“It says… It says he’s married,” Destiny muttered, as if she were afraid to speak the words.
“Are you sure it’s him? Probably more than one Devon Cross in the world, you know,” Eva shot back defensively.
“I’m looking at the article right now,” Destiny replied. “There’s a picture of him holding hands with some blonde woman. Looks like they were at some banquet. Anyway, yeah, the caption says it’s his wife. There‘s even a link to some business website that also mentions he‘s married… and that one was updated recently.”
“What the fuck?” was all Eva could say as she used her free hand to brace herself against the wall. She felt lightheaded, almost faint, and her eyes darted back and forth as she struggled to process what she was hearing. She’d spent nearly an entire month with Devon, yet he’d made no mention of being married.
“You really need a smartphone, girl. Are you by your laptop? I’ll send you the link to this article right now,” Destiny offered. There was a long pause as Eva fought to digest this devastating news. Suddenly it all made sense: the unrelenting wariness she’d had around this man from day one and the feeling he may be holding something back. He’d admittedly given her the short tour of the estate, and they’d breezed by the majority of its closed doors without casting a glance into the rooms behind them. Was that where his wife stored her things? Perhaps she went away on weekends, Eva wondered, and that’s why she was only invited over then and not on weekdays. “You still there?” Destiny’s voice snapped her back to reality.
“Yeah. I’m not at home right now. I’ll call you back,” Eva mumbled despondently.
“Oh, shit, are you with him right now? I’m sorry, I—” Eva disconnected the call before Destiny could finish her sentence. Burley sat looking at her with his head cocked in concern, clearly aware that his human companion wasn’t faring too well. Eva tried to think rationally, reminding herself of the numerous times she’d jumped to the wrong conclusion when it came to Devon Cross. It was hard to remain logical with her head spinning, and she couldn’t shake the feeling she’d been lied to. With Devon out of the house, now was the perfect time to seek out the truth and she stormed into the estate looking for answers.
Her search began room by room, paying special attention to the ones Devon had rushed her by. With Burley tagging along, she rooted through drawers, looked under beds, and dug through closets looking for any trace of his alleged marriage. Destiny had sent her a text message asking if she was okay, but she was too concerned with her mission to reply. She’d all but given up her search when she reached one of the remaining rooms on the far end of the estate’s left wing. The knob was locked, and no amount of jiggling it was going to change that. Recalling a trick taught to her by her criminal father before he wound up in prison, she returned to the foyer to grab her debit card from her purse. It took some doing, but she was successful in using it to jimmy the lock. She hesitated briefly before slowly cracking the door and peering into the room.
What greeted her appeared to be Devon’s private office, beautifully adorned with artwork and valuable relics, along with a plethora of framed pictures scattering the walls. A solid oak desk with a high-back leather office chair positioned just behind it sat in the left-hand corner of the room, with a fireplace recessed in the center of the room’s back wall. The right-hand corner of the room was home to a large display case that appeared to showcase several pictures and various trinkets. The room was well lit due to the natural light shining through its two large windows, and an odd, almost eerie sensation washed over Eva as she stepped into what was clearly Devon’s private sanctuary.
Making her way across the room, she paused to take in each of the framed pictures, leaning in closely to scrutinize every detail as her blood boiled. If the photos weren’t of Devon and a tall, blonde woman of pale complexion, they were of just the woman herself posing happily with big, blue eyes that seemed overflowing with life. She w
as beautiful indeed, and Eva continued perusing the photos until finding one that made her gasp in shock. Obviously a wedding photo, it captured Devon and this same blonde woman engaged in a kiss. She could only surmise that it was taken immediately upon the consecration of their marriage, and she felt her face grow hot with anger. The display case boasted more photos of the couple together, along with an arrangement of porcelain figurines that she assumed belonged to his wife.
Fuming, she stormed over to Devon’s desk. On it, she found yet another framed photo of the same blonde, this time caught mid-twirl with her white dress spinning in a moment that seemed reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe. She tore through the desk’s drawers to see what else he may be hiding as Burley watched in concern, and it didn’t take long for her to find a small box full of handwritten notes, all of them from Devon to a Marie. She unfolded the first one and read it three times as rage surged through her like a violent storm.
