"Here's your lunch, darling." I said as I gave it to him at the door.
"Thank you, baby." He leaned down and kissed my lips.
"You're welcome. I hope you have a great day at work."
"I will, and I will see you later, Mrs. Taylor. I have a surprise for you."
"Oh, I can't wait to see what it is."
When he was gone, I decided to do some cleaning.
I came across our wedding photo. I remember that day like it was yesterday.
I wore a beautiful white dress, and Nathan, oh, was he perfect! I married the man of my dreams, and in that moment, I knew I had made the right choice.
Nowadays, I feel like there's something wrong between us. I was scared to lose Nathan.
When I was done cleaning, I bit my lip as I contemplated what I should do.
After deciding, I called Alexander, Nathan's cousin.
We agreed to meet at Starbucks in 15 minutes.
When I arrived, he was already sitting there waiting for me.
"Hey Alex." I smiled as I sat down.
"Hi Annie. What's the problem? You sounded distressed."
"Well, you're a private detective. So I was wondering if you could follow Nathan."
Alexander Taylor is a private detective who started his business four years ago. He is the same age as Nathan, and they practically grew up together.
"What?"
"I think Nathan might be cheating on me."
"No way. He loves you too much to do that."
I bit my lip as I heard his words. That was probably the old Nathan. The way he has been acting, I was right to have my speculations.
"Well, that might be true, but I need to be sure."
"There's no way I would do that, Annie. It could ruin your relationship. If there's no trust, then there can be no love."
"What if he is cheating on me?"
"And what if he isn't? Shouldn't you trust him?"
"Alex, you said you saw him at the Garland. I asked him about it and he said he was with a client. I just don't believe that."
"Why not? I'm not defending him or anything; I'm just trying to make you understand that if he's not cheating, then you have some serious issues."
"For a few weeks, he was barely talking to me. He was acting so cold. He would come home late at night and early in the morning. When I asked him about it, he said that he was busy, then proceeded to fucking gaslight me. Gosh, I've never seen him act this way. Nathan is the only family I have, so please just give me peace of mind. I want to know if he's cheating on me."
Alex stared at me as he listened to what I said, then sighed.
"Fine. I'll do it. I'll track him and see if he's with another woman."
"Thank you."
"I can't believe I'm going to be spying on my own cousin."
"I know that must be hard for you. You're the best detective I know."
"I'm pretty sure I'm the only detective you know." He cracked a smile, and I laughed.
"Well, that's true."
"Thank you for helping me, Alex."
"Anytime, Annie, but what if he is cheating? What are you going to do?"
"Well, I don't want to think about that right now."
"Let's just hope for the best." He said and I nodded.
Alex and I chatted for a few more minutes, then parted ways. I really hoped he could prove me wrong.
I returned home and prepared dinner for Nathan and me. A freshly made lasagne lay on the table as I admired my work. I also baked cookies and had them cool.
Time went by slowly as I sat down and waited for Nathan to come home. I thought that we could eat dinner together as we usually would.
Minutes turned into hours, and before I knew it, I fell asleep at the table.
My eyes slowly fluttered open as I felt someone tap my shoulder.
I released a yawn as I stretched.
"Damn, I fell asleep." I said sleepily and Nathan chuckled.
"Yes you did sweetheart. You should get to bed on time."
"I was waiting for you. What time is it?"
"Well it's almost twelve. I had so much to do today. I'm so sorry baby." He kissed my cheek.
"Oh I see." I muttered.
"But I did get your surprise for you."
He gave me a box which I hurriedly opened. I gasped as I saw the content. It was a beautiful red dress that had a slit at the side of it.
There was also a sapphire necklace inside a smaller box.
I stared at him, shock in my eyes and he chuckled at my reaction.
"Do you like it?" He asked and I nodded.
"I absolutely love it. It's freaking gorgeous." I gushed and he smiled.
"I'm glad you do baby."
"Thank you! Thank you so much."
"I promise I would make things up to you. So I'm just fulfilling that. I'm so sorry I'm home late. You cooked so much for me. I appreciate you." He kissed my forehead.
"Thank you Nate." I smiled.
"Anything for you princess."
"Do you want anything to eat?"
"No, I'm not hungry."
"Well I'll put these away while you go and shower." I said and he nodded.
I put the food in the refrigerator but not before having a slice for myself. When I was done I went upstairs and met Nathan already asleep on the bed.
I sighed and climbed into the bed and pulled the cover over us.
I prayed that everything was okay between us. Or at least I hoped it would be.
The week carried on the same way, Nathan coming home late and apologizing. I didn't bother waiting up for him anymore and just went to bed on time. I had interior designing classes in the day so that had me occupied.
Our anniversary was in one week and I had planned how we would spend the night.
Alex hadn't reported anything to me yet so I was nervous about that.
I was out shopping for a new lamp when I got a call.
"Good morning Mrs. Taylor. This is Westshore clinic. You have an appointment today at 1pm. I'm just calling to remind you." The woman said over the line.
"Yes ofcourse, I will be there."
