Consequences
The sheets were silk. The room smelled like fresh and clean. The bulbs were dimmed. The atmosphere was romantic.
Isabella laid in Henry's arms. Her head on his chest. Every heartbeat felt so strong.
It was almost morning and if she had to make it in time for work, she would need to leave in the next hour before 6: am.
Bella spent the night at Henry's flat. They drove in separate cars from the park to his house.
They talked and laughed all night until they fell asleep in each other's arms.
She never came across such a gentleman. Even if she wanted to do so much more, Henry only allowed it to go as far as kissing.
Maybe he is impotent she thought. Or perhaps he's just not attracted to me.
It could be that he has some sickness...all these thoughts ran through Isabella's mind.
Every time she tried to get up from the bed Henry kept pulling her closer to him.
"I have to go get ready for work", she said as he cuddled with her.
"Yes...Yes...soon. I am the boss you don't have to do anything but stay here with me" he replied in his sleepy voice.
Isabella rolled over on top of Henry. She looked down at his face. So handsome. Like a picture-perfect painting.
God must have spent a little more time on Henry, she thought, because his features were so well put together.
He smiled barely opening his eyes. Her long hair tickled his nose as he used his hands to tuck them behind her ear.
"Young lady what do you want?," he asked in a sleepy voice.
"I want you," Bella replied as a tear escaped her eye dripping on Henry's face.
Henry kept looking at her. He never realized how beautiful she was until now. Her face was still very young. Like a baby. She looked so innocent. So sweet.
He held her waist and flipped her off his body. He got up from the bed and went into the bathroom, leaving Isabella to wonder what did she say that was wrong.
Henry sighed and rubbed his hands over his face, splashing it with water several times. He wasn't confused. He wanted Bella too. But not the kind of want that she was talking about.
He was in love with her and wanted to be with her in the right way. He wanted to love her and take care of her. Henry wasn't into the hiding business.
But how could he go public with Isabella without running the risk of being arrested and charged for bigamy? Or being killed by Sarah? Chastised by his family? or hated by his children?
Besides Sarah was crazy. She would flip if she knew another woman was loving her husband.
Furthermore, he was a very wealthy man. The media would eat up Isabella.
After about a few minutes of talking to himself in the mirror, Henry left the bathroom and went back into the bedroom but Isabella was already gone.
It was Bella's first day back at work in days and the office was pretty much the same.
Everyone seemed busy at work but never fell shy of asking Bella how she was doing.
They laughed and joked about that photo that went viral last week Saturday night. Gem would not be Gem if she didn't make fun of it.
Isabella was happy that there seem to be no tension when she walked into the office. She sat at her desk and got busy.
The day went by pretty quickly. She figured no one had seen her new car since she was late for work. As usual.
But she already had a defense whenever or if ever the subject would arise.
Just before clearing her desk to leave the office that afternoon, she received a call from Henry.
She hadn't heard from him all day but she was privy to information that some investors were at the building and he was constantly at meetings.
On her way down to the parking lot, she met Henry in the elevator. A few other senior staff were there.
They were talking business. Henry nodded at her like she wasn't the woman in his bed a few hours before.
Bella felt bad. But what did she expect? Surly she didn't expect Henry to grab and kiss her in front of all the staff in the elevator. I guess she expected more than just a nod.
Henry wore a grey suit that day. He looked so handsome as usual. Classy. Proper. Neat.
While walking to her car she heard her phone ring. "Dinner tonight?", he asked.
"Sure" she replied smiling. "Where", Bella asked. "Your choice", he said.
"uhmmmmmm...doesn't matter, once I am with you", she said.
There was a short silence on the phone until Henry said "ok then we go to Beach Palm".
Bella agreed. While stepping into her SUV Gem spotted her.
"Wait Wait...Wait...", Gem slammed the glass of the car as Bella started the engine.
"Wow...that's a cool tool Isabella. How can you afford this?", Gem questioned with jealousy written all over her face.
"That's for me to know and you to find out sweet Gemma", Bella replied before turning up the window back up and driving off.
Gem started to like crazy. She sent messages to all the staff members.
It read something like that ... "Check this out. Midnight jobs really pays off".
Meanwhile in LA, Sarah got wind of Henry's affair from Mrs. Livingston. Henry knew the old lady would spill the beans.
He has been around this woman long enough to know she can't keep her tongue behind her teeth.
Henry expected fire and brimstone in his marriage. He often wondered why he was risking all that he had built with Sarah and his children.
Sarah thought about many ways to deal with the matter. She didn't want to move to Jersey.
She loved the high life in LA. Besides Henry promised it would only be for a few months.
"Remind me what you saw Mrs. Livingston", Sarah asked sternly.
"My dear...I saw Henry and this woman stuck together and no air could pass. It was like your Henry was in love. This woman looked like she is from Africa...She's black Sarah. Very Black...", she said.
"So he was in public with her?", Sarah questioned.
"Public yes. And I know Henry don't behave like this so I believe black magic is working on your poor Henry," Mrs. Livingston insisted.
"Thank you," Sarah said before hanging up the phone.
Sarah sat down on her couch and wept. The news did not go down well in her soul. She felt threatened because Henry was very private and to go in public with someone is taking it to a whole new level.
She was praying that all she was told was some fabricated story.
But Mrs. Livingston was a good catholic woman who wouldn't lie.
Sarah dried her tears and went into her bedroom.
She looked at the hundreds of pairs of shoes that she owned.
She pulled her jewelry box reminding herself how much these diamonds cost.
Sarah colored her hair (such a random move), then she dressed up to give herself the confidence that she had everything she wanted and some "local poor little girl", would not ruin her marriage.
She poured herself a glass of scotch. And another one, then another.
Enough with the glasses....she downed the entire bottle down her throat.
Sarah was drunk and very angry. She wanted blood. She wanted revenge.
"Henry have had affairs and flings before but never in public. This one must be special to him...I will show him who is special and who isn't" She said heading for another bottle of liquor.
Sarah would never divorce Henry. That would deplete her from her millions and she was too prideful.
Her name would be plastered in the media and maybe on all newspapers for months.
Sarah knew divorcing him was out of the equation.
"The only way to fix this matter is to get rid of it," she said, throwing back the last shot of rum and slamming the glass on the table.
Sarah was a wealthy woman. Well...she lives off Henry's wealth and he doesn't mind. She had a plan. A plan that she decided to execute right away.
"Hello..." a voice answered. "Hi my name is Sarah. I need a job done," she told the man on the other end whom she didn't know.
Sarah knew people who knew people in high places and the only way she could fix that matter is to have Isabella killed.
"$25,000.00" Sarah said. "Miss, this is murder. The going rate is $200.000.00". Sarah sighed and then replied "Done".
Sarah instructed this hit-man to follow her husband that night and go for the kill at any woman that matched Bella's description.
She wired the money into the account of the hit-man and waited for the call after the job was done.