The sun had set hours ago, casting long shadows across the living room. Balloons and streamers hung limply from the ceiling, their once vibrant colors now dull in the dim light.
The remains of a birthday cake sat untouched on the table, the candles long since burned out.
It was Kendall, the only child in the family, second birthday, and the excitement that had filled the house earlier in the day had given way to a heavy silence.
Amanda checked her phone again, hoping for a message from her husband, James Watson. He had promised to be here, to make up for missing their daughter, Kendall's first birthday. But as the minutes ticked by, there was still no sign of him.
Disappointment settled in Amanda’s chest which worsened as she watched Kendall fight to keep her eyes open.
"Where's Daddy?" she asked, her voice small and fragile.
Amanda forced a smile, trying to hide her own worry. "He's just running late, sweetheart. He'll be here soon."
Kendall nodded, but Amanda could see the sadness in her eyes. It broke her heart to see her little daughter like this, to know that she felt let down by the one person who was supposed to always be there for her. Amanda pulled her into a tight hug, kissing the top of her head.
"Let's get you to bed, birthday girl," She whispered.
Kendall nodded again, her eyelids drooping with exhaustion.
Amanda scooped up Kendall’s sleepy form, her warm weight settling into her arms as she carried her to her room.
Her eyelids has closed, her soft breathing becoming a gentle hum in Amanda’s ears, and her tiny hand curled around her finger.
Back in the living room after tugging Kendall in, Amanda sank into the couch, her gaze fixed on the door. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.
James had never been this late before, although he’d missed important occasions but whenever he promised he would show up, he did show up and not only that, he knew how important it was for him to be here today.
As the minutes turned into hours, Amanda’s worry turned to fear. What if something had happened to him? What if he was in trouble and needed her help? She checked her phone again, but there were no messages, no missed calls.
It was almost 9 pm when she decided she had had enough. James had been due home five hours earlier and he was still nowhere to be found.
Amanda’s worry gnawed at her, and she knew she had to do something.
First, she called Jerry, James' friend, hoping he might have some information.
"Jerry," She said, trying to keep her voice steady,
“Have you heard from James? He should have been back by now."
"He got back this morning," Jerry replied, concern etched in his words. "Said he was going to the office for a bit."
Amanda’s heart thumped erratically, a mix of relief and frustration washing over her. "Why didn't he tell me?" she asked, her grip tightening on the phone.
"I'm sure he didn't mean to worry you," Jerry said. "You know how he gets caught up in his work."
Amanda thanked Jerry for the information and hung up, his words offering little comfort.
James' dedication to his work was admirable, but this was unlike him. As she grabbed a wine and a glass to keep waiting for an hour more before she did something, her phone buzzed in her hand.
An unknown number flashed on the screen. Hesitant with her heart pounding, she opened the message. There was a video attachment and a chilling message sent alongside it. With trembling fingers, she pressed play.
The scene unfolded in a dimly lit club, blue lights casting eerie shadows over the occupants.
A figure like that of James was there, stumbling and clearly intoxicated. He was surrounded by a group of blondes, their laughter ringing out over the music in the background.
Amanda felt as though the ground was crumbling beneath her as she watched the video over and over again.
For months, she had been receiving texts accusing James of cheating whenever he traveled and also hiding a dark secret she needed to know about. But she had refused to believe them.
She couldn't believe that the man she loved, the father of her child, would betray her like this. He would never do such a thing.
Although he never loved her when they got married, he changed when they had their first child, Kendall whom James loves so much. He has been trying his best to be the best husband and father even as he was always away on business trips.
Amanda sighed as she decided she had had enough of the unknown number sending her messages that could ruin her five-year old marriage.
The thought of believing anything that would lead to divorce sent a shiver down her spine, her heart racing with its potential consequences for Kendall.
So Amanda didn't want to believe the unknown number, the person in the video isn’t James, it might be someone else who takes a figure the same as his. He would never choose clubbing over his daughter’s birthday.
Clicking on the message to block the sender, before she could press the block button, another message arrived.
Her blood ran cold as she read the words attached to the message:
You have to believe me, Amanda. I am trying to save you. I thought you should have found out already since I have been giving you tips, if you ain't going to believe that James is cheating on you.
How about you find out how your parents die? Who ruined your family? Haven't you been wanting to know? Search your husband’s office in his company now he is away at the club, if you want to find out the truth.”
Amanda’s phone almost slipped from her hands which were already trembling, and she felt a wave of nausea wash over her.
“How did the unknown number know about her parents? Who was behind the unknown number?
Amanda wanted to inquire but she was too taken aback to do so as her mind was already filled with different thoughts.
“What is that? What is the message about?” she was conflicted as she tried so much not to think about it but her curiosity and the eagerness to check James’ office which the message had left her with was killing her. She wanted to trust her husband but she was troubled.
He had been helping her dig into how her parents died after they got a tip they were murdered by some unknown number which Amanda believes is the same number that has been bugging her.
James had ruled it out that he didn't find anything after a few investigations. Does it mean he lied?
Amanda knew she only had one way to find out now, this was her chance, she said to herself.
Checking on her daughter who was sound asleep, she kissed her forehead before heading out