After I hung up, I finished shopping then went straight to my appointment.
"Good afternoon Mrs. Taylor. How are you today?" She smiled.
"I'm alright. How are you?"
"I'm good. Let me just check your documents then you can go in." She said as she typed on the computer.
"Alright you can go see the doctor now."
I went to the doctor's office and Dr. Jones greeted me.
"Good morning Mrs. Taylor. How are you feeling today?"
"I feel great."
"That's good to hear. Let's discuss the results of the exam shall we." She said and I nodded.
"Okay from the physical exams, there was the presence of lesions on the ovaries. It can barely be seen on the ultrasound but it's there." She said as she she showed me the ultrasound and I nodded.
"Given your symptoms and what we've discovered based on the physical exams we've had, it has been determined that you have endometriosis." She said sympathetically.
"Oh my gosh!" I said as I covered my mouth.
"Don't be too alarmed; it's very mild, so you don't require any surgery just yet. In fact, there is a list of medications you can take."
"What about pregnancy?"
"It is more difficult to get pregnant with endometriosis, but it is possible at your stage." She said and I breathed a sigh of relief.
"You have options, Annette, so please don't let this get you down."
"I'll have to discuss with my husband which option is best."
"Yes ofcourse."
After I chatted with the doctor, I went straight home.
Well, that explains why I couldn't get pregnant. This is so fucking dumb.
I wanted to scream, but I held myself together pretty well.
I took a few deep breaths and steadied myself. I was so nervous to tell Nathan about this.
I was doing an assignment for interior design when Nathan came home.
Surprisingly, he came home early with Chinese takeout. It was around 6 p.m.
"Nathan, you're home early." I said, and he nodded.
"I had less work today." He grinned and kissed my lips.
We sat in silence as we ate. I didn't have much of an appetite, but I forced myself to eat anyway.
"So, there's something I want to show you after we eat." He said.
"Oh, is it another surprise?" I asked, and he nodded.
"Yes, it is. I'm sure you'll love it."
After we finished eating, I threw away the boxes, took out the garbage, and then went back inside.
I walked upstairs and met Nathan in our room; his shirt was off and his back was turned to me.
"Nathan?" I said, but he didn't respond.
I walked over to him, and he held my hand.
"There's something I want us to try." He whispered, and I nodded.
He dipped into his pockets and pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
"What is this?"
"BDSM. I think it will add spice to our relationship."
"What the fuck?"
"Annette, we should just give it a try."
"I don't think so. I'm not into that kind of stuff."
"Neither was I, but I gave it thought, and I think we should try it."
"No way. I don't want to."
"Don't you love me, Annette? So why can't you do this for me?"
"This isn't about love; this is about respect. At least let me think about it, okay?" I asked, and he sighed.
"Fine." He said this as he walked over to the bed.
As I was brushing my teeth, I thought about Nathan's suggestion. I'm not interested in bondage, and I'm not going to start now.
No offence to people who do that, but it isn't my style.
I went to bed, and Nathan's back was turned towards me. I sighed as I laid down. He can't be upset over this, right? If he is, then I don't know what to say.
I hope we can be okay.
I sat in the living room of my home. It didn't feel like home anymore. I was so frustrated and annoyed. Night had fallen and Nathan wasn't in sight.Evie Jones huh? Evie Nathalia Jones. That woman he brought to our home and introduced her as his client. Apparently, she worked at an insurance company.Well fuck!Suddenly, the door swung open and Nathan walked in. He had his suitcase in his hand and he placed his keys on the table as our eyes locked."Oh hey baby, you're still up." He said as he looked at me."Mhm." I hummed in response."You don't have to wait up for me. I told you that.""Oh? Is that so?" I spoke boredly as he walked over to me."Yes. I've been working late these days. Did you make dinner?""No, I didn't." I replied."Huh? I'm starving. That's so unlike you. Were you busy? I guess I'll just make something then.""I wasn't busy." I stated and he stared at me confused."You weren't? Baby is something wrong?" He asked."Well, yesterday was a pretty important day for me,
I sat in the salon as Sheila surveyed my hair."Your hair is healthy and we would be able to dye it. But first we're gonna bleach it. Sounds good?" She said and I nodded.Sheila began working and soon enough she was done. She spun me around on the chair and I looked into the mirror. I gasped when I saw myself.My hair was now blonde and I looked amazing. "You look gorgeous girl." She gushed and I giggled."Thank you so much." My bouncy blonde curls looked absolutely gorgeous."You're welcome darling."After I was done with my appointment, I went to a store to purchase some clothes. I was going to dress differently from now on and nothing was holding me back.Then I had brunch and after that I went home and changed to go to my interior designing class at 1pm.When I entered the class everyone turned to look at me. The teacher walked over to me."Good day miss, can I help you?" He asked and I chuckled."I'm Annette." I told him and he laughed."Oh, I see you changed your hair color. Yo
