Arthur noted the number. It was the same floor as the luxury suite she had occupied before. His brow furrowed slightly. Recalling the scene he had witnessed at the reception desk the previous day, he could take a fair guess as to what her emergency was.
The elevator chimed as it reached the thirteenth floor. The woman didn't even wait for the doors to open fully before she bolted out.
Arthur leaned against the back wall of the lift, too lazy to even step forward and press the close button. He simply watched as the doors finished opening, paused for a few seconds, and then slowly slid shut again.
As the elevator ascended to the penthouse, Arthur tilted his head, mentally brushing away the sordid affairs of the thirteenth floor that he had accidentally stumbled upon.
Laoise had been thick-skinned enough to hijack the VIP elevator again. It wasn't that she hadn't noticed the cold rejection in the man's eyes or the sneer on his lips, but she simply couldn't afford to care. All she wanted was an answer.
The moment she reached the floor, she sprinted toward Room 1314 and pressed the doorbell. In her heart, she prayed that Percy wouldn't be inside, that this was all just someone's twisted idea of a joke.
But a second later, a roar filled her head, and something inside her collapsed.
Percy's voice drifted from behind the door. "Who is it?"
Who is it? It's your wife.
Laoise clenched her fists. She didn't say a word; she just kept ringing the bell.
The door swung open quickly.
When Laoise saw exactly who had opened the door, she felt as if her world had ended.
Josephine Adams.
She couldn't believe it was her. Josephine Adams.
It was almost comical. Originally, Percy had complained that this client, named Josephine, was a needy, annoying nuisance he didn't even want to deal with. It was Laoise who had stepped in to smooth things over.
Percy had come home grumbling that a company had approached his travel agency to organize an anniversary trip, and the woman in charge was some naive girl fresh out of college. The contract wasn't even large enough to significantly impact their revenue, yet the woman was constantly pestering him with endless details.
Laoise had asked for the girl's name. Percy had said, "Her name is Grace Adams," while opening his Facebook history to show Laoise exactly how annoying the woman was.
Laoise had glanced at the name and laughed. It was obviously Josephine.
Now, she stood at the door, staring at Josephine, who was dressed in a bathrobe. When Josephine realized who was at the door, there wasn't a hint of panic on her face. She even managed a casual greeting.
"Laoise. It's you." Then she turned back toward the room. "Percy, you'd better come handle this."
The man in the room walked toward the door. He was also in a bathrobe.
Laoise looked directly at Percy. She was certain that her eyes held nothing but hatred. She looked at the face of the man she had etched into her heart and soul, and in that moment, he felt like a total stranger. He felt like a blade, plunged straight into her chest.
He looked stunned and guilty, as if he couldn't bear to look her in the eye. He stepped toward her. He used the same hands and mouth that had just been intimate with another woman to reach for her. "Laoise, are you okay. Laoise. Don't scare me."
Laoise shoved his hands away. He felt filthy to her.
She didn't know if she was crying; she hoped she wasn't. She looked up at him, wanting only to scream a single question with every ounce of her strength: "Why."
Why, Percy? Why would you do this to our marriage?
Laoise didn't know how she got home, or how she survived the rest of that day. Once back, she buried herself under the covers. Jessica called her repeatedly, but she declined the calls and eventually turned her phone off.
Laoise lay in the dark under the blankets, thinking that she might as well just die right there in the house. Death would be the end of it. It would be an escape.
She drifted into a stupor. When she woke, she was startled by the harsh glare of the overhead lights. She pulled the covers down and saw that it was dark outside. Percy was standing by the window.
He was back.
His back was to her as he stood by the window, hands on his hips, as if he were gathering courage for something. Laoise looked at his silhouette, her heart filled with bitterness and a dull, aching pain.
He stood there, tall and straight, still as handsome and commanding as he had been during their school days. But he was different now. He had defiled their marriage. He had tainted their love.
Percy stood still for a long time. Finally, having seemingly found his resolve, he turned to face Laoise.
With a heavy expression, he said, "Laoise, we need to talk."
Laoise let out a sharp laugh. "Talk about what. Talk about how you booked a room with another woman."
Percy rubbed his chin. Then he asked, "What do you want to do about it?"
Laoise couldn't help but laugh again. The question made it sound as if she were the one who had cheated.
She sat up and looked him straight in the eye. "And what about you. Do you have any explanation for me? Why would a man who is supposed to be on a business trip show up in that room?"
Her face grew cold, her voice turning dark and low. "Did you go on a trip to the wrong place. Or did you just suddenly lose your way?"
Percy raised both hands and rubbed his face. When he lowered them, his expression had sharpened into something much more aggressive.
"Laoise, if you took that fierce attitude you're using on me and directed it at your mother and your family, we wouldn't be in this position."
Laoise stood frozen. "Percy, you're the one who cheated. So, in the end, it's my fault."
Percy tilted his chin up. "Yes, I cheated. But if your mother and your family weren't such greedy bloodsuckers, would I have been driven to this point?"
Percy seemed to have finally found a target for his rage. The resentment he had bottled up for so long now burst forth like a collapsing dam, violent and unstoppable.