Chapter 5: Room 422

I turned toward Rui, my hands trembling as I pointed straight at him.

"You planned this."

Then I faced the lawyer, my voice shaking with disbelief. "You know perfectly well you can't accuse me like this. It's only a recording. Anyone could have edited it, or created something like it from scratch."

My throat tightened as the pain settled deeper inside me. I couldn't shake the feeling that Rui had planned everything from the very beginning. Perhaps he had even paid the lawyer to help carry out his scheme.

Rui, however, showed no sign of concern. He simply clicked the recording again, and the same voice filled the room. Then he looked directly into my eyes.

"Listen carefully, Emilia. It's your voice."

I knew then that there was nothing more to say. I could not control what Rui chose to believe, and if he had already decided against me, no argument would change his mind.

So I picked up my bag and walked out without looking back. As the door closed behind me, I could hear the murmurs of his staff, whispering and judging, and I kept my head high until I reached the elevator.

At home, I sat on the sofa while the recording replayed in my head, over and over. I dug my fingers into my hair, not knowing what to do, and kept murmuring to myself, "Forget what happened. You can finally start over."

The apartment felt too quiet. Through the window, the lights of the street flickered on one by one, and I thought about how many evenings I had spent exactly like this, waiting for a man who was never really there.

After a while, I lay down and tried not to think about Rui, the man who had played games with my marriage. Eight years of marriage.

It had not ended suddenly. We had drifted apart slowly, so gradually that I hardly noticed until we were living like strangers who happened to share a roof.

I left for my two shift jobs each day, while he went to his workplace. Somewhere along the way, he told me he had sold his workshop. He said it so casually, as if it were nothing. When I asked who he had sold it to, he always found an excuse.

Then came the promises.

"When we finally make it, we'll celebrate our anniversary on that dream ship of yours," he would say. "In one of those houses with all the latest technology. I'm going to invest in a big company. Just wait, Emilia. Soon, very soon..."

I had waited. I had believed him for far too long.

The next morning, the alarm I had set jolted me awake. I sat up at once. Today was the day I would find out whether I had been approved or rejected.

Most of the interviews I had attended ended in rejection. A few had accepted me, but the pay was so small it barely covered transport. I squeezed my eyes shut, whispered a quick prayer, and opened the message.

Approved. Executive Assistant.

I jumped out of bed, laughing with excitement, and nearly knocked over the glass of water on my nightstand.

That same day, I began working as executive assistant to the CEO of one of the most successful real estate companies in the country. I was nervous at first, but the feeling faded after the receptionist escorted me to the HR department.

An HR officer showed me around, explained the company's policies, and introduced me to the team. Then I was shown to an office close to the CEO's, Mr. Steven's.

I was still settling in when a message arrived: Mr. Steven wanted to see me.

I walked into his office with a smile I couldn't hide.

"So you will be working as my EA," he said coldly. "You'll have read what an EA does here."

"Yes, Boss."

He closed his eyes briefly, as though I had said something wrong. "Call me Mr. Steven."

"Okay, Mr. Steven."

Just then, my eyes landed on the necklace lying on his desk again, and this time I gathered the courage to ask.

"Sir, um… I don't know how to say this, but… is that yours?" I pointed at it.

"Are you looking for yours?" he asked.

"Yes, sir."

His answer surprised me. "Then come and take it."

Was he joking? I hesitated.

"It's yours, honestly," he added. "Have you seen me before?"

I stepped closer to pick it up. "No…" I searched my memory, but nothing came.

"I saw you a few days ago, in the rain," he said. "You bumped into me while you were running. This must have fallen from your neck, but neither of us noticed in time."

The memory returned to me like something long buried. "Oh, really! Thank you, Mr. Steven."

I smiled warmly, but his face stayed perfectly straight, and eventually my smile faded.

The rest of the day was stressful, but I was glad the job was already better than my previous one.

I learned that I would be working from his residence early in the morning four days a week, and from the company office on the fifth day. I would have to be punctual, discreet, and ready for anything. I told myself I could handle it. I had survived worse.

When I finally walked out of the building that evening, my thoughts drifted back to Rui. I remembered the day he accused me of sleeping with someone else, of having an affair with my friend Ethan. He had shouted, slammed doors, and refused to hear a single word from me. I knew he had framed it. I was heartbroken. In all the years of our marriage, I had never once looked at another man.

My phone rang. It was Rui.

"Hello, Emilia. I promised I would give you back your money, but unfortunately I've already left the office. My dad will get in touch with you. He has the money, and you should be glad I added some profit."

He hung up before I could say a word.

"What? The nerve!"

I stood there, stunned, until a text message arrived from Gerald.

"Come and meet me at the hotel. Room 422."

I read it three times. I had never agreed to deal with his father. I wanted Rui to hand me my money himself, face to face, not send me to a hotel room like some stranger on a business errand.

"Ohh mine... why a hotel?"