Lie or Not?

ELAINE’S POV

Dinner was agony.

I smiled when I was supposed to smile. I refilled glasses that didn't need refilling because my hands had to be doing something or I was going to fall apart right there.

"Laney, are you alright?" Cassandra asked, reaching out to hold my hand.

I recoiled before I could stop it. She frowned but I smiled anyway, pulling my arm back slowly.

"I'm fine." I muttered. "Just tired."

She looked like she didn’t believe me but she smiled and turned back to Richard, both of them talking.

I watched the two of them from across my own table and curled my fingers until they dug into my skin.

When dinner ended I nearly cried in relief. I rushed to the kitchen and stood at the sink, breathing hard.

Still. I couldn’t wipe the images from my head. The words that came out of my husband’s mouth.

"Mrs. Laney." Maria called, breaking me out of my trance. “Are you okay? I noticed you didn’t eat at all.”

She had a worried look on her face while I forced a smile on my lips.

"I'm fine." I said through gritted teeth. "I'm just not hungry. You know how it is when you've been cooking all day."

She nodded and turned back to the sink. I was grateful she didn't push.

For the first time in longer than I could remember, I didn't walk anyone out.

Richard showed his family to the door while I stayed in my kitchen and cleared the plates with Maria.

I kept cleaning even after she left and then I went upstairs.

But I could still hear their moans ringing in my ear. I forced myself to keep walking to my room.

Richard came out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist while he dragged a hand through his damp hair.

I stayed in front of the door, watching him while my heart pounded. Watching his lean body and slightly muscled frame, it started to make sense.

Maybe he had grown tired of me like everyone said. Maybe…

"You killed it tonight." He interrupted my thoughts. "Cassandra was telling me she's never had anything like the lamb chops. Did you hear my mother ask for the recipe?”

He kept talking while I lazily walked to the bed, that feeling in my chest only getting tighter by the second.

The sound of his voice filling the space made something inside me snap.

"I saw you." I blurted out before I could help it and he looked up.

He blinked in confusion. "What?"

"You and Cassandra." My voice was shaking. I hadn't noticed until I heard it. "In your study. I came upstairs to find you both and I…”

My throat was too tight to continue but I pressed on. "You were having sex with my best friend while I was downstairs!”

"Laney," he whispered, his eyes growing wide. “I… uhm… Laney, just hold on a minute. Are you sure-“

I didn’t even hear the rest of his statement, my head was pounding too harshly. All the text messages were now making sense, all the warnings.

“Don’t do that, Richard.” I snapped, my eyes watering. “I know what I saw and look…”

I hastily pulled out my phone from my dress pocket and shoved it in his face. “All these messages were right after all, you’ve been cheating on me!”

His eyes narrowed on the screen then he snatched the phone from my hand, scrolling through it.

“Why?” My voice was cracking, my chest pounding too hard. “Why did you-“

"These are lies, Laney! My face isn’t even showing!” He suddenly stepped in front of me.

“Someone is trying to start problems between us and tonight… are you very sure you saw us having sex?”

I frowned, not at the words but the way his voice had gone soft, almost convincing.

He guided me to the bed and then lowered himself to one knee, taking both my hands in his.

“I think the pills you’ve been taking is giving you hallucinations.”

I went still. "What?"

"The ones you've been taking to deal with stress."

He looked up at me. "I warned you about them when you got it and see what it’s doing to you. Tell me, when was the last time you took it.”

My heart was pounding faster now, and bile was crawling up my throat. It was true, I had been taking a self prescribed pill for stress but…

“When last?” He asked again.

I swallowed. “This morning, but I'm not paranoid."

"I know you're not." His thumbs moved slow circles against my knuckles. "But Cassandra and I were talking. She wanted advice about her business.

That's all it was."

I opened my mouth but doubt was already starting to creep in. Did I truly see them having sex?

With the way they were being loud, someone else should have heard them but I was the only one who did.

Why would Richard suddenly start cheating on me with Cassandra when he’s been faithful the last seven years?

I pressed my fingers against my temple and a groan left my throat.

But I know what I saw. Did I?

"We’ve been married seven years, Laney.” Richard continued. "Why would I do that with Cassandra?

"She's family."

My throat ached.

He rose and brought my hands to his mouth then he pressed his lips to my knuckles.

I felt myself give way and I hated how badly I wanted him to be telling the truth.

He helped me lie on the bed, his hand at my back, his voice low against my hair.

“It’s the pills, Laney.” He whispered over and again.

“You know I love you. Get some rest, I’ll be here when you wake up.”

I let him pull me close and I closed my eyes. Eventually, sleep came.

Ironically, I was back in the hallway in my dream. But this time, the door opened by itself.

I stood in the hallway and I couldn't move as Richard fucked Cassandra passionately. She was moaning and crying out his name, Richard had his eyes screwed shut.

“You feel so good, baby. Yes, fuck!”

Cassandra cried out then she turned and looked right at me. Her lips curled into a smirk.

I woke up with a sharp breath, my heart drumming rapidly.

Richard was still beside me, one arm thrown over his head while he slept soundly. I lay there and watched him.

"Are you telling me the truth?" I whispered but he didn’t answer, still deep in his sleep.

I pressed myself into his side and pulled his arm around me and closed my eyes, forcing myself to sleep but it was almost impossible .

Please, I thought. Please let it be the truth.