Not His Wife Anymore

“Do you think he’ll like it, Sammy?” Naya asked, her voice almost a hum as she gently petted the sleek silver siamese cat lounging on the kitchen counter.Sammy the cat blinked up at her, with his piercing blue eyes, then he hissed at her, and turned away. It's different.Naya smiled to herself, glancing down at the half finished decorated cake sitting on the kitchen counter.She’d stayed up all morning working on this cake for him. It was his favorite, a rich chocolate mousse layered with fresh raspberries and topped with a dusting of gold flakes. Naya sighed and went back to completing the cake.When she was done, she stepped back and away, admiring her work. Years after leaving baking behind as a profession, and getting married, she was pleased to know that she’d never lost her touch.Sammy meowed softly as if encouraging her work. Naya smiled harder. She was sure that Daniel, her husband, would love the cake. It was his birthday tonight and she wanted to make him feel special, sin

Naya stood in front of the mirror in the guest bathroom, trying to get herself together.Daniel’s words pricked her skin each time she remembered them. When had her marriage gone to shambles? She asked herself, as she touched her face, wiping away the last traces of tears.Naya touched up her makeup, smoothened down the creases in her dress, and amended her hair. She’d organized this party and it was mandatory for her to be there. Naya slipped out of the bathroom and made her way downstairs, the sound of music filling the air as she entered the living room. She searched subtly for Daniel, but he was nowhere to be found. She to everyone who greeted her, and complimented her, but everytime someone told her she was a wonderful wife, she thought about the divorce papers, and the fact that someone else was pregnant for him.Then she caught sight of her best friend, Chloe, standing outside the house, near the patio behind the bushes. It was a hidden spot, but from Naya's position, she cou

"Are you sure about this?" Naya's voice was shaking, her eyes flicking nervously around the room. She clutched the edge of her chair, as if the sterile office walls were closing in on her.How had her life degenerated into this in the twinkling of an eye?Adrian leaned back in his seat, smiling at her with his piercing blue eyes."I've never been more certain about anything, Naya. You need protection, and I can provide it. But you have to trust me.”Trust…The word reverberated in her mind with a bad aftertaste in her mouth. It was the last thing she could afford after all that had happened.How cold she trust this dazzling man with a charming smile after everything with her husband and her bestriend?Naya pressed her lips together, and inhaled deeply, forcing herself to push those thoughts away.“But first you need to be brutally honest with me. I need to know everything if I'm to help you win this case.” Adrian's sultry voice cut into her thoughts.“Asking me to trust you is goin

The walls were white, too white, and the sheets felt foreign. Naya woke gasping.She sat up abruptly in the soft guest bed, one hand gripping the duvet like it might anchor her back to reality. Her heart pounded in her chest, her skin clammy beneath the oversized T-shirt she didn’t remember putting on. The dream still clung to her—the echo of Daniel’s laughter, Chloe’s syrupy voice dripping venom behind glass.You're the joke, Naya.She pressed her palms into her eyes. No prison bars. No Daniel. No Chloe.Just her. And the soft hum of air conditioning.She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, taking a moment to breathe. Adrian had brought her here after the crash. She remembered the warmth of his hands, the low rasp of his voice telling her to breathe, the way his arms had wrapped around her like armor.Why the hell did that comfort her?Naya padded barefoot down the hallway. It was dark except for the glow spilling from the living room.He was there.Adrian sat at a long wooden d

"You’re quiet."Adrian’s voice cut through the dim glow of the penthouse, low and smooth, as Naya stared blankly out the window at the city lights below."I’m fine," she replied, too quickly, her arms folded across her chest.He leaned against the marble island behind her, swirling a glass of scotch, studying her like a puzzle he already knew the solution to."You’re lying. Badly," he said after a beat."Why do you care?" she snapped, still not turning around.He let out a soft laugh, dark and amused. "Because you look like a woman trying not to fall apart. And because I just got this."When she finally turned, his phone was in his hand, the screen glowing with a news article. She stepped closer, hesitant, then impatient, and froze when she saw the headline:“Carter Heir to Wed Longtime Family Friend Chloe Winslow: Engagement Announced at Charity Gala”A glossy photo showed Daniel in his designer tuxedo, Chloe draped on his arm in a shimmering gown, both of them smiling as though noth