Bella Pov
Coming home early was supposed to be a surprise.
I sat in the makeup chair while Tanya removed the false lashes from my eyes. The photoshoot wrapped up three hours earlier than expected because the photographer's equipment stopped working.
"Girl you look exhausted" Tanya said while dabbing a cotton pad on my face.
I sighed and leaned back in the chair. "I feel exhausted"
"How many shoots have you done this week"
"This is my fifth" I closed my eyes while she wiped off the heavy foundation. "And I have two more next week"
Tanya clicked her tongue. "Bella you need to slow down. Your skin is going to hate you"
"I know but the money is good" I opened my eyes and looked at her through the mirror. "Plus it keeps me busy"
"Busy from what" She raised an eyebrow at me.
I shrugged. "Just life I guess"
"Is everything okay with you and Damian" Tanya asked while organizing her brushes.
My chest tightened at his name. "Yeah everything is fine. Why do you ask"
"Because every time I mention him you get this look on your face" Tanya handed me a makeup wipe. "Like something is bothering you"
I took the wipe and cleaned the rest of my face. "He has just been working a lot lately. His promotion came with more responsibilities"
"How much is a lot"
"He comes home around ten or eleven most nights" I said quietly. "Sometimes even later"
Tanya stopped what she was doing and looked at me. "Every night"
"Pretty much" I avoided her eyes. "But that is normal right. He is building his career"
"Bella honey" Tanya put her hand on my shoulder. "No job requires you to work that late every single night"
"He says he has important meetings and paperwork" I defended him even though part of me wondered the same thing. "His secretary Karen helps him with most of it"
"His secretary" Tanya's voice changed. "The same one you told me about last month"
I nodded. "Yeah Karen. She is really good at her job apparently"
"Uh huh" Tanya crossed her arms. "And how do you feel about him spending so much time with her"
"I trust him" I said quickly. "Damian would never do anything to hurt me"
"Have you met this Karen person"
"Once at the company dinner last month" I remembered how she looked at Damian that night. How she laughed at everything he said. "She seemed nice"
"Nice" Tanya repeated. "What does she look like"
"Why does that matter"
"Just answer the question Bella"
I sighed. "She has long dark hair and she is pretty I guess. Always wears these tight skirts and high heels to work"
Tanya made a face. "And your husband works late with her every night"
"You are making it sound worse than it is" I stood up from the chair. "They work together. That is all"
"Okay if you say so" Tanya looked like she wanted to say more but held back.
"What" I crossed my arms. "Just say what you are thinking"
"I am thinking that you should pay attention" Tanya walked over to me. "I have seen this happen before Bella. My sister went through the same thing with her ex husband"
"Damian is not your sister's ex husband"
"I know but" Tanya touched my arm gently. "Just be careful okay. Men can be really good at hiding things"
"You think he is cheating on me" My voice came out sharper than I intended.
"I did not say that" Tanya raised her hands. "I am just saying you should trust your instincts. If something feels wrong then maybe you should look into it"
"Nothing feels wrong" I lied. Everything felt wrong lately but I did not want to admit it. "I am just tired and overthinking"
"Maybe you are right" Tanya did not look convinced. "But promise me you will talk to him about how you feel"
"I promise" I grabbed my bag from the corner of the room. "Actually the shoot ended early so I think I will go home and surprise him"
"That sounds nice" Tanya smiled. "You two need some quality time together"
"Exactly what I was thinking" I pulled out my phone and checked for messages. Nothing from Damian. "We can order takeout and watch movies like we used to"
"When was the last time you did that"
I had to think about it. "Maybe two months ago"
"Two months" Tanya shook her head. "Girl that is way too long"
"I know" I felt a pang in my chest. "We used to do it every weekend before he got promoted"
"What changed"
"He got busier and I got busier" I said. "We just grew apart I guess"
"You should not grow apart from your husband Bella" Tanya said seriously. "You should grow together"
"I know you are right" I walked toward the door. "That is why I am going home to fix things"
"Good" Tanya followed me. "And if he is actually working late like he says then maybe you two can figure out a better schedule"
"Yeah maybe" I paused at the door. "Thanks for listening Tanya"
"Anytime girl" She pulled me into a hug.
I pulled away and walked out of the studio.
The parking lot was almost empty. I unlocked my car and slid into the driver's seat. Tanya's words kept replaying in my head. Was I overthinking everything or was my gut trying to tell me something.
I started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. The drive home took about thirty minutes. I stopped at a red light and checked my phone again. Still no messages from Damian. He usually texted me during lunch but today there was nothing.
Maybe he was in meetings all day. Or maybe he forgot. Either way I would see him soon and we could spend the rest of the afternoon together.
I turned onto our street and pulled into the driveway. Damian's car was parked in its usual spot. Good. He was home. I grabbed my purse and stepped out of the car.
I unlocked the front door and walked inside. The house was quiet. Too quiet. Usually Damian had the TV on or music playing from his office.
"Damian" I called out.
No response.
I closed the door behind me and slipped off my shoes. I walked through the living room and noticed his briefcase on the couch. His jacket was draped over the armchair. He was definitely home.
"Damian" I called again.
Still nothing.
Something felt off. The air in the house felt different. Heavy. Like something bad was waiting around the corner. I moved down the hallway toward our bedroom. The door was slightly open and I could hear something coming from inside.
Faint sounds.
My heart started beating faster. I reached the door and pushed it open wider.
What I saw made my whole world stop.