Locked

Eureka couldn’t believe her ears as she stared at him, her chest heaving with anger and frustration. “I hate you, Raymond,” she muttered, her voice barely audible, her eyes stern on his. “But leaving this room for Cassandra? That’s never going to happen,” she dared him, sitting back on the stool and wiping the tears trickling down her face.

“Baby,” Cassandra’s voice broke the tense atmosphere. Raymond’s intense gaze softened as he looked toward the door, where Cassandra stood yawning. “I’m sleepy, baby. Go get my bags from the other room,” she said, walking toward the bed.

“I’m coming,” Raymond replied, sounding like the devoted lover he was, before leaving the room.

“How does it feel, Eureka?” Cassandra’s sleepy tone vanished, replaced by a sharp, taunting one as she settled on the bed. “I can easily command your dear husband to do whatever I want. The sooner you pack up and leave this room, the better for everyone. This is my honeymoon now, and you’re the unwanted third party,” she sneered.

Eureka turned in her seat to face Cassandra. “What did I ever do to you, Cassandra?” she asked, her voice trembling as she fought to hold back her emotions. “You’re my best friend, for heaven’s sake. How can you be so determined to ruin my relationship? You know where we started from. I can’t leave this marriage, so why can’t you let us be? Just let me try to make it work. I’m begging you.”

“Aww,” Cassandra mocked, her voice devoid of sympathy. “You’re just pathetic, Eureka. If you’d listened to my advice and run away, none of this would be happening. I’d have Raymond all to myself, and you’d be living your life. But no, you had to compete with me. And for the record, I’m no longer your best friend. Consider me your nightmare because I’ll make this marriage so unbearable that you’ll be the one to ask for a divorce,” she threatened, her tone cold and biting.

“Is that so? Fine then. Let’s see who leaves this marriage,” Eureka shot back, accepting the challenge as she turned back to the mirror.

Raymond returned moments later, dragging Cassandra’s suitcase behind him.

“What took you so long?” Cassandra whined in a fake-crying voice. “The room felt suffocating with her here.”

“I’m sorry about that. I had something urgent to handle. But I’m here now,” he said, placing the suitcase in the closet before approaching Cassandra. “What do you need me to do?” he asked.

“First, take off these shoes—they’re killing me,” she said, glancing slyly at Eureka. “Then, we’ll take a shower together before moving on to the real fun. You know what I mean,” she added, biting her lower lip and sweeping her hair back with a casual, suggestive gesture.

Every word pierced Eureka’s heart, tears welling in her eyes again. But she refused to break down in front of them. She had stayed up late the night before, hoping that Raymond might finally desire her. She wasn’t even sure why she wanted him to touch her. Was it to consummate their marriage or something else? She couldn’t quite figure it out.

“Got you, babe,” Raymond said, crouching to remove Cassandra’s shoes. When he finished, he scooped her into his arms, eliciting a surprised gasp from her.

“You’re too rough, babe,” Cassandra giggled.

“Just how you like it,” he replied, pecking her lips before carrying her toward the bathroom.

As soon as the bathroom door shut, Eureka’s gaze fell on her reflection in the mirror. Her heart pounded in her chest.

“You’re stronger than this,” she whispered to herself. With a quick glance at the bathroom door, she shot up, marched to the door, and locked it from the outside.

“Enjoy your night together,” she said with quiet satisfaction.

“What the hell did you do?” Raymond’s voice boomed from inside the bathroom as he jiggled the doorknob. “Open the damn door right now!” he shouted.

“Come make me,” Eureka retorted. “If you haven’t slept in the bathroom, you wouldn’t know what it means to cheat on a woman. Nonsense!” she spat, walking away from the door.

“I told you she’s crazy!” Cassandra wailed. “Do you have a spare key? I can’t spend the night in the bathroom. Do something, Raymond!”

“Eureka!” Raymond bellowed. “If you don’t open this door, you know what I’m capable of doing to your parents!” he threatened, his tone desperate. But Eureka was too hurt to care.

“Good luck getting out,” she called over her shoulder. “And don’t forget all your gadgets are in the room. Break the door if you can. Sleep tight.” She grabbed her phone and left, shutting the door behind her.

“She left!” Cassandra shrieked, slapping Raymond’s arm. “How could you let her leave? Break the door! I can’t stay here! It’s the bathroom, Raymond. The bathroom!” she stamped her feet in frustration.

“Hold on. Let me think,” Raymond said, trying to calm her down.

Eventually, he broke the door to free them. Though it took a while, he didn’t care, as long as he could get his precious Cassandra out. His fury simmered as he put Cassandra to bed, ready to unleash his anger on Eureka. But when he entered the other room, he found her fast asleep, her head resting against a desk. She had been sketching.

He froze, staring at her. He wanted to yell at her, to reprimand her for locking him in the bathroom—something no woman had dared to do before. But instead, he brushed back a strand of her hair, tilting his head as he studied her face.

She slept peacefully, though her breathing was uneven. She must have been crying earlier. Picking up her sketchbook, he leafed through her work.

Eureka stirred, stretching and groaning softly before turning her face away.

“When you wake up, your neck’s going to hurt,” Raymond muttered, a faint smile tugging at his lips. He set the sketchbook down, gently scooped her into his arms, and carried her to the bed. After covering her with the duvet, he turned to leave.

“Don’t go,” she whispered, her eyes still closed. “Please stay with me.”