WEB OF DECEIT

"Do you take Mr. Brian Martin to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Brenna searched through the eyes of the man she had finally decided to call her own. After several months of hanging out, she needed no soothsayer to tell her where her heart belonged; it was almost as though it had been written in the stars.

"Yes I do." Breanna had pronounced on that faithful day. It still felt like yesterday, the memories rushing through her head, still fresh like she ever wanted it to be.

Few months after her wedding, things hadn't been quite the same as they used to be. Brian, her beloved husband, whom she had shown affection had been acting strange since they got married.

What was far more intriguing was the blistering connection she was seeing between Brian and her mother.

Brenna reminisced over a particular moment in her honey moon, where she had found her mom ringing Brian, while he was in the bathroom.

At first it looked awkward, but she simply waved it as a mother in-law, checking up on them.

However, it never ended there.

These past weeks, Brian rarely stayed at home. While he had been hiding under the guise of working, Brenna couldn't help but think there is something going on somewhere, even if she couldn't place a finger to it. Her intrusive thoughts would be halted, by the sound of the doorbell.

Getting up to her feet, she moved towards the door, checking through the peephole that had been placed on the front door. It was a familiar face and more than ever, Brenna needed that comfort and upliftment of mood.

"Girl! Where in the world did you keep your phone?" It was Amelia, her beloved friend and the only one, who seemed humane enough to check up on her.

"Probably left it in silent mode here." Brenna stated, fully exasperated, as she slumped to the couch. For a few second there was silence and when Brenna would bring head to look at Amelia, she half-yelled.

"Amelia! I told you, stop staring at me like that." Brenna explained, holding her chest and trying to maintain her breathing pattern.

"I was observing you. Everything don't seem quite well with you dear friend. What's the matter?" Amelia questioned, as she dropped her phone to the other side of the couch and crossed her legs together, placing her focus on Brenna.

"What does your time say?" Brenna questioned, as she watched Amelia check her wrist watch for a second.

"Uhm, a quarter to seven?" Amelia replied, still yet to comprehend where Amelia was heading with the whole statement.

"Brian hasn't been home since the dawn of the day." Brenna explained, trying to get a grip of herself before letting her emotions overwhelm her existence. "He has consistently been following up this act for a whole month now." She added further.

"Listen Brenna, when it comes to men, they always tend to show that they are the head of the family and their decision shouldn't be questioned. How many times have you bothered asking him about his weird movements?" Brenna thought through Amelia's question for a moment. She seldomly questioned his movement as she knew what the reply would always look like.

"Business. That is always the answer they give to these sort of questions. Women like you and I who are fully emotional enough to support their husbands because we love them tends to be heart broken when they do things like this..." Amelia moved closer to her friend, grabbing her hands.

"Do you think Brian is cheating on you?" Brenna let loose of her hands, shaking her head aggressively. She refused to believe the words Amelia had told her. She had been with Brian for years before their marriage. She could have easily seen or heard information about his sex escapades, but he never had one.

"Brian is not that type of guy. I wouldn't have married him if I had the silghtest doubt about him being an epitome of infidelity." Suddenly, she felt a beep on her phone. It was from Brian and it happened to be a text message.

"Is this what he is going to say after keeping me waiting for him all day?" Brenna questioned, after going through the message from her device.

"What is it?" Amelia asked as she noticed a sudden change of mood on her friend's face.

"Brian just texted, he said he wouldn't be coming home for the night. Apparently he is leaving for Paris this moment." Amelia was livid and speechless. While she was aware she needed to console her friend, she couldn't help but be amazed by Brian's stupidity.

"Tell you something girl. You don't have to be weakened by this text message. Today is Friday and E-lounge's party is every Friday. Let's try and catch up like good old days." Brenna thought about it for a moment. E-lounge was where she had met with Brian in the first place and she wondered if that place would bring back memories.

"You know what? I really might need some drink to calm my nerves." She reconsidered, while Amelia clapped her hands in excitement. Brenna got up from the couch and head over to the room. She checked through her wardrobe, thinking of what to wear.

She needed to remind herself that she was married at the moment and there was no way she would be giving any room for a man to approach her. Thus she decided to make do of something really simple.

While testing her clothes on, Brenna felt her phone buzzing again and this time, it was a call from an anonymous caller.

"Hello Brenna." The voice sounded firm and this sparked Brenna's suspicion a little bit high.

"Who is this?" Brenna requested, trying to get one half of her foot unto her tight fitted jean, while her shoulders supported the phone to her ears.

"You don't want to know. However, I have a piece of advice for you sweetheart. It would be highly risk if you place all your eggs in one basket." Brenna couldn't grasp the meaning of the parable as the phone call ended. She believed fully well the caller was drunk.

When they arrived at the E-Lounge, Brenna couldn't help but become uneasy due to the preying perverted eyes that fixed their gazes on her. She was almost propelled to ask Amelia if she had dressed in a very seductive way. When they arrive at a section of the big hall, a table reserved for two was what they had picked.

The music was loud that the duo could barely hear their own voices, however they still made it a point to talk about everything happening within their environment. Brenna and Amelia were chatting away regardless, their voices were almost drowned by the heavy music being played by the live band. The bass from the music made the floor of the lounge vibrate, sending waves of excitement through the atmosphere.

Suddenly, a very tall, dark man, dressed in a white shirt, black trouser and a pair of black loafers walked up to them. He looked suave and elegant in his outfit. Brenna noticed the look of admiration on the face of Amelia as the man kept smiling at them, without say a word. She was well aware of her friend's promiscuous behavior, but believed she ought to change, considering she was fully married at this point.

"Good evening ladies, would you mind if I asked you for a dance?" He asked Brenna, while gesturing towards the dance floor. Brenna glanced at him, then looked at Amelia, who gave her a reassuring nod. She rose from her seat and followed the man to the dance floor. The tall man gently held her hands, while his other hand was rested on her waist. He began to move his body to the beat of the music, while Brenna followed suit.

It was almost as though the music was meant for the both of them, slow and sensual and the lights further made the moment perfect.

The way he caressed her hips sent waves of ecstasy to her, but Brenna knew better than anyone, but to control herself. She needed to remind herself that she was married and she ought to stop any form of infidelity.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see Amelia was busy watching them, with a huge smile on her face. Amelia seemed to be the number one orchestrator of this moment and she hated the fact that she didn't want to look rude to the young man as much as possible.

"I have to say, you're quite the dancer. The moment I stepped into this hall and laid eyes on you, I could have sworn I saw an angel seating right at that corner." His voice was deep and drawing, as he spoke into Brenna's ears gently. " But there's something else about you that draws me to you. I find you very beautiful and charming. Would you like to hang out sometime?" The stranger asked, with a soft tone in his voice.

Brenna couldn't believe it. Here she was dancing with a total stranger, who had picked interest in her. She hated to be in such situation. If it weren't for her marriage, she would have accepted the proposal, but more than ever, she needed to keep to her vows.

"I appreciate the compliment, but I'm afraid I'm not interested. Thank you for the dance though." Brenna said, in a polite tone. She felt like she had to be firm in her rejection, so he wouldn't be confused about her intentions, like several other gentle men would be. The man gave her a gentle smile, which conveyed that he understood her rejection. Brenna motioned back to her seat, never looking back at the man, who she had just danced with. She didn't even asked for his name, she had thought.

As Brenna was returning to the table to join her friend, she caught sight of a tall, light skinned man walking out of the lounge. She could barely see his face, but the outline of his build and the way he moved made her think it was her husband. However, she couldn't be sure about it.

"Girl, you are one of the lucky people I ever know.." Amelia stated as Brenna's eyes were still on the direction the mysterious man, she assumed was her husband had followed. "I was hoping you would atleast take him for the night." Amelia further added, but regretted instantly, as Brenna gave her a scornful look.

Brenna's thoughts were troubled; could it be