Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan) novel Chapter 2

The images of my husband, Jaylan, and Zora, our housekeeper, kept flashing before my eyes. I was trying to confirm my suspicions, while my heart was screaming denial.

It's impossible! Jaylan loved me. From the moment we met, fell in love, and started our family together, raising our three adorable kids, he has always been nothing but loving and attentive.

He couldn't possibly have done this to me.

But then, Zora... I had no reason to suspect her. We didn't know each other before she started working for us, and she was paid well above average for her excellent work as a housekeeper. She was two years older than me, always neat and efficient.

When I first brought her home, Jaylan seemed a bit wary, whispering, "Isn't she a bit young? Can we trust her?"

"Aren't younger people supposed to be efficient? And she's easy on the eyes. Plus, she's a top-notch housekeeper, very qualified! You're being too picky," I had teased him, adding, "She is such a hottie and if anyone should be worried, it should be me!"

He had playfully pinched my cheek and drawled, "What are you thinking? Don't take nonsense!" before pulling me into his arms, murmuring with a sigh, "Okay, if you're happy, I have no objection. As long as she does her job well and doesn't quit after a few months. That would be a real headache."

And Zora has proven herself indeed – it's been almost eight years now. We've always gotten along well, treating each other like sisters. It was impossible that she'd drug me.

And yet, if Zora was responsible, Jaylan would surely have noticed something was off about me after I'd taken the drug. He wouldn't just...

I couldn't bear to think about it.

I was wide awake that night, a stark contrast to my usual drowsy state. Was it because I hadn't drunk the drugged medicine, or was it due to my heightened state of fear? Either way, the long, terrifying night was filled with dread and confusion.

Fear kept my eyes wide open. It was an endless night. But what chilled me to the bone was the harsh reality that no one seemed to notice my state. Nobody cared to ask if I had eaten. I had to face the painful truth that my prior existence had been a lonely one, living in my solitary bubble, with not a soul caring for me.

Jaylan, it seemed, did not care about me as deeply as he pretended. Just like tonight, the anticipated concern from my husband was noticeably absent. Had he grown accustomed to my frequent bouts of drowsiness?

As dawn broke, our cat, Milo, who had been slumped in my lap all night, began to stir. His eyes were groggy and he let out a couple of weak meows before stretching out and curling up again, still very much lethargic. His state was eerily similar to my usual wake-up state, which only deepened my suspicion.

I buried my face into Milo's soft fur, tears streaming silently down my cheeks. I didn't understand why this was happening, or who was doing this to me.

After a while, I cleaned my tears, steeled myself and decided that I couldn't just sit around waiting for something to happen. I needed to find out the truth.

I knew I had to be careful not to alert the perpetrator, so I decided to continue pretending to sleep. I needed to figure out who was drugging me and why.

I was hoping that it was Zora. Somehow, it would be easier to accept that way.

But reality slapped me in the face, hard and cruel. The truth was far more painful and brutal than I could have ever imagined.