Marie,
My light. My love. My inspiration. My reason for waking up every morning. My wife. Now, and forever. I love you with all of my heart and always will.
-Devon
Tossing the note aside, she reached for another.
Marie,
Had a blast with you at the park today. Have fun at your mom’s and I’ll have dinner waiting when you get home. Smooches!
-Hubby
Each note was sweeter than the previous, but Eva didn’t bother reading any more than a handful. She tossed the entire box onto the desk and bolted from the room with Burley hot on her heels. Grabbing her bag from the entryway, she hopped into the same vehicle the two-timing snake had bought her three weeks prior and made her way back to her dilapidated apartment building. With her canine companion in the passenger seat still looking at her with confusion, she called Destiny to report her findings. As Eva expected, she didn’t answer since she was still stuck at work, but two minutes later she called back after sneaking away from her cubicle to hear what her friend had unearthed.
“See? I told you he was married,” Destiny whispered from whatever hiding spot she’d found within the call center she was a slave to.
“I feel so fucking stupid,” Eva sobbed, punching the top of her steering wheel as tears streamed down her face. She didn’t want to cry over this man, or any man for that matter, but he’d wormed his way into her heart and knowing she’d been used hurt badly. “His wife’s probably been on vacation somewhere this entire time.”
“Yeah, that’s seriously shitty. I’m so sorry, girl. I’m coming over right after work, okay? I’ll be there around five thirty,” Destiny said sympathetically.
“Okay. Thank you,” Eva sniffed as she wiped the tears from her eyes.
Returning back to her small apartment, Eva sunk onto her sofa in defeat and wept while Burley lay next to her resting his chin on her leg. Her phone sounded as it received a text from Devon informing her that he was on his way home and that he was excited to see her pretty face. She ignored it as she sat fraught with sadness. Thirty minutes later, he tried calling but she ignored that as well. After five minutes she avoided yet another of his calls, and this time he left a voicemail that went unheard and was promptly deleted. Over the next two hours he sent countless texts and made dozens of phone calls in concern, all of them remaining unanswered. Realizing he’d likely show up at her building, she finally sent him a text message back to avoid dealing with him in person.
Not feeling well. Staying home. Later.
Within moments he’d responded with a slew of questions. She turned her phone to silent and drew a warm bath to help calm her shattered nerves and soothe her aching heart. As she soaked in the tub, her sorrow turned to anger at the man who’d manipulated her for weeks. For the first time in her life, she’d let her defenses down only to get burned and that’s what stung the most. She’d unwittingly been made into a mistresses and a fool, and she reminded herself why she stayed away from these wealthy elitists in the first place. Devon had seemed so different than the rich jerks she dealt with throughout the week, but in the end it was all an act and she had fallen for it hook, line, and sinker. She’d allowed his gentle façade and chiseled good looks to blind her as he delivered an award-winning performance that fictionalized his background and motives.
A soft knock on her front door startled her from her thoughts. Shit, she thought as she quickly rose from the bath and reached for her towel. She’d been so consumed with her resentment towards Devon Cross that she’d forgotten her friend was supposed to be stopping by. Rushing to her bedroom and throwing on her bathrobe, she glanced at the digital clock on her nightstand and realized that it was only 5:00 pm. A sinking feeling told her that Destiny likely hadn’t gotten out of work early, and that the knock was probably coming from the same person she was trying to avoid. As Burley frantically sniffed and grunted at the front door, she crept her way down the short hallway as silently as possible and peeked through the small peephole. Sure enough, Devon Cross stood just on the other side of the door but Eva didn’t let the look of concern on his face fool her.
“Are you okay, babe?” he asked as he gently rapped on the door again. He waited with a growing look of impatience before tapping the door a third time. “I hope you’re alive in there.”
Eva remained frozen, trying her hardest not to make a sound as Devon lingered in the hall mere inches away. She watched as he let out a small sigh and searched his pocket for a pen. He bent down out of sight, and she could hear the faint tearing of paper followed by a scribbling noise against her door. A handwritten note jotted onto a piece of torn brown paper slid from under the door into her apartment, and with that Devon turned to leave. She waited a few seconds to ensure he was truly gone before reaching down for the note.