Billionaire's Regret

I was missing my husband of two and half years, Henry, after he had been away for four days in Washington for a business conference. So I decided to give him a surprise visit on Thursday, the fifth day. I swapped duties with a colleague at the hospital and took a flight to Washington.

I had to lie to the front desk staff that it was my husband's birthday and I wanted to surprise him. She asked for anything to prove that I was his wife. I pulled out my phone and showed her several pictures. The look on her face told me she didn't buy my birthday story.

“I'm only giving you the key because I recognize your face from last year's conference.” She said and brought out an envelope from a drawer. “You were together last year.”

“Yes, yes,” I nodded, happy that she at least believed I'm his wife.

But she slid the envelope to me, “room 403, sixth floor. Have a nice stay, Mrs. Scott.”

I thanked her profusely and headed to the elevator, which carried me to the sixth floor. My mind thudding in my chest and a lustful smile curved the corners of my mouth in anticipation of a wild night with Henry as I walked down the long hotel corridor. I was so sure Henry was going to be pleasantly surprised and happy to see me. I stood in front of his room and slotted the card in. The card key clicked into the lock with a gentle click, and the door swung open.

But the surprise was actually on me because what I saw made my heartbeat stop for a moment. Henry was not the only one in the room. He was sprawled on the plush rug in the middle of the room naked and there was a naked woman on the floor with him. His hand was on her breast.

“Henry!” I wailed gently.

It was only then he noticed someone had come in. He gave me a startled look and removed his hand from the lady's breast.

“Kathy? What are you doing here?” He asked and sat upright on the rug.

“Henry?” I called out again, more forcefully this time.

“Kathy.” Henry called back and stood up to wear his discarded boxer shorts. The woman, whom I did not recognize, stood up too and quickly got dressed. She gave me a long, haughty look and walked to the door.

I turned my gaze back to my husband. I had no business with her, anyway.

“How long has this been going on? Is she better in bed than I am?” I asked Henry in a pain stricken voice. If anyone had told me Henry was seeing another woman, I would have argued.

“Tell me Henry.”

“What difference will telling you about all of that make, Kathy?” He said crisply, studying her eyes.

“How could you, Henry?” I stuttered. “I flew all the way down here to spend time with you…And this is what I see.”

“You shouldn't have come,” Henry retorted, running his hand through his hair without remorse. “I never wanted for you to find out like this. I was hoping to come out clean to you after the conference, Kathy.”

“No wonder you won't allow me to come here with you this year…I am your wife…Henry, I can pay you a visit anytime I wish.” I spat back at him angrily, tears gathering up in my eyes. “How could you betray me like this? Who is she?”

He said nothing, but the look he gave me left my stomach churning.

“I can't believe I have been a fool,” I mumbled through my tears. “I don't deserve this.” I whimpered through tears. “I don't deserve this type of treatment from you, Henry Scott.”

“Don't cry, Kathy,” he finally said in a soft voice and went to the wardrobe to retrieve his clothes and get dressed up.

“I will call room service. What would you like for dinner? You will stay the night and return home in the morning. We'll talk when I come back.”

“I don't need food, Henry,” I told him angrily. “You can continue the night with your whore, you cheating bastard.”

He was speechless. He looked at me with his mouth opened as I picked up my bag and my suitcase from the floor. I didn't want to be near him any longer and rushed out of the room, slamming the door behind me with the fury burning in me.

I didn't have any choice but to return to the front desk staff.

“Mrs. Scott, is everything okay?” She asked, obviously shocked to see me return with my bags so fast.

“Everything is fine,” I told her and ask if the hotel had an airport shuttle. She looked at me and gave me a knowing look. But I was so grateful that she didn't inquire why I was leaving so soon.

She said they had, and I booked one right away. My driver came in ten minutes later and took me to the airport.

Hot tears dripped down my cheeks as I sat down at the airport, waiting for the day to break so I could board the first flight back to Dallas. I had never been so distraught in my entire life like I was at that moment. What made it so painful was that Henry didn't even show any remorse.

He didn't even run after me or anything. That told me one thing: he didn't love me anymore. He only wanted his new woman. I knew at that moment that he didn't love me anymore.

I rummaged in my bag and brought out my phone to call my dad and told him what had just happened to me. But I thought about it, deciding not to. Knowing who my daddy was, a chronic womanizer, I might not find the solace I wanted from him. It was moments like this that I regretted not having friends.

I have never been a friend-girl, any man I am with has always been the only friends I kept. I rubbed my eyes and dropped the phone back into my bag. I had to wait in the airport lobby for the next eight hours for the first flight to Dallas the next morning.