Zuri sat alone in the grand dining room of their city penthouse. The soft glow of candlelight flickered over the polished marble and reflected in her glass of red wine.
She glanced at her watch for the third time in as many minutes. It was a gift from her husband, Asher. It was sleek, understated, yet somehow powerful like him.
Zuri sat with her legs crossed, but she couldn't keep them still. One foot tapped restlessly against the floor, and her hands trembled. She wanted to look confident, elegant, and sharp like she had gone days.
Each clock tick reminded her of an empty dining room and the cold chair opposite her where her husband once sat during every dinner.
It wasn't like Asher to be late, at least not without texting. Lately, however, there have been too many 'not like him' moments.
Late nights at work turned into overnight stays and too many extended business trips. The faint scent of unfamiliar perfume was on his suit jacket. And then the strange look that sometimes flashed in his eyes, quick and almost guilty, when she tried to question him.
The dining room's double doors opened, and she heard his footsteps against the floor.
Asher entered in a pristine suit, and his tie loosened just enough to hint at a long day. His striking amber eyes, which had always unsettled her in their intensity, barely met hers as he stepped forward.
"Sorry I 'm late," he said, offering her a small, tired smile. He placed a soft kiss on her cheek, one that barely grazed her skin. She noticed how he avoided her eyes as he sank into his chair.
"It's fine," she replied, attempting to hide the tightness in her voice. She took a sip of wine to wash down her throat.
They ate nearly in silence. If Zuri tried to have a conversation and, in exchange, only a few words left his lips.
She watched his every movement, every subtle flicker in his expression. Zuri had spent five years studying him, understanding the things he left unsaid. But now, he felt like a stranger.
Her gaze drifted to his phone, which was kept face-down on the table beside his glass.
She wanted to reach for it, to see if the answers she sought were hidden within its glowing screen. But she was afraid of what she might find.
"Asher," she began, her voice was almost a whisper.
He looked up with his amber eyes, relaxed and guarded."Yes?"
"Are you…" she faltered. The words caught in her throat. She wanted to ask if he was hiding something if the rumours swirling in her mind were true. But she wasn't ready for that confrontation. Not yet.
"Nothing," she said finally, forcing a smile."I Just...wanted to make sure you're alright. You are hardly home nowadays."
He raised a brow, and a flicker of surprise crossed his face before he composed himself. "Work's been rough," he replied in a dismissive tone. "Nothing you need to worry about."
She nodded, pretending to accept his answer. But inside, her heart hammered. She could feel the distance between them widening, like an unseen force pulling them apart, and she was helpless to stop it.
Later that night, Zuri lay awake in bed, listening to Asher's steady breathing beside her. She turned and watched his face in the dim light. He looked peaceful.
If there was a sleeping beauty story about a man, Asher would be the one winning that title. His sharp jawline, his tousled dark hair, and his high cheekbones made his face look like a superstar. Millions of female fans would do anything just to get one glance from him.
He had been home after two weeks, and all she wanted to do was stay awake the whole night and admire her husband, as she didn't know when she would see him next. It was a bitter truth, and she needed to swallow it.
His features softened in sleep, the faint lines of tension gone. She wanted to reach out, touch him, and feel the connection that once held them so tightly. But something stopped her. Asher did not like Zuri to touch him while he was sleeping.
It was already 3 am, and Asher's phone buzzed quietly on the bedside table. Her heart skipped a beat, and she glanced at him, hoping he hadn't stirred.
She reached for the phone, and her hand trembled as she unlocked it with his passcode. It's still the same one he had given her years ago.
Her breath hitched as she scrolled through his messages. There, between work emails and group chats, was a name she didn't recognize.
'Lyla.'
Zuri opened the chat and scanned the messages. She did not want to drop this low to discover what was happening in her husband's life.
She had always despised the women who would go through their husband's or boyfriend's phones to control their lives. She was not like that and did not know why she was doing the very thing she hated the most.
Does this mean she doesn't trust her husband? She felt guilty and desperate.
The messages were careful and polite, but she read between the lines, feeling a cold dread settle in her stomach. They were little hints, pieces of a puzzle she didn't want to solve. The last message from Lyla read,
"I wish you here to see the clear sky with twinkling stars and a beautiful moon."
Zuri's eyes furrowed in annoyance. 'Why is she messaging this late at night, and what nonsense is this message?' Zuri immediately deleted her messages, as well as Lyla's number, and switched off his phone. She did not care if Asher found it out. All she cared about was to delete Lyla from his life.
Suddenly, Asher stirred beside her, and his arm reached over to pull her close. She stiffened. The warmth of his body against hers suddenly became unbearable. She could feel his steady breath on her neck. He was oblivious to the storm raging inside her. And she hated it.
Zuri's thoughts spiralled into darkness, churning with questions, accusations, and an unfamiliar feeling: anger. She wasn't going to sit back and let her marriage crumble, let him slip away into the arms of another woman.
She was going to find out who Lyla was and what she meant to him. Zuri was almost sure her husband cheated on her with a woman named Lyla after five years of marriage—the same husband who would let the whole world know how much he loved her. He wouldn't miss a single night with her. And now hardly seen at home.
She scoffed, thinking it had been five months since they had been intimate. And it only made her feel worse. 'Is she not beautiful anymore?' She thought.
The next morning, as soon as Asher woke, he took his phone and went to the washroom. It took him one hour to come out of the washroom. He did not look annoyed or angry. He was calm, as always. He walked with his head high as if everything was alright.
'Did he not notice Lyla's number has been deleted? Or did I misunderstand my husband? Is that woman not that important to him?' Many thoughts started to overwhelm Zuri.
Asher looked relaxed during breakfast. He was taking his own sweet time to finish his breakfast.
"I'll be back in three days," Asher announced with a playful grin, carefully spreading butter across his toast.
"Are you going on a business trip? Again? You just came back yesterday....." Zuri looked at Asher's suitcase, which had yet to be unpacked since last night.
Asher looked at Zuri sternly."Why do you look so unhappy?" He placed his fork beside his plate and looked intently at Zuri. "Do you think I am going for vacation?... You never asked me such a question before. So what changed? Or have you decided that you cannot trust me anymore?"
Zuri couldn't understand why he accused her so openly. All she did was ask a simple question. Was she not allowed to inquire?
"Asher, you are misunderstanding my words..." Before Zuri could explain more, Asher's phone rang, and the name Lyla appeared on the screen.