Chapter Five

LATER THAT DAY

 

Daniel walked into the house late at night after having dinner with Chloe at a hotel. He was ready for Renee’s questioning about why he was late. His excuse of course was always that he had a business dinner and she believed him… every time

 

As he kicked the door shut, he noticed a sudden quietness. Usually, Renee would be in the kitchen heating his meal after hearing his car in the driveway or, she would be seated in the living room, waiting for him.

 

This time, there was no sound from the kitchen and there was no one in the living room.

 

Frowning, he dropped his keys on the glass table and loosened his tie. “Renee?” He called out, walking towards the kitchen.

 

“Honey, I’m home.” He announced.

 

There was no answer.

 

‘Is she still mad about yesterday?’ He scoffed, chuckling under his breath.

 

He rolled his eyes and climbed the stairs, making his way to the bedroom. “Come on, Renee. You’re too mature for this. Don’t tell me you’re still making a fuss about that even after I told you that she didn’t mean anything by it.” He spoke loudly but, the piercing silence answered him in return.

 

He reached their bedroom door and turned the knob, hoping to meet her seated on the bed but, the lights were off and showed no sign of Renee.

 

He switched the lights on and turned to the bed once again. That’s when he saw it.

 

Daniel froze, his face turning pale as though he had just seen a ghost.

 

Pictures…dozens of them were scattered across the bed like rose petals.

 

He took slow, agonizing steps to the bed and he almost lost his breath when he saw the contents.

 

They weren’t just normal pictures.

 

There were pictures of him and Chloe from two nights ago. Him fucking her from behind, her riding him with her eyes shut, them kissing, both of them tangled up in each other's arms….lots of different poses scattered across the bed.

 

“What the fuck?!” His breath hitched as panic rose in his throat. His knees weakened but he managed to remain standing.

 

His palms became sweaty.

 

A thousand thoughts ran through his mind as he wondered who would have done a thing. He didn’t have any enemy that was known to him so who could it be?

 

“I can’t let Renee see this. If she does, it’s all over.” He panicked and began picking up the pictures hastily.

 

He was in the process of picking up the pictures when his eyes darted across the bed and landed on something else.

 

It was a thick white envelope.

 

Curiosity got the best of him and he grabbed it, ripping it open slowly. That was when he saw it, written boldly at the top.

 

‘DIVORCE AGREEMENT’.

 

His hands froze and his heart pounded loudly. Eyes blurry, he flipped the pages and sucked in a breath when he saw that her signature was already there, along with a note that read.

 

Renee: [You can keep the house and the money. That should be enough alimony for you.]

 

It read and his eyes caught the check of ten million dollars in the same envelope.

 

That was when it dawned on him that it was Renee who caught him cheating that day.

 

But how? There were no signs?

 

He thought and suddenly remembered her attitude at the family dinner.

 

“She knew all along.” He gasped, recalling how he had openly flirted with Chloe that day believing that Renee was too naive to suspect a thing.

 

“No, no, no.” He muttered and frantically entered the walk-in closet, scanning it.

 

It was empty.

 

Completely empty…

 

All her clothes and belongings were gone!

 

Daniel stood there with his eyes wide open and his mind a mess.

 

How was he going to survive without her wealth?

 

The money she gave him was nothing as it would be used up in a few months.

 

He needed Renee!

 

“She can’t leave me, not like this! She loves me too much to do this.” He told himself and pulled out his phone, dialing her number.

 

It rang twice and immediately went to voicemail.

 

He tried again!

 

Voicemail.

 

Rage filled him as the call was rejected and he stared at the screen, the reality of the situation dawning on him.

 

She had blocked him.

 

“Fuck!” He hissed and grabbed his keys, storming out of the house as rage pulsed through his veins.

 

There was only one place he thought she could be; her parent’s house.

 

Renee was not the type to stay at a hotel. She believed in family bond more than anyone so, he was sure she would be with her parents.

 

He drove like a madman and halted only when he arrived in front of the ONeil’s residence. He didn’t even bother to knock and just pushed the door, yelling like a madman.

 

“Renee!” He called out, looking around the living room.

 

Jane was the first to walk down, dressed in a red casual dress. “Daniel? What brings you here?” She asked with a confused smile.

 

“Is there a problem? Did Renee do something to annoy you?” She said the last part with a frown on her face.

 

“Where is she?” He asked, ignoring Jane’s questions. “Where the fuck is Renee?”

 

“What do you mean? Isn’t she home?” Jane’s brows furrowed.

 

Daniel hissed angrily and looked at Jane, lowering his eyes due to her height. “I wouldn’t be here asking about her whereabouts if she was at home now, would I?”He said, speaking rudely to Jane for the first time.

 

Taken aback by his tone, Jane stuttered. “I…uh…she’s not here though. You know she doesn’t come here unless we ask her to.”

 

“Well, you better find her, or else, I and your daughter will be fucked!” He said with a sharp glare.

 

Jane’s face twisted angrily at the mention of her daughter. “What are you talking about? What has innocent Chloe got to do with all this?”

 

Daniel chuckled. “Well, Renee found out that I and your ‘innocent’ daughter are having an affair and now, she wants a divorce!” He announced and Jane gasped loudly.

 

“What did you just say?” Charles’s voice sounded from above the stairs and when Daniel looked, he saw Chloe standing with him, terror etched to her face.