Chapter 3: The Biggest Lie

John Percy walked out of the house like a beggar.

All his life he tried to be good to Clarisse's family. The only treasure that he had was her. And now that this situation was thrown at him like a bomb, he didn't know what to do next.

He was just walking on the safe side of the road. He found himself walking on a bridge. Few cars strode relentlessly on the highway. His wavy brown hair was harshly heaved by the wind. He turned to his right and held on to the cold steel of the bridge while freely looking at the unrested waters below. It was the river bathed in colorful city lights as the busy Wichita buildings reflected on it.

He came back home with a heavy heart. His face was still smothered with dust and tears.

He hurried to Zianna's room, his daughter's. He just peeped at the doorway and saw that she was already fast asleep. He smiled in relief and decided to close it quietly.

He started locking the doors and windows. He also covered the windows to avoid other people from seeing them from the inside.

After that, John Percy got into the bar counter. He spent the night drinking beer all by himself. The house was still empty as always. Clarisse wasn't there again. It was already past midnight but their house wasn't greeted by her presence yet.

He was still holding his android phone with the text message he left her without any response.

'Where are you? It's past midnight...' It read.

Ever since he was married to Clarisse, he was never allowed to call her without her reply via text. It was her rule that should never be broken. No matter how much he would like to be the one to reach out to her first, he needed to follow her rules for her sake.

Clarisse O'Brien is a model and the future face of OB Medical Group. She has a reputation to take care of her image for the sake of their family's business. She didn't even let anyone know about Zianna and John Percy.

He mustered all his courage as he breathed deeply. After that, he decided to dial her number and put the phone close to his ear. The number rang and rang until a faint cracking sound like someone had picked up followed.

"Hello?"

Then, John Percy's heart raised. He didn't think it ever beat after hearing that voice.

"H-Hello?"

It wasn't a familiar one. It's definitely not Clarisse's voice. It was from a man.

His hands started to tremble. He tried to shut his eyes and then open them again. He even shook his head and see if he was just imagining things.

"H-hello?" he checked again. "This is Clarisse's phone number. How did you get it?"

"Hmm... Yeah. It is. Why? Who are you?" the man asked on the other line. His tone seemed calm. It was like the man was talking so casually like he was posing as Clarisse's husband.

He ingested a lump in his throat because of it. "W-well... I-I was just wondering. How did you get her phone when it's hers? Who are you?"

"Do I have to tell you everything?" the guy sarcastically asked back. He sighed. "Clarisse is still sleeping. She's too beautiful for me to ruin her sleep. Why don't you come here and just see for yourself?"

"W-where? Where is she? What's the address?" he demanded eagerly. He was a bit weirded out by the stranger's words but he was just too focused on what he just told him. John Percy badly wanted to talk to Clarisse right now. She's the only strength that he had. He needed her here beside him. At a time like this, she's all that he had left. Just hearing her voice or just seeing her would ease the pain that he was feeling.

After the man gave him the address, he quickly grabbed his coat and headed out. He used the car in the garage and sped up to the location he gave him.

It was a luxurious hotel. Ferguson Hotel. John Percy remembered this place. He knew that this is one of the businesses the O'Briens had made in Kansas. He remembered that his father-in-law had forbidden him to come here since he shouldn't be identified as Clarisse's husband. It will stain Clarisse's reputation as the Chairwoman of the Ferguson Hotel.

But this moment was different for him. Hearing a man answering Clarisse's phone would only mean that she was in trouble and that he needed to rescue her. By all means, they needed each other and no matter what his father-in-law had told him, Clarisse's safety comes first.

He decided to go in but suddenly, the guards put their hands forward to put him to a stop.

"Sir, this is the closest area that you'll ever gonna step on. You need to back out. You can't go inside," the guard told him with a stern voice.

"What do you mean I can't go inside? My wife is inside and she's in danger! You have to let me in!" he argued trying to shout louder. Why can't they just let him in? What kind of hotel is this that he couldn't even see her for just a few minutes?

"Sir, this is an order directly from the management. You have been blacklisted and are forbidden to come here. If you step inside further, we don't have a choice but to arrest you and coordinate with the police," he warned again. Some of the guards came and started to hold John Percy's arms and twisted them behind him.

He shouted in pain. It made his knees jerk until he knelt on the ground. "Aw! My arm! My arm!" he protested but the guards didn't listen to him at all.

