Betrayal

Chapter One

“Finally, we are going to Daddy's office.”

I laughed at Zuri's excitement and tightened my hold on her little hand.

“Yes, we are.”

She skipped beside me, her pink bag bouncing against her back as we crossed the lobby of my father's company.

“Do you think Daddy will be surprised?”

“Very.”

She giggled.

“Because we didn't tell him?”

“Exactly.”

I smiled down at her, but my gaze drifted across the familiar building.

It had been years since I had walked through these doors without feeling something heavy settle in my chest.

This place had belonged to my father long before it belonged to me.

I had grown up here, running through the hallways, hiding behind the reception desk whenever my father pretended to be angry with me for disturbing his employees.

Then he died.

And suddenly, everything he had built became mine.

I wasn't ready for it.

I couldn't even walk into his office without feeling like I was losing him all over again.

That was when Orien stepped in.

He had been there through everything.

When I cried because I didn't know how to run the company, he told me I didn't have to worry.

When I said I was afraid of destroying my father's legacy, he held my hand and promised he would help me protect it.

He never made me feel incapable.

He made me feel safe.

After Zuri was born, he encouraged me to stay home more.

He said I had spent enough years worrying about the company and deserved to enjoy being a mother.

I listened.

I trusted him.

I had no reason not to.

Today, I simply wanted to surprise my husband.

He had been working late all week, and when I called him that morning, he told me he would be at the office until evening.

So I packed lunch.

I dressed Zuri in her favorite little pink dress.

And together, we came to see him.

It was supposed to be an ordinary afternoon.

The kind of afternoon I would remember because it was happy.

Zuri squeezed my hand as we stepped into the elevator.

“Daddy will be happy.”

“He will.”

The elevator climbed toward the top floor.

I smiled at my reflection in the polished doors, completely unaware that in a few minutes, I would wish I had never made this trip.

When the doors opened, I took Zuri's hand and led her down the quiet hallway.

“Remember,” I whispered, “we're surprising Daddy.”

She nodded enthusiastically.

We reached his office.

I smiled.

I could already imagine his expression when he saw us.

I didn't knock.

Why would I?

I was his wife.

I simply turned the handle and pushed the door open.

And everything inside me stopped.

Orien was kissing Vessa.

Not standing close to her.

Not talking to her.

Kissing her.

My husband had his hands around my best friend's waist, and Vessa's fingers were tangled in his hair as their lips moved against each other.

For a moment, my mind refused to understand what my eyes were seeing.

I just stood there.

Frozen.

My fingers remained wrapped around Zuri's little hand.

The lunch bag slipped from my other hand and landed softly on the floor.

Neither of them noticed.

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't blink.

I couldn't even move.

My husband.

My best friend.

Together.

The two people I trusted most in this world were standing in front of me as though I didn't exist.

Then Vessa opened her eyes.

She saw me.

Her entire body stiffened.

Orien followed her gaze.

His eyes met mine.

Everything changed.

He released her immediately. “Veyra.”

For several seconds, nobody moved.

I stared at Orien, waiting for him to explain what I had just seen, because there had to be an explanation. There had to be some reason my husband was standing in front of me with his arms around my best friend. 

“Veyra.” My name left his lips quietly.

I looked at him, hoping to see regret, there was none.

I turned to Vessa instead. “You?”

She looked at me calmly..“What about me?”

“You're my best friend.”

“I know.”

“And he's my husband.”

Her lips curved into a small smile. “I know that too.”

My heart sank, I looked back at Orien. “Tell me she is lying.”

He said nothing. “Orien, please. Tell me I am misunderstanding what I just saw.”

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.“You shouldn't have come here today.”

The words hurt more than they should have. “Why?”

He looked at Vessa, she gave him a small nod, something about that exchange made my stomach twist.“Is this why she's always here now?”

Neither of them answered.

I felt tears burning my eyes. “You were my best friend, Vessa. You knew everything about me.”

