KARENEmpire Hotel, one of the largest hotels in the country. I had just arrived and was taking in the view. I breathed lightly; I didn't know what to expect. I hoped we were just going to talk normally. After asking the staff, I made my way to the hotel. They led me to Room 102, and my phone rang; it was Devon. "Hello, if you've reached the room, just go in and wait for me. I'll be coming," he said before disconnecting the call. I looked at the door for a while before mustering up the courage to open it. The room was empty; the scent in it was that of a man, but not Devon's. Something kept telling me that something was wrong. I looked at the room decor; it was well decorated. I sat on the bed while waiting, but I had a deep, bad feeling. I opened my handbag and kept my pepper spray in a strategic position. The door opened, and a tall middle-aged man saw me. He was surprised and beamed. "Isn't this Devon's fiancée? I've been watching him closely, and I know a lot
DEVONNo matter what, I felt like killing the man in front of me. Of course, I was the one who set them up, but still, I felt angry at him for touching my woman. And coming to that, how come my plan didn't work? Was it that Karen fought with her life just to make sure she wasn't raped? No, this must have just been an act; yes, he must have been expecting me. That crafty woman. I looked at her coldly with a smirk. "Did you have to be that vicious?" I said. She stared at me in confusion. "What were you saying, Devon?" she asked. "Don't you think I don't know what you are thinking? You are just putting on an act; you are always pretending," I shouted. "Devon, you... You were the one who set me up, right?" Her eyes are bloodshot. I felt exposed, but I still wasn't going to admit it. "Why would I set you up? I already knew you were a whore, so what's the point? I didn't need evidence." This time, she looked so angry and did something I never expected. S
KAREN Inside my car, I was shocked at myself for having the guts to talk to Devon like that. I worried he would be angry and might do something stupid. I wouldn't be surprised if I went home and saw him waiting for me there. But no matter what, I still loved him. My love for him was deep and pure. If only he could have seen my love for what it was and not as a pretense. I decided I must win back his love. He had loved me before, and he could do it again. All I had to do was look for evidence to prove my innocence and show him how deeply I loved him. Where did I start in proving myself innocent, I thought? I had to start somewhere. I began by searching his office. That seemed like the only clue. Maybe he misplaced a file and mistakenly thought I stole it. I remembered going to his office shortly before he started hating me. It didn't matter what, but I had to try from somewhere anyway, so I made up my mind. I parked the car in front of my house, but I didn'
KAREN After successfully evading the traffic, I finally arrived at Frank Eatery. It was located in a less crowded place. Still, it didn't lack customers; the eatery was actually more crowded than the street. I parked carefully in the parking lot before alighting. Just as I was about to enter the eatery, I mistakenly ran into someone, and my handbag fell. Surprisingly, the person I ran into didn't get angry but instead helped me pick up my handbag. "I'm sorry, miss, I wasn't looking," he apologized with a smile. He was quite handsome and tall; he also seemed good-natured and easy to talk to. I smiled back at him. "You are too polite, sir; I am the one that is supposed to apologize to you. You are such a good gentleman," I complimented. The man smiled bashfully. "I feel flattered, miss. My name is Paul; what do I call you, miss?" "Karen, my name is Karen. It's nice to meet you, Mr. Paul," I intoned. "It's a pleasure; mind if I treat you to a meal?"
KARENThe next day, I woke up as usual and had a quick breakfast. I decided to visit Devon at the office. Of course, the main reason I was visiting was because I wanted to find an opportunity to look around his office to see if I can find anything useful. His office was a full thirty minutes drive away, one of the most beautiful skyscrapers the city had to offer, and his office was at the penthouse. I had taken it for granted that because of our relationship, I'd have unrestricted access to his office, but that didn't seem to be the case. I was stopped by a pretty receptionist as I tried to get on the private lift that went directly to his office. "Hello, Miss. No unauthorized personalities are allowed up here; whatever you have could be settled here," she said politely on the surface, but I could feel the disdain in her voice. "I'm sorry; I'm looking for the CEO," I replied with a smile. The girl looked at me as if I were mad. "You're looking for the CEO? Are you
KAREN Today was the worst day of my life. After pleading with Devon, he refused to believe me and kept insisting that I snitch on his rivals to get information. I felt someone staring at me. I turned and saw Devon's assistant turning her face away. I couldn't tell what was wrong with that one, but I had a lot on my mind at the moment, I could care less about her. Inside my car, I bit my lower lip, trying my best not to cry. I did not want to always appear weak. I drove off at first, heading the direction of my office, but when I was almost at my beauty salon, I made a turn and started heading for Alice's salon. Perhaps it was because I needed someone to talk to right now and had acted out of instinct. "What's wrong, Keran?" Alice asked worriedly when she saw me. "Alice
KAREN It was Sunday, I woke up glad to be free from work at least. I decided to go over to Alice's house to spend a little time with her I had nothing to do anyway. Stretching a bit till my sore joints popped, I headed off to the bathroom. If I stayed motivated, I could go throughy daily beauty routine. My thoughts on motivation didn't last long though, as Devon’s call came in, cutting my thought process, and as usual, sending my heart pounding in a mixture of fear and anticipation at what he would say next. "Hello, my little Karen." His voice sounded cold. Why had I expected otherwise? "Devon, how are you doing?" I asked sincerely. "Don't act as if you care; I'm good anyway. Your betrayal didn't manage to get to my heart just as you have wished for," he replied. &nb
KAREN The call disconnected and I stared at the screen blankly. Did Devon set me up just now? He wanted me to sleep with his rival for information. I swore never to do such a thing. The door of the private dining room opened, and a potbellied middle-aged man walked in. His eyes lit up when he saw me. "Wow, today's catch is very good. It seems like the hotel manager is improving more and more," he said happily and walked up to me. "What is your name, fine lass?" He asked amiably. I stared at him cautiously. "Who are you?" I asked. He appeared surprised by my question. "Of course, I am Wilson Albert whom you are supposed to meet, of course," he answered. "Sorry, I didn't know who I was supposed to meet," I replied