Their conversation came to a halt after hearing the notification sound. Zuri's hand hovered over her coffee cup, waiting for Asher's reaction. Her eyes narrowed on the name flashing across the screen. The name she had deleted was erased. And yet there it was as if mocking her attempts to rewrite reality. Or is it her own husband mocking her?
She glanced at Asher, who, with a casual indifference, glanced down at the screen. Without missing a beat, he silenced the call and continued with his breakfast as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
"So, you were saying?" he asked, taking a neat bite of his toast.
Zuri's thoughts spun. Did he save her number again? Had he been messaging her from the bathroom? Did he spend that one hour with her?
Zuri felt her pulse quicken, her voice barely steady as she tried to press forward.
But Asher's gaze sharpened suddenly, and a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.
"Are you just going to sit there admiring me, or are you planning to say something, my dear…wife?"
The smirk on his face sent a chill through her. He was toying with her, taunting her with that smug look that seemed to know every secret she'd tried to bury.
Did he know she had seen their messages? That she had deleted the contact, trying to erase all evidence of his betrayal?
She swallowed, her throat dry as she forced out the words, "Who…who is she?"
Asher looked up, feigning innocence. "Who is who?" he replied, reaching for his fork and tone so nonchalant it was maddening. He took a bite of his scrambled eggs but his eyes were on her showing that same glimmer of darkness.
Zuri's heart thudded painfully in her chest. Her hands felt cold, but she forced herself to sit up straighter to reclaim some control.
"Don't play games with me, Asher," she managed, her voice sounded sharper than intended. "The call just now. Who is she?"
To Zuri's surprise, Asher chuckled softly, "Are you jealous?"
"That's not what I asked."
"Looks like my baby is losing her patience." Asher teased her.
"Who is she?" Zuri's tone was getting sharper with each question.
"You just saw the name."
Zuri wanted to snatch the breakfast that Asher was enjoying. Here, she was unable to take a single bite, and he... She felt an overwhelming urge to throw everything on the floor. Only she knew how much she was holding back.
Asher paused, setting his fork down deliberately and wiping the corner of his mouth with his napkin.
"You are being a bit dramatic, aren't you, darling?" he said in his silky smooth voice. "She's the daughter of one of my biggest clients. He requested that I take her under my guidance to learn business. I don't know why you are acting so...paranoid." His eyes glinted with something she couldn't read, something that made her both furious and fearful.
The words rattled around in her mind. Each one felt like a bitter taste she couldn't swallow. She had seen the messages and the casual affection exchanged between them. Look at his audacity in trying to fool her.
The client's daughter texts someone else's husband at 3 am? She wanted to ask him.
"Since when has she been under your guidance?" Every word that came out of Zuri's mouth felt like she was eating needles.
"Five months." His response was quick.
Zuri froze. She was sure now there was something going on between her husband and Lyla. Lyla is the reason her husband is distant from her. Lyla is the reason her husband does not come home. That woman is the reason why, being his wife, Lyla made her miss her Asher for five months.
Zuri sat quietly, looking at her husband. Asher could not tell what she was thinking, as her expression was blank.
He chuckled softly again. "You can check my phone if you do not believe me," he said, leaning forward. "Or has your imagination gotten the better of you?"
Zuri glanced at the phone, almost reaching out to take it.
"Oh! I remember you despise that. You hate when people check their partner's phone." Asher sounded amused at his own words, "Let me unlock the phone for you. I insist you check."
Seeing Asher behaving so casually, Zuri even started to doubt her thoughts. But then again, she deleted their messages, so there was nothing for him to be afraid of. She studied his face, searching for any sign of hesitation, but all she found was that maddening calm, carefully controlled smirk.
"You don't need to unlock your phone. I still remember your password," Zuri said. She didn't know why she was talking nonsense instead of directly asking him if he was having an affair.
She wanted to grab his phone and scan every social media account he had to find proof. Her brain was so entangled that no right words were filtering it properly.
"Sorry, honey. I changed the password about five months ago." Asher said politely and soothingly as if casually narrating her about his favourite novel.
Zuri stared at Asher in disbelief. What on earth was he talking about? Just a few hours ago, at 3 a.m., she had effortlessly unlocked his phone using the old password.
Then she thought deeply if he had changed it, it must have happened earlier that morning when he had been in the bathroom for nearly an hour.
But it wasn't just the situation that left her unsettled. But it was the realization that her ego prevented her from confronting him directly.
She would never admit in front of him that she checked his phone when he was in a deep sleep. Unless he confronts her first. She was not ready to compromise her pride and reputation in front of him. It was unthinkable. She would instead hold onto her dignity, even if it meant staying silent in the face of his insinuations.
Deep down, she felt he was mocking her, enjoying the power he held at that moment.
"Sounds like 'five months' is your lucky word," Zuri muttered with an edge of sarcasm. "So, what's your new password? And why did you change it?" her teeth clenched.
Asher didn't miss a beat. His expression was serene as he sipped his water. "Funny you ask," he replied, setting his glass down.
"I was talking to a friend recently. And he shared his biggest concern about how his wife. He told me she used to trust him completely. Until, one day, she didn't. In the middle of the night, she'd go through his phone, deleting his messages and removing contacts. Took things out of context, really. One day, she even erased every female contact, people who were nothing more than colleagues and clients."
He rose and slipped on his blazer slowly, like he was savouring his words.
"And I thought, why wait for that kind of drama to start here? Better to change things up now, save us both a lot of time and arguments."
Zuri's fingers twitched. She wanted to reach for his collar and drag him close, to demand he say it to her face if she was the one he meant by 'friend's wife.'
Instead, she held his gaze unblinking. "So, you think I'm just waiting to act like some paranoid wife?"
Asher's mouth quirked in a smirk. "Of course not, my sweet pie."
His voice was all silk and mockery. "You are the one who said you hate controlled relationships. I mean, I'm away so often, who knows? You might surprise yourself one day." He straightened his cuffs as his smirk widened. "Just trying to protect us."
With that, he turned and strode away, leaving Zuri at the table. Her hands clenched and unclenched against the polished surface.
His phone was left abandoned on the table beside her. Zuri's every attention was on that tiny device. Her finger tapped rhythmically against the table, which was speaking of her desire to unlock his secrets. The password—the code—she would figure it out if it took her all day. She needs to make a list of the important dates of Asher.
The sound of footsteps interrupted her thoughts. Asher returned, suitcase in hand, tie in the other. He stepped in front of her, holding it out.
"Sweetheart, could you help me with this?" He flashed her an enchanting smile, the kind that used to make her feel seen.
Zuri fought the conflict rising inside her as she took the tie. She slipped it around his collar and began knotting it. She was focused on a tie, and Asher's eyes were on her. As she tightened the knot, Asher's hand drifted to her waist and pulled her close, and before she could protest, his lips met hers.
She wanted to resist, but his grip was firm, and his kiss felt almost possessive as if he wanted to remind her exactly who he was and what he could do to her. It took Zuri only seconds to melt away into the warmth of his embrace forgetting all about Lyla.
Five long minutes passed, and his kiss only deepened when he suddenly pulled himself back, breathless and with a small, victorious smile.
"I'll miss you, love," he murmured, adjusting his tie as if nothing had happened. He straightened his suit, picked up his suitcase, and left.