Chapter 1 The Betrayal

Nothing prepared her for this day. Nothing at all. Lauren took a deep shaky breath as she grabbed the card key from the hands of the young hotel receptionist standing beside her. She quickly tucked it in her bag and rubbed her sweaty palm against her black denim trouser. "Are you sure you're ready to do this? You might not like what you see." Lauren glanced at the receptionist who had offered her the key to the VIP room where her fiance had been staying or rather, hiding for a week. It was against the rules of the hotel for the young lady to do this for her. Hmm, what was it called again? Invading the customers privacy? Lauren sighed. Did it matter what it was called? She didn't care. All she wanted right now was to satisfy the curiosity that had been on her mind for weeks now. "I'll never be ready. I might as well get on with it" Lauren mumbled in response, feeling fatigued all of a sudden. "Alright." The lady smiled warmly. "My job is at stake here so you have to hurry up. We can call this a repayment for the days you helped me in university. I'll be waiting for you." "Thank you" Lauren waved before she jogged off to the adjacent corridor that led to VIP room 431….. The room that held the answers she had been seeking for a long time. A few minutes later, Lauren stood in front of the door with a sign that read '431'. She froze on the spot as thoughts raced through her mind. Stefano had been cheating on her right? It wasn't just her imagination….right? Or was she just insecure and paranoid for no reason? And besides that, why had he been ignoring her calls for two months now? Did that mean he didn't love her anymore? They had so much to talk about regarding their lives together and the business agreement he had made with her. To think he had proposed to her two months ago and immediately started ghosting her almost drove her crazy. Who was he playing games with? "You can do this, Lauren" She whispered as she placed a hand on the left side of her chest and rubbed it gently, trying to calm her racing heart. She swiped the card on the door knob censor and it unlocked, giving no sound of entrance away. Thank Goodness! Lauren bit her lower lip and pulled the door open. She walked in and shut it. An hour at most. She had to get out of here after one hour unless that lady's job might be at stake. A dimly lit short corridor led to the sitting room and bed room. She tiptoed slowly, moving into the VIP apartment and gazing at the luxurious taste of its furnishing. Lauren frowned. A night here cost nothing less than a few thousand dollars. This wasn't your average vip room. Based on what the young receptionist told her, Stefano booked a whole month down at once. Where did he get such money from? Of course, Stefano earned good money at his workplace, she was well aware of that. But not this 'kind of money'. It would have cost him nothing less than $80,000 for a full month here, minus the extra expenses. An uncomfortable shiver rippled down her spine and she shuddered from the effect. Something wasn't right. She peeked into the open living room and after finding it empty, she turned and walked towards the bedroom door, her heart in her throat. Lauren heard a muffling sound as she neared the bedroom door. She pulled it open gently, holding her breath and froze immediately as the muffled sound became clearer. "She's so stupid and naive, poor thing…" The familiar voice of a woman chuckling hit Lauren's ears through the classical music that played from an MP3 speaker. She was so shocked that she couldn't move for a full minute. Lauren heard Stefano laugh at the woman's words and her vision blurred as she tightened her fists around the doorknob. 'Get a hold of yourself!' The voice in her head yelled. Lauren forced herself to walk into the room. She took slow, careful steps and stood behind the wall corner. She popped her head and peeped. There he was, the man she was to marry soon, cuddling a naked woman under a thick blanket in the air-conditioned room. Lauren felt something break inside of her. It's one thing to suspect something, it's a different thing for the suspicion to be true. "So you'll break up with Lauren soon? And then, we'll get married?" The lady asked, her voice not very clear due to the music. Lauren covered her mouth with both hands as she listened on. Against her will, the tears gathered in her eyes, threatening to fall. What did she just hear? Stefano chuckled. "Sure, baby. I'm done with her now. She has served her purpose. Becoming a Managing Director at this young age is the icing on the cake for me. I no longer need her for anything…." "She's probably still waiting for you to give her the share of money from your business agreement." The woman laughed. "It's been two whole months, she's very slow. A retard. She doesn't deserve you." Lauren fell to her knees as those words hit her. She put the pieces together and almost screamed from the bile of anger that rose in her chest. How dare he?! How dare Stefano do this to her?! She gripped her chest where her heart hurt and whimpered as hot tears flowed down her cheeks. The stench of his double betrayal was too much for her. She felt too tired to stand straight but no, she couldn't allow him get away with this. She needed answers. She had to face him. She had to see the face of the woman who knew so much about her while she remained in the dark. Lauren clenched her fists and dried her tears of anger with the sleeve of her blouse. Keeping her face firm and jaw tightly clenched, she stood up straight and walked past the wall corner into the big bedroom. Lauren yelled as loud as she could. "Stefano!!!"