That was when a voice interrupted them. "Enough!" the voice said and the guards stopped and looked in the direction where the voice came from. The owner of the voice slowly walked toward them. He stopped in front of him.

He slowly looked up and saw who it was. It was Gerard Kutcher. Gerard is someone he knew from his former neighborhood. Gerard is 5 years younger than him. He is also the younger brother of John Percy's best friend named George Kutcher. He must have graduated from a good university. He is now the manager of Ferguson Hotel.

He widened his eyes in recognition and smiled in relief. "G-Gerard! Oh, thank goodness, you're here! Please help me out. Clarisse is in trouble. I need to save her!" he informed him.

He saw the confusion in Gerard's eyes. He was trying to assess the things he said to him, then he decided to nod at him. He then looked at the guards. "Let him go. I know him. He's my friend..." he said to them.

The guards immediately released John Percy's arms. He gently massaged them and cried silently. He looked at Gerard and mouthed his thanks. After that, he abruptly entered the hotel. As he was about to enter the hotel elevator, he heard someone from behind him.

"Let's see what kind of trouble my future sister-in-law is up to..." the voice said.

He quickly turned around and saw the smug look on Gerard's face as the elevator door closed.

What was that about? Did he just smirk at him?

He completely forgot about that when he reached the floor of Clarisse's suite. He hurried his footsteps anticipating that he would get there faster. He was really worried sick now that he couldn't contact Clarisse's number when he reached the door.

He turned the knob and sprinted inside. He was trying to catch his breath. His heart stopped in seconds. He felt like everything stopped including the ticking of the clock.

He was there looking at a scene he never imagined witnessing. Never in his entire life did he wish for this to happen.

He saw her naked back facing him while she straddle on top of someone. It was a man. He saw how Clarisse was so engrossed with the moment. She, straddling on top of the man, was letting his shaft thrust inside her wet core. He heard their expletive screams in unison, something that John Percy never had with his own wife ever since they got married.

Throughout their 8-year marriage, he never got any memory of having to own her every night. He didn't even remember the day they made Zianna. It was like it never happened at all.

Seeing her doing this with another man infuriated him. He was jealous. He was jealous of this stranger that was entrusted with Clarisse's body. He owned her this night in front of him.

His eyes started to get blurry. His tears welled up in his eyelids. His chest started to move up and down with difficulty collecting air inside his lungs. This scene was nothing but suffocation to him. It's too much.

He widened my eyes, bloodshot with tears that he tried to conceal. His jaws clenched and his fists balled tightly. "Is this the reason why you're not always home, honey?" he asked grimly, still shaky.  Although he already knew the answer, he just wanted to ask anyway.

He saw how Clarisse looked over her shoulder. But to his surprise, she didn't stop. Not at all. She just kept on riding the man and kept on moaning.

"Babe, your husband is asking you..." the man asked breathlessly.

"Let him be. Ohh, shit! You're so good!" she answered and then moaned again as she didn't stop what she was doing.

"Clarisse!" John Percy called her. His voice was evidently angry but she just smirked at him and continued thrusting.

He was there the whole time with mixed emotions. Half flustered and half grieving. How could she do this to him? Is she going to pretend that he was still not her husband in front of her man?

He saw how they reached their climax. It was like they were letting him see that side of them that he couldn't have, to let him feel the dreadful insecurity that they placed inside his heart.

To which extent should she try to hurt him? Because basically, she's literally killing him right now that she has given her all to someone. As she dropped to her man's feet, so as John Percy's tears. She dropped there perspiring. A small smile of satisfaction was plastered on her face.

He kept on balling his fists. His forehead creased. His heartbeat became too fast.

How could she disrespect him like this? He is still her husband! They vowed in front of the altar to be with each other for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. But all those 8 long years had been put to waste. He kept his word, to protect her reputation no matter what. He let people think that she was single and without blemish. He had put up with everything, but not until today.

His eyes grew darker in anger. He just found himself launching at them. He shouted as he brought his hand in mid-air and was about to hit them using his fist. But before he got near them, suddenly, someone strangled him from behind.

He was pulled back from them as he tried his best to let out a loud groan and resistance. He saw Clarisse coming down the bed and grabbing the silk robe and standing up with a smug look on her face.

"Fucking coward..." she blurted out as she towered his frame.