"What? She asked in shock.
"I need to know who has this number." She said, playing the voice note.
Kayla's brow furrowed as she heard Daniel's voice.
"Isn't it obvious?" Kayla responded.
"No, you don't understand. I don't have this number, and I need to know who it belongs to."
"Oh," Kayla responded as she dropped her bottle of milk on the kitchen counter and picked up her phone.
"Nick, I need your help," Kayla spoke hurriedly, explaining the situation to the other party on speaker phone.
"Alright, give me a few minutes, he said. The clanking of keys could be heard on the speaker.
"Can I have the email I need to forward all the content on the phone to?"
"Content?" Natalie asked.
"Yep, you would want to see this. This is money right here. Top blogs would want to see this." He replied innocently.
Natalie gave him her email address over the phone as she looked at Kayla.
"And – that's it. Sent." He responded, cutting off the call.
Natalie looked at Kayla as her phone beeped. The girls hurriedly walked to each other and opened it. Natalie read the details of the owner of the number.
Daniel Clay.
She and Kayla exchanged a look, and she turned back to her phone, shakily clicking on the first folder among the list of attachments.
Oh my God.
Natalie's phone fell out of her hands as he immediately covered her mouth with both of her hands.
Kayla's reaction was swift as she quickly caught the phone before it fell on the tiles.
She held Natalie, moving her to the kitchen island so they could sit.
They both sat down while Kayla kept opening each folder.
It was a field day of nudes and hotel reservations, dinner bookings, almost all over the globe. Kayla calmly watched, even though her anger level had gone way over the roof. She looked at her crying best friend. Natalie was a wreck at the moment, crying inconsolably.
Kayla just kept watching, and when she was done, she forwarded everything to her e-mail so she could back them up, then turned to look at her friend.
Natalie was no longer crying; she just looked lost. After what looked like forever, Natalie gesticulated for her phone, which was still in Kayla's hands.
"Natalie," Kayla called out softly.
She didn't respond. She simply shook her head as though saying no, while she took the phone and went back to the email.
"No, don't look. Kayla said, trying to take the phone back.
"Please don't," Natalie responded tiredly as she looked at her friend. She took her attention back to the email and watched every lie unfold.
Some dates were quite notable. Her birthdays, he had suddenly missed; their anniversaries, he had been on a business trip for, conveniently absent then too, and his last birthday, which he was conveniently unavailable due to a late business meeting. All the excuses, the lies he told.
She should have known better than to believe him blindly.
All the while, she made excuses for him, forgave him, only for him to be in the arms of several women, to share their bed.
Most of the women were already ladies who a few paparazzi and media outlets had exposed to have had one or two flings with him.
Affairs he conveniently denied.
Lies he calmly told, lies she believed despite her lingering doubts.
She had told him about how distant he was, and how their relationship wasn't what it used to be, but he had brushed it off like she was being selfish. Meanwhile, she had been just stupid.
'Stupid,' She muttered. 'So stupid.' She sighed as she closed her eyes.
All of a sudden, she looked at Kayla and smiled.
"I'm hungry," She said simply.
"Natalie," Kayla responded, looking at her friend suspiciously.
"Could you order some take-out out please?" She said, standing up, walking to the coffee pot.
Kayla watched wide-eyed as her friend made coffee. She was confused. She was used to Natalie throwing her emotions everywhere. This version of Natalie was different.
She didn't know what to say; she could only observe her friend, hoping she wasn't going to do something crazy. Kayla placed the order, then her phone rang.
It was Daniel.
"It's Daniel," She said, observing her friend. Natalie simply shrugged.
Kayla didn't pick up; the phone kept ringing.
"You should pick up. He might just come here before we know it if you don't respond."
Kayla sighed, taking I deep breath so as not to lash out at the cheat.
"Hi, Daniel." Her voice sounded strained.
"Hi Kay, I still can't reach Natalie. Is she with you? I would like to speak with her."
Kayla was about to come up with an excuse, but Natalie picked up the phone and placed it on speaker.
"I'm here," Natalie responded.
Daniel was quiet, and so was Natalie.
"You haven't unblocked me. I couldn't reach you."
"Hmm, okay, done." She responded.
He was quiet again.
"Anything else?" Natalie asked
"I miss you." He simply said
Silence
"I know we have some discussing to do, and I promise to give you answers. It's not what you think it is."
Natalie smiled bitterly. He must think her naïve to fall for his trick. This was the pattern: acting offended at her queries, then, after a while, making a silly attempt at making up, all to make her think it was all in her head.
But he was wrong this time.
He got sloppy by making the mistake of calling her with his second mobile phone, and she will be damned if she believes a word of his!
"What isn't what I think,' She paused, "The kiss with the woman at the café, or my husband driving off after being caught with another woman, or –" She was about to spill more, but was held by Kayla.
Kayla shook her head so she could stop. He wasn't aware of what they had done or the information they had.
Well, he didn't need to know now.
Danie laughed,
'Natalie, you're just been paranoid. I never kissed any woman."
"I saw you," She said quietly, closing her eyes as she held back her tears.
"Look, it was nothing, alright. You know what, why don't you take the time to relax, and I will come pick you up in a couple of days."
"No, I'll be busy visiting my parents."
"Alright, just let me know when you'll be coming home."
"Okay." She ended the call.
"What do you intend to do now?" Kayla asked.
"Get my shit together. I'm getting a divorce."