She crossed her arms. “Yes, I did.”

“Then how could you do this?”

She gave a small laugh.“You still don't understand, do you?”

 “Understand what?”

She looked at Orien.“I told you she would never see it coming.

My heart stopped..I turned to him. “What is she talking about?”

Orien was quiet for a moment before he finally looked at me..“You really want to know?”

“Yes.”

His expression changed. “You want to know why I married you?”

I stared at him. “You married me because you love me, Orien”

“Because of your father, he was going to leave you with everything.”

My stomach tightened.n“The company. The money. The properties. Everything he spent his life building.”

I shook my head..“That doesn't explain anything.”

“It explains everything.”.He stepped away from Vessa and came closer to me. “You needed someone to make you feel safe, and I needed someone who would trust me.”

My lips parted. “No.”

“You trusted me because your father trusted me first.”

My eyes filled with tears. “He asked you to take care of me.”

“I know.”

“You promised him.”

A smile touched his lips. “And that promise made my job very easy.”

I felt something inside me crack..“You used him?”

“I used what he gave me.”

I stared at the man in front of me, trying to find the husband I knew somewhere inside him. I couldn't..“How long?”

Vessa answered. “Since before you even know him”

I looked at her. “What?”

She smiled..“Orien and I were already together before you married him.”

My breath caught..“No.”

“We knew exactly what we wanted,” Orien said. “Your father's company.”

I remembered all the times he had asked me to sign documents, all the times he had told me he was protecting the business, all the times he had said I should stay home with Zuri while he handled everything.

My chest tightened. “The company…”

Orien smiled..“You already gave it to me.”

I stared at him. “You said it was only temporary.”

“I said whatever you needed to hear.”

My knees weakened..“You lied to me about everything.”

“Not everything.”.He looked at Zuri..My heart immediately tightened.

I moved her behind me.“What does that mean?”

Orien's eyes remained on our daughter. “There is one more thing you should know.”

I shook my head. “No.”

“You remember our wedding night?”

My body went still,nI remembered the champagne, the dizziness, waking up in a hotel room the next morning.

“You were drunk that night,” he said. “I made sure you stayed that way.”

My breathing stopped.“What did you do?”

“I put something in your drink.”

I pulled Zuri closer..“No.”

“You weren't with me that night.”

My voice trembled. “Then wo was I with?”

“I don't know who you were with, but it definitely not me cos I was with my precious Vessa”

My face went cold. “No.”

“I only know that I made sure you would never remember the night clearly.”

I shook my head.“You're lying.”

“Then explain why Zuri isn't mine.”

Everything inside me stopped.

I looked at my daughter.

Then at Orien..“No.”

“She isn't my child.”

I pulled Zuri tightly into my arms. “Don't say that.”

“You wanted the truth.”

“I don't want your truth.”.My voice broke. “You're lying.”

Orien only smiled. “You gave me your father's company, your money, your trust, and years of your life. You believed I was the man your father chose to protect you.” He paused. “And all this time, I was simply waiting until there was nothing left for you to give me.”

I could not breathe..Zuri began crying against my chest..“Mommy, I want to go home.”

I closed my eyes.“Yes, baby.”

I held her tighter. “We're going home.”

“That home is not even yours anymore”

Just then the building shook, a deafening explosion ripped through the city, the windows shattered. Zuri screamed as I fell to the floor and covered her with my body.

Another explosion followed, then another, the lights went out, peoople screamed somewhere beyond the office.

I lifted my head toward the broken windows.

The city outside was burning, then every phone in the room sounded at once.

I looked down at mine.

A red emergency warning filled the screen.

MISSILE IMPACT CONFIR

MED. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER.

I stared at the message while holding my daughter against my chest.

Only minutes ago, I thought I had lost my husband, my marriage, and my father's company.

My marriage was already shattered.

Now the world was breaking too.

And somehow, I knew this was only the beginning.