The Night Everything Changed

At twenty-two, Emilia already knows exactly what she wants since she was fifteen. She dreamed of simple things-true love, a peaceful home, and a quiet life. She was the type who believed in fairy tales and happy endings.

She met Julian Blake when she was twenty, during her final year at university. He was older, charming, confident, and everything she had never been exposed to. Julian came from a wealthy, influential family. He was used to power and getting what he wanted. And what he wanted, for some reason, she never fully understood was her.

He pursued her with grand gestures-flowers, gifts, dinner dates at luxury places. Emilia, overwhelmed and flattered, fell in love quickly. Julian was her first love. He made her feel seen, beautiful, and safe-at least in the beginning. He proposed after just a year of dating, her mother and even some friends advised caution. But Emilia believed in love. She thought Julian was her once-in-a-lifetime. She said yes to him.

A grand wedding took place and they were wedded. The first month after the wedding felt like a dream. They traveled, had fancy dinners, and took pictures that made their life look perfect. But slowly, little things began to change.

Here she was, a week after her honeymoon, dressing up for the dinner late that was meant to take place tonight.

"This is so perfect; it really looks good on you, Emy," Sienna, her sister, said with a smile.

"I already feel like the most beautiful and successful wife ever. This feels like a fairytale; it's what I have always wanted," Emilia said, flashing the designer dress a delighted smile.

"Julian won't be able to tear his eyes away from you," Sienna said, admiring Emilia as the designer added the final touch to her dress.

Emilia grinned as she blushed, "Moreover, he's the one that bought me this dress."

She opens her eyes wide with something like amusement and frustration, "Really, oh, that's cool; I pray I get that kind of man too."

Emilia and Sienna grew up in a middle-class home. Her father died when she was young, leaving her mother to raise two daughters-Her and her younger sister, Sienna. Emilia, being the oldest, took on the role of the "responsible one." She cooked, cleaned, studied hard, and always put her family first. Because of this, she didn't have much of a social life.

"Ohh damn, I nearly forgot; I need to check on the event planner and also bring some decorative materials needed. Will you be good on your own?" Sienna asked.

"Of course, I will be fine. You are the kid here; I should be asking you such a question: have you forgotten who looked out for you when we were Little?" Emilia replied with a huge smile.

"Alright, try to get some rest ahead of tonight's party," Sienna said in a cool voice as she left the room.

One hour later, Emilia went downstairs to her and her husband's mansion and supervised the designers and others down there. On going back to her room, she started thinking about Julian and how it would feel with them tonight at the dinner party.

This morning before he stepped out, he says he's going to a business meeting in Midtown. Suddenly missing him, she picked up her car key and decided to go meet him at his company to surprise him maybe to spend some fun time with him before Sienna would get back.

She hurried out of the mansion and got into her car. She decided to give him a call first to confirm if he was still in the meeting.

The phone rang twice before he picked up. "Hey, babe," He greeted as she blushed over the phone.

"Hello, hubby," She responded excitedly.

"Don't tell me you are missing me already," He asked as though he had read her mind.

She replied with a happily murmuring sound, "Yeah, what are you up to? Are you busy in the meeting right now?"

"No, I'm just busy talking to some clients in my office, and even if I am, I will always create time to talk to you, though," He replied as he grinned.

"What about you, what are you doing now," He asked with interest

"Me I'm just lying down thinking about you and how to make you happy tonight," She lied

"Alright, I can't wait to see what you have for me; love you, babe," He said, making her smile.

"Love you more, I will just have to leave you to talk with your clients, bye

"Alright, babe, bye," as she hung up and started the car ready to leave as she drove off.

She can't wait to see the surprise on his face when he sees her in complete flesh in front of him.

Thirty minutes later, she got to the company and met with his secretary as they exchanged greetings the secretary made her understand that he had not been there since morning, but she convinced herself that maybe the secretary didn't know when he came. The secretary gave her a description of the hotel where he might be at the moment.

She drove to the elegant hotel and got his husband's room number at the reception, bribing the receptionist, convincing her that they were a couple, and she needed to just surprise him. She rode the elevator right up to his hotel room. Wanting to surprise him, she didn't ring the doorbell; she only pressed the passcode for his room as given to her by the secretary.

The moment she stepped into the room, the smile on her faded when she saw the pink stilettos dress by the door. Did he have a company? I thought this hotel was just for him to relax. She thought as she took off her shoe and continued inside going upstairs.

She wanted to call out his name, "Ju–," as she saw female clothes strewn over the couch: a red blazer and a kind of leggings.

This time, she dropped her bag, and her brows pulled together when she recognized the clothes she had just seen; it was the same clothes Sienna had put on earlier. She took a second glance at the clothes once again, it was the clothes she bought for her on her birthday.

Why was Sienna here and not at the decorative and event planning place? And why didn't Julian mention earlier that she was here? Emilia was surprised, her heart beating fast as she headed toward the bedroom.

She wanted to believe that Sandra was here to discuss something about the event happening tonight, or maybe she had to take off her clothes because she was wet or something looking to see another cloth to put on her.

But as she kept moving closer to the bedroom, the less she believed the excuses she was making up. As she got closer, Sienna's laughter filled the room.