She intended to have a well-deserved restful sleep. She was done wasting her nights overthinking about a man who deserved nothing of her time.
Thomas sighed when he felt his wife settle into sleep and felt the rhythmic pace of her breathing.
When Susan's brother. The arrogant half-brother had called him earlier, talking about the possibility of his wife knowing about what he termed their affair, and he had panicked. What he had with Susan was not an affair. She was the love of his life. Reyona had just been available as their way paver, and they had not intended for the ruse to take this long, but then one thing led to the other.
Here he was married to a woman he did not love, while the one he loved just revealed herself to be an ad***t. Thomas still had no idea why she had turned to doing d***s. Was it because of loneliness?
But she had those kids. How can someone be lonely with three children underfoot?
Could it be because of their situation?
He had no idea what caused it, but he knew that the test would certainly result in a positive. The woman he loved had been out of her mind the other day. It was a shocker for him, and he realised that a lot had changed for them recently.
The main thing that bonded them together was the tireless, maniacal sex they always had. And the children-the children, of course.
Susan had changed. Of course, he wouldn't admit that he had changed as well.
"I still love her though," he assured himself. "She is the love of my life," he thought, with no idea if he was stating what he already knew or reassuring himself.
He took his mind off that disturbing thought and sighed in relief again that his stupid wife had not learned anything.
How could she? When was she always buried in one account book or the other? When she was not doing that, she was in the kitchen, cooking for him and catering to his needs.
It surprised him when she stopped cooking a regular meal for him like before. She only made his meal when she was making some for herself.
Thomas noticed the change and asked her, and she told him it was nothing. She just wasn't feeling like it these days.
Well, it could be a sign that she was getting closer to her menopause, right? He thought to himself in satisfaction.
Susan would be out of detention in no time, and they would be long gone before his dutiful wife could discover anything.
Even as his mind whispered to him that it wouldn't be easy,. Not with the latest development. He believed that, in no time, they would be good.
After all, he had come too far to fail now.
************
"And you have a meeting with Antoine's Real Estate by 11:00 am," Charlotte was saying as she hurried behind Reyona to her office, flipping through her legal pad. "Their rep called a while ago to verify if you are still available and I told her yes since you didn't say anything else."
"Yes, yes, I will make it. What else?" Reyona, who was annoyed with herself for oversleeping that morning, walked briskly to her office. She had woken up past 8:00 am, for God's sake. She couldn't remember the last time she slept past six.
It was a habit she had developed since college, and it had stayed with her. She guessed she should be pleased that she was making up for all the sleep she had lost in the past months, but now was not the right time to be indulging in too much shuteye, not when she had a lot to do.
"... said his name was Mr. Rohan, and he had urgent business. I wouldn't leave when I told him he needed an appointment first, so I made him wait in the general waiting room," Charlotte was saying.
"Wha…what?" Reyona asked in confusion as she set her Chanel bag on her table and turned back to Charlotte. What had she been saying?
Charlotte automatically picked up the window remote and switched the panes from night to daylight filter. The glow of the sun's rays washed into the room in muted tones as the emerald-sewn curtains peeled back.
Charlotte smiled as she realised that Reyona had not been listening. "I was saying that there was a Mr. Rohan to see you. He did not have an appointment, but he did say that he had urgent business. He wouldn't talk to Phil or Samantha, as I suggested. He said he wanted you on this, and it was urgent. So, I made him wait in the general waiting room."
Reyona frowned and tried to remember if she had ever worked with a Mr. Rohan; no, the name didn't ring any bell. She looked at Charlotte like she was about to say something, but her secretary beat her to it.
She smiled. "I know, Mrs. Lanoth. I checked him out. He is the CEO of Rohan Automotive Inc., which is very certified. The company is a car dealership with branches here in Kayooma and overseas. I couldn't figure out if they had any CPA company working with them but well, he is waiting for you."
Reyona smiled at the prudent nature of her secretary. Charlotte might not be an accountant herself, but the lady took the company's affair like hers. Reyona knew it was rare to find such loyal people these days. Oh, how she knew. She had the total opposite as her partner, after all.
A bit annoyed at the fact that her schedule will be messed up, she asked, "When is my first meeting?"
Charlotte didn't look at the pad before replying, "10:00 am, ma."
Reyona checked her Patek Phillipe watch. It reads 9:29 a. m. Good, she had enough time. The ledger she intend to go through first would have to wait.
"Okay, let him in. Let's get that out of the way first," she told her before going to her coffee-making machine to get a cup of the strong brew that would surely keep her system jumping throughout the day.
"Yes, Mrs Lanoth."
That name.
"Charlotte?" she called just as the latter was about to leave the office.
"Yes, ma," she answered eagerly.
"How long have you been here?"
"Eeer, close to two years now, Mrs. Lanoth," Charlotte answered in confusion, wondering why her boss was asking.
"Enough with Mrs. Lanoth; call me Reyona."
Charlotte was shocked "I…ah. I couldn't possibly" Reyona's raised brow stopped her.
"Okay, Mrs. Reyona," she completed, and she ducked out of the door with a smile on her face.
Reyona smiled before turning back to her task. How great it must feel to be that young! She thought firmly, putting off the thought of what she had wasted the better part of her youth on.
She had woken up to a note on the headboard this morning.
"You are sleeping so peacefully that I do not want to wake you. I am off to work. I have a new class I want us to incorporate into the gym's schedule, so I have a meeting with the manager this morning. Love you"
Bastard.
She felt a bitter taste in her mouth at his continuous deception, rivalling the taste of the hardcore coffee she drank. No cream. No sugar. No milk.
She looked out at the serene landscape of the spread-out city that always calmed her. She couldn't afford to meet a client in a distraught manner after all.
She waited. For Mr. Rohan.