brought my stress relief.”
“WHAT THE…?! ARE YOU INSANE?!” she screeched.
“Possibly,” I admitted, stepping inside.
“You… you… psychopath!” she shrieked, grabbing a throw pillow and hurling it at me.
“I was aiming for your dignity, but it turns out you didn’t have much to begin with.”
“Don’t forget to send me the dry-cleaning bill!”
I stormed toward the bathroom, heart pounding, ready to rip Thomas apart…
And then I stopped cold.
For illustrative purpose only
My mother-in-law. She lifted her glass in a mock toast and bothered.
“Oh,” she said lazily. “You weren’t supposed to burst in. That’s not very… you, honey.”
“What?”
“You’re always so… uncertain. I wasn’t expecting this side of you.” Her eyes roamed over my heaving chest, my wild hair, the remains of cake still smeared on my fingers. “Almost impressive for a gray little mouse like you.”
I ignored the insult.
“Where’s Thomas?”
“Oh, he’s at another hotel. Who leaves his wife alone on their anniversary? I saw an opportunity and took it.”
“Opportunity for what?”
“To get rid of you, sweetheart.”
“The cake…” I breathed.
She laughed, taking another slow sip.
“Oh, I baked it myself! Did you like it?”
“But why?”
“Oh, darling, you were never the right fit for my boy. But Alicia…” she gestured
lazily toward the still-flailing mess in the other room, “now, she is perfect. A successful model. Beautiful. Well-connected. You two have met now… how delightful!”
“You’re insane. Thomas loves me. You will never separate us.”
“Oh, now it’s just a bit trickier,” Gloria mused. “But don’t worry. I play the long game.”
“Thomas is going to find out, and you’ll regret ruining my day.”
“And how exactly do you plan to do that, dear?”
I pulled my phone from my pocket and held it up between us. Gloria froze.
For illustrative purpose only
