The Lies He Told | PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER ROMANCE |

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

I stood on the Romanised porch of the Cliff House, a stately vantage point overlooking the coastal landscape.

My gaze fixated on Hannah, clad in her whimsical pink and white candy-striped pyjamas, moving briskly toward the house with an air of youthful mischief.

Her feet were snugly ensconced in the world's fluffiest slippers, resembling vibrant pink bear paws.

She cradled a bottle of wine in one hand and, in the other, a nondescript brown bag, concealing her preferred gourmet delights.

As Hannah drew closer to the front door, I noticed Keith's sleek, obsidian-hued automobile resting in the driveway, its engine humming with restrained power.

He sat in the driver's seat, shrouded behind dark sunglasses, rendering his gaze inscrutable.

Yet, the delineation of his posture and the inauspicious air around him made it clear that his stare bored into the back of Hannah's head with a tiger-like fierceness that went beyond mere observation.

The sequence of events that led to this evening's shenanigans was set into motion by a random phone call from Keith himself. He had informed me that his wife, Hannah, would join me for a "girly night"—a proposition orchestrated by my husband.

Daniel, who had remained unresponsive since our recent argument, had negotiated persuasively with Keith, convincing him of the importance of maintaining a strong bond between two good friends.

Our agenda was carefully curated:

• A selection of delectable food

• An assortment of wines

• Fruit-scented facial masks

• A cinematic repertoire

I even fixed a makeshift bed in the living room and prepared watermelon and Prosecco-flavoured ice lollies, a personal favourite, in anticipation of our indulgences.

"I cannot believe this is actually happening." Hannah enveloped me in a warm embrace as the crinkling of the food bag punctuated her gesture. She pulled away slightly, looking at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You really do have a gold-encrusted vagina, Oli," she added, leaving me puzzled by her infelicitous comment. "Your husband can be very persuasive. I don't know how he managed to pull this off. I mean, Keith hates it when I stay out. He misses me too much."

I had to refrain from eye-rolling.

"I will call you later!" Hannah gave a cursory wave to her husband, Keith, whose stern countenance was momentarily softened—for the benefit of an audience. Once he had manoeuvred the car from the driveway like a pissed off race driver, her attention came back to me. "So, what's the plan?"

"Not out here," I replied, ushering her into the marble foyer and securing the door behind us. "For all intents and purposes, as far as our husbands are concerned, I am hosting a fun and harmless movie night. You are here for a good time."

Hannah followed me into the kitchen, her oversized slippers making a distinctive slap against the cool marble floor. "Why is Daniel staying in the city tonight, anyway?" Her overnight bag landed on the floor. "I thought he came home on Fridays."

"Mostly, yes," I replied, but my uncertainty about his whereabouts lingered. "But work occasionally keeps him in the city a bit longer." His schedule outside the office solely depended on his workload. I only know that he is not back until tomorrow afternoon because Keith mentioned it on the phone, which reminds me, I have an impending obligation with the in-laws on Sunday: a lunch date at the Lewis household. "He will be home tomorrow."