Chapter 1 The Adulteress

In room 8808 of the dimly lit Saunders Hotel, Nancy Lawson found it difficult to breathe. Her delicate hand trembled as she reached out, only to pull back from the burning sensation as she touched the arm of the man on top of her. Gathering her courage, she tried again, her nails gently pressing into his firm skin.

The room was shrouded in darkness, and she was desperately searching for something to hold on to for comfort. Finally, in a soft, pleading voice, she said, "Spencer... Spencer, can you be a bit gentler?"

At the sound of the name, the figure above her froze for a moment. Yaacob Getson, with his mind clouded by some drug, became a bit gentler but continued on, nonetheless.

The next day, Nancy sat up in bed, her eyes drawn to the scattered clothes on the floor. A white dress lay in a tangled mess with a man's black clothes, the zipper ruined. It was clear evidence of the previous night's passion. Nearby, the trash bin and a few items lay scattered on the floor.

The mess around her was a stark reminder of the wild night. Smiling with a hint of shyness, Nancy looked at her marked body. She had every reason to be happy. Spencer Shaw, her husband of six months, had finally accepted her.

The memory of the night brought a blush to her cheeks. Spencer's gentleness by day had turned into a ferocious desire in the night, leaving her feeling overwhelmed but thrilled. She believed he was ready to move on from Teresa Lawson and start anew with her.

The sound of the shower filled her ears, drawing her attention back to the present. Just then, a knock on the door startled her.

Nancy was expecting the knock on the door to be room service, as it was early in the morning. But as soon as she opened the door, she was met with a slap aimed directly at her face. The strike was so swift that she had no time to dodge, and the sharp smacking sound rang in her ears as her long hair was brushed aside by the force of the blow. It took a moment for Nancy to register that she had been struck.

"I'll kill you, shameless vixen!" came the shrill shout.

Nancy's cheek burned with pain, and a dull ring still echoed in her ear. Before she could gather her thoughts, she was shoved once more and finally realized that her assailants were two women.

The two women began to berate her in a flurry of accusations. Nancy caught snippets of their words as her ear continued to ring. They were saying something about her seducing someone's fiance. None of it made sense to her.

"Who are you? How dare you barge into my room and attack me?" Nancy demanded, her voice trembling with anger.

"Your room? This room was booked by Yoana's fiance! You seduced her husband and spent the night with him, and now you say the room's yours?" one of the women spat.

At that, Nancy's anger flared. "I dare you to say that again!"

The woman sneered. "Oh, getting bold now, are you? You're nothing but a call girl who sleeps with people for money. How dare you act so high and mighty in front of his real fiancee! Tell Yaacob to come out here. He just returned from abroad and immediately slept with you behind Yoana's back. We need an explanation. I think the engagement between them must be canceled!"

Nancy was completely dumbfounded. Who was Yaacob? What engagement were they talking about?