CHAPTER 3

NALANI

[My bangle is missing. If you find it, please give it to Dan for me. It happened to fall off while we were talking.]

What are the chances?

Talking, she says. They were talking in the hallway which isn’t the same thing as the living room where I left them in?

I scoff, and right after the text, a picture pops up from her of the exact piece of jewelry I’m holding in my hand. I groan angrily, furious for so many reasons, but the only thing that calms me down is Daniel’s voice assuring me that he loves me…that Gwen means nothing, and she’s just a clingy woman.

“This is just her pulling stunts at me to get a reaction. I won’t grace her with one,” I tell myself, squeezing the jewelry in my hand.

“Nalani.”

I jerk at the sound of my name, and I whirl around to see Daniel behind me.

“You scared me,” I say, and when Daniel frowns, all traces of the warmth on his face from when Gwen was here, gone, I change the topic, hoping to lighten the mood. I skillfully hide the bangle I found just now inside my sleeve, because there’s no way I’m sending Daniel off to Gwen’s apartment with it. “I shopped something for myself, and I’ll like you to see,” I say, smiling widely as I lead Daniel to the room.

One part of me would have preferred for this to be a small secret, but what’s the point of a surprise for tomorrow if he’s upset with my presence now? If I show him now, I’m sure it’ll loosen the atmosphere.

“What’s this about, Nalani? I don’t have the time right now,” Daniel grumbles, but at least he follows me.

“It won’t take long, I promise,” I say, my mood dampening a little, but I don’t let his lack of excitement stop me.

Once we’re inside the room, I bring the shopping bag that has been in my hand all along forward, and I flash Daniel my teeth.

“This dress is going to perfectly confuse you tomorrow, Daniel,” I say, pulling out the yellow gown from its box and shaking with excitement. I expect Daniel to smile at least, but his frown only deepens, lines of disapproval appearing on his forehead.

“That’s too revealing.”

I gasp quietly, looking at the front of the dress myself to make sure the attendant at the shopping center packed the right one.

She did.

“It’s not, Daniel, it’s only going to flatter my body as it already is. I thought you’d like it.” You always liked my dresses on me, I think to myself, but I don’t say that part out loud.

He scoffs. “Why would you want to flatter your body for other men to see?”

“Other men?” I balk. “I’m going to be with you all night,” I add, and Daniel looks genuinely confused.

“Nalani, when did we agree on that?”

The words die in my mouth.

“I-I just assumed…”

I go quiet, feeling so stupid all of a sudden, and Daniel casts me what I think is a sympathetic look.

“Gwen is going to be my date for the night, Nalani.”

“What?”

“You’ll be there of course, but officially, she’ll be my date. She thinks it’s the perfect opportunity for me to introduce her to the important personalities who will be present tomorrow. You know she has her own fashion line, so I want to help her in any way that I can.”

“Then what about me? I don’t care that the reason we’re having this party in the first place is because of my efforts, but how will it look when you have another woman on your arm who is not your wife? Who is not me?!”

Daniel huffs. “It’s just business, okay?” Running a hand down his face, I can see Daniel starting to lose his cool. “Christ, Nalani, you’re so predictable. Gwen told me this was how you were going to react, but I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt.” Speechless, all I can do is stare. “As for that dress,” he states, looking at the crumpled piece of clothing hanging on my hand like it’s a rag. “You can’t wear it. Thankfully, Gwen picked out something nice for you to wear, so you don’t even need that.”

My mouth drops open but no words come out as Daniel moves to the corner of the bed to retrieve a plastic bag containing what is supposed to be a dress. She didn’t even have the decency to wrap it up properly?

He hands it over to me,

“What is this, Daniel?” I ask, emotions rushing to my eyes, but he must either be oblivious, or purposely ignorant about it.

He shrugs. “I’m sure it’s nice. Gwen made sure of it.”

I slowly dip my hand into the bag to pull out its contents, but Daniel changes the topic, telling me that the discussion is done and decided, no matter what I think. “I ought to tell you this later, but now that we’re here…I’m going on a business trip next week, and I’ll be gone for a while.” I wait for him to continue because he takes an unusual pause. “Gwen will be coming on this trip with me,” he adds, dropping the bomb, but my ears must be deceiving me.

“What? I don’t know about any business trip that requires you being gone with her for what, days? Weeks? What business trip is that, Daniel?” I ask, voice breaking along with my heart in that moment.

“You don’t need to know the details,” he grounds out, and that should be my cue to stop and avoid another fight, but this is too much.

“On the contrary, Daniel. I need to. Not only because it’s my right, but because I am your wife.”

“Then as your husband, I’m asking you to trust me when I tell you it’s a business trip. I’ll be back home with you before you know it,” he finishes, and while his words are supposed to bring comfort, his narrowed eyes and clenched jaw shows the warning and annoyance behind it.

So, I force a smile to appear on my face, but with the glossy film over my eyes, even a bat can tell it’s false.

“Alright, Daniel.”

With that, Daniel leaves me alone in the room, and I pull out the dress Gwen picked, hoping that it would take my mind off things, but what I see is an ugly dark purple dress that is two sizes larger than me.

I pull out my phone, boiling hotter than a pot of stew, and ready to curse Gwen to a pile, when I see that she has already texted me again.

[I hope you love your party dress. It will turn heads for sure!]

She follows the text with a series of laughing and crying emojis, and I feel a hand tighten around my neck, the lump that forms there, hurting physically.

There’s no way in hell that I’m wearing this to a party.