"No fucking way. You've gotta be joking!" Tiffany yelled and I sighed."Tell us this is a prank. Please tell me it's a prank." Paige pleaded and I shook my head."It's the truth. He's cheating on me and the bitch literally met me." I frowned."That's insane. I'm going to beat his fucking ass so badly." Tiffany yelled in frustration."Is that why you dyed your hair blonde? To try and keep him?" Paige asked."Maybe, I felt like switching it up a bit. He was so happy that I dyed my hair blonde. Let's be honest though, you can't keep a man that doesn't want to be kept and no amount of hair dye can fix that.""That's facts girl. I just can't believe the fucker did that to you." Tiffany sighed."Are you going to confront him?" She asked."Not yet.""Girl you have to." Paige added and I nodded."I know and I will. Just not yet, I'm not quite ready for that.""Take your time but don't let him use you. You deserve better." Paige placed her hand on my shoulder."I know. We've been together for
Today is the day I leave for Paris!Nathan Taylor, who would've thought you'd be lying to me and deceiving me like this. Unbelievable.Nathan already left one day ago. And today is my flight!Since he left yesterday morning, my friends and I spent the entire day packing up my stuff. I was gonna move to New York. It would be a fresh start for me."We've handled everything. We'll make sure your stuff arrives safely in New York and we'll get the apartment in order for you." Paige said and I nodded."Thank you guys so much." I hugged them."We're gonna miss you Annie." Tiffany frowned."I'm gonna miss you guys too. I promise I'll visit once I'm settled." I said and they hugged me again."Do you think youre doing the right thing by leaving? I mean, maybe you guys can work this out." Paige sighed."No, we can't. He knows what he's doing and he chooses to lay up with that woman every night then come home to me. I'm leaving him for good as harsh as that sounds.""You're right. You don't dese
I entered the building and people turned around to look at me.I could feel the strong gaze of them as I walked inside."Your invitation Madame?" The man asked at the door."My husband has it, he's already inside. His name is Nathan Taylor." I said and the man nodded as he let me in."Well aren't you looking beautiful tonight. Care for a dance?" A young man asked me. He looked no older than 25."No thank you." I politely declined.I saw Michael's wife, Celia, chatting with some of the guests in the corner of the room.I walked over and greeted her."Hi Celia, how are you doing?""Hello, do I know you?" She asked."It's me, Annette." I said and she hugged me tightly."Oh my gosh, you look gorgeous. I didn't even recognize you with the blonde hair.""Thank you. You look beautiful." I said and she smiled."Nathan told me that you were really sick and couldn't make it. I'm glad you're feeling better now.""Oh, well that's not true. I was never sick." She looked confused at my words."Look
I trudged into the apartment. The flight was very long and had many stops on the way. I had so many missed calls from Nathan but I blocked and deleted his number. I wanted nothing to do with him.I placed my suitcase down and walked over to the bed and collapsed on it. I was so tired. I was still wearing my dress.I removed my makeup and took off my dress. Then I went and showered. The landlord was surprised that I arrived at this hour of the night. It was almost midnight.I showered and texted my friends, telling them that I arrived safely.My other things would arrive within the next few days.I took my blanket and sheet out of my suitcase and made the bed.Soon enough I was fast asleep.The buzzing of my phone brought me out of my sleep. Morning always comes by so quickly when you're tired.I groggily answered the phone."Good morning Annette. This is Evie. I just wanted to say that I don't think Nathan is doing okay. I haven't seen him all night.""Girl, bye." I hung up the phone,
Nathan's POVI stared at the divorce papers infront of me. I hadn't signed them yet. Annette's lawyer contacted me but I didn't make any effort to reply. How could I?The night of the party when Annette confronted me, I knew that I fucked up really bad.I realized that she knew what I was doing all along.I met Evie around 6 months ago and kind of hit it off. She was beautiful, intelligent, bold, sweet and different. She made my life exciting. The way she dressed and the way she talked. She had me mesmerized.I spent the nights with her and sometimes I didn't even go to work because we slept in late.But in the back of my mind there was always Annette. She was my first real love. She was the first girl I truly cared about and nothing could change that.I felt so guilty about cheating on her and I wish I could go back in time and change things. I don't know why I did it.Evie made me feel something new and exciting but with Annette there was this comfort and coziness. Annette was my ho
Annette's POVI flushed the toilet for the umpteenth time. I kept throwing up.I sat on the bathroom floor as I threw up again. What a horrible way to start the day!When I felt slightly better I showered and got dressed. As I ate breakfast my phone rang. I rushed to bedroom and answered the call."Good morning Miss Parker. I am pleased to inform you that you got the job. Would it be possible for you to start tomorrow?" Mr. Hinds asked and I refrained from screaming. Oh my gosh! I was so excited."Good morning sir. Thank you so much and yes I would be able to start tomorrow.""Great! See you there Miss Parker. Enjoy your day.""You too." I hung up the phone and did a little happy dance.I got the job!My phone rang again. It was Alex video calling me."Hey Alex.""Hey Annie. Just wanted to check in on how you're doing. Are you okay?"Alex and I talked almost every day. He was really funny and sweet."Yeah I'm great Alex. How are you?""I'm good. I miss you. A tiny bit though." He teas