When Clara is off on her business trip — ready to take her career to an entirely new level, she meets a random woman who turns out to be the bearer of bad news. And the end of her marriage. What will Clara do next?
Usually, I enjoyed traveling alone. Especially when it came to work — there was just something about being a stranger in a different place. Even if it was fleeting.
Work trips were often easy for me to be away from Tom, my husband — because I knew that he would be sitting at home watching TV and eating junk food until I returned.
“I’m not going to do anything else,” he would laugh, ushering me out the door with my luggage.
Except, this time was different. Tom was going off on his own business trip.
So, gearing up for this new business trip had me feeling all sorts of things. Firstly, this was a big deal — we were about to franchise our restaurant. And our meeting with investors was going to secure that.
“Don’t you worry about a thing, Clara,” my business partner, Malcolm said. “You just go and present everything we’ve been working toward for the past six months. And be yourself!”
“You should come with me,” I said.
It was the day before I flew out, and Malcolm still didn’t think that he should join.
“I have faith in you. Besides, I can’t risk leaving town. I’m going to be a father any moment now.”
At least he had his priorities right.
“You’ll be fine,” Tom said, as he dropped me off at the airport. “You’ve done these things without Malcolm before.”
“Yes, but this time there’s more pressure,” I said. “We’re asking for a ridiculous amount from the investors.”
“And they wouldn’t even be entertaining you if they didn’t think that you guys were worth something. Relax, sweetheart. Be yourself and they will love you.”
He was right. There had to be something promising about our proposal — they wouldn’t have set us up at such a fancy hotel if not.
“Besides, it’s just a few days and we’ll both be right back home,” he said.
“Are you nervous about your trip?” I asked him, while digging in my bag for chewing gum.
“Not at all,” he said. “I’m excited, really. I’ve been feeling restless for a while now. And this way, I get to escape for a while. We really need to plan a vacation.”
“When we get back,” I promised him. “We can plan the entire thing.”
Tom kissed my forehead and left.
The moment I stepped onto the plane, a whirlwind of emotions engulfed me — excitement, anticipation, but above all, an undercurrent of nervous energy that I couldn’t quite shake.
“This isn’t just any business trip, Clara,” I told myself. “You’ve got to prove yourself.”
My flight was delayed — so I only had time to rent a car and get to the meeting.
“I’ll have to just check in later,” I said to the empty car as I drove out.
“Thank you for your time, Clara,” Grant, the head investor said, shaking my hand. “You and Malcolm did a great job on the proposal, and your presentation was great. We see the vision. We’d be honored to bring it to life. But we’ll get back to you officially in a day or two. My assistant will schedule a meeting.”
It had gone as well as it could have, and I was feeling relieved. The hardest part was over — now, I just had to relax until a final decision was made.
“Enjoy your stay,” Grant said, nodding to me as he walked back into the conference room.
The hotel’s lavishness immediately enveloped me — it was exactly where I needed to be while I waited for the final verdict. I planned on checking in, showering, and then calling Tom and Malcolm with updates.
As I stood at the hotel’s reception, I waited for my turn. Amidst the flurry of guests, I noticed a woman who I had sat next to on the flight.
“Hey!” she said. “You’re staying here too?”
I smiled and nodded. Although I didn’t know her, it was nice to have a familiar face around.
“How long will you be here for?” I asked.
“Just a few days. I’m actually here for a little adventure,” she said. “It’s a getaway from home. With my boyfriend. But it’s a bit more complicated than that.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, sipping on the complimentary champagne.
“He has a wife,” she said. “So, it’s all just secrets. But I’m not going to let that get to me! If anything, she travels a lot. And he thinks that she’s having an affair with someone at work.”
I laughed.
“That sounds crazy!” I exclaimed.
The story was a bit much for me. I couldn’t imagine trying to justify having an affair just because someone traveled for work a lot.
Don’t overthink it, I thought to myself. You are not responsible for someone else’s actions.
The woman was up next, so I moved my bag out of the way for her to get checked in.
“Hi!” she told the receptionist cheerfully. “I’m Veronica. My booking should be under Tom Harrison. He won’t be checked in yet, because he’s only flying here tonight.”
My heart raced. Tom Harrison? My husband — Tom Harrison?
It couldn’t be a coincidence.
“Sure, ma’am,” the receptionist said. “Since the booking was done by Mr. Harrison, I’m going to need you to give me a cellphone number or email address — just something for me to confirm it. It’s for security reasons.”
The woman laughed and said that she understood that protocols were in place.
Then, she called out my husband’s number.
The realization hit me like a tidal wave. This was no coincidence; the woman was here with Tom! In that instant, a myriad of emotions cascaded through me — shock, disbelief, anger.
“Enjoy your stay,” she called out to me, taking the keycard from the receptionist. “I’m sure our paths will cross.”
In a daze, I checked myself in. I couldn’t remember if I had told Tom which hotel I was staying in. I couldn’t remember if he had even asked.
Retreating to my room, I was consumed by a whirlwind of thoughts, each one taking me away from the business high I had been on.
I wanted revenge.
Later, closer to the time Tom was scheduled to arrive, I went downstairs.
When I was at the reception desk, I heard the room number that Tom and his mistress would be staying in. Tearing a piece of paper from my notebook, I wrote a note to the woman — inviting her for a complimentary massage at the spa.
I waited at the end of the corridor until she left the room for her massage.
Then, thank goodness for shift changes, there was a different person at the desk.
I repeated everything the woman had said — revealing that I was meeting my husband and he should have checked in already. I was asked to repeat his cellphone number and then, just like that, I had a keycard.
I went straight to their room and waited for Tom to arrive. I kicked off my shoes and put the TV on.
“Honey, I’m here,” Tom’s voice rang loud and clear.
“Surprise!” I said. “I didn’t know you were coming to surprise me at my hotel.”
Tom’s face paled before my eyes. His forehead began to glisten with a nervous sweat.
“Clara!” he exclaimed, trying to recover.
“Not who you were expecting?” I asked.
Tom looked at the floor, his foot rubbing against the lush carpet.
“How long?” I asked. “How long have you been seeing her?”
“Seven months,” he answered without hesitation.
“I deserve a partner who values and respects me, Tom,” I spat. “You’re not that man.”
Tom didn’t try to answer. He didn’t try to defend himself.
“Is that it?” I asked. “Silence?”
“Clara, I don’t know what to tell you,” he said. “You travel all the time. I’m lonely. And you’re always with Malcolm. What am I supposed to think?”
“You’re supposed to trust me. I think we’re done, Tom.”
He didn’t reply. He just picked up his phone.
As I walked away, leaving behind the remnants of our fractured marriage, I was enveloped by a sense of empowerment. I knew that bigger things were coming.
But I still couldn’t believe Tom’s actions. And even worse, was the way in which he had nonchalantly spoken to me. He didn’t care. He wasn’t going to fight to make our marriage work.
In the end, I just had my career and the opportunities that lay ahead.
I went back to my room and phoned Malcolm, giving him a full update on the presentation and everything Grant had told me.
“Now we wait,” he said.
“Now we wait,” I repeated.
I hung up and went to shower off my day. I ordered room service and waited for Grant’s email to pop up.
It can only get better, right?
What would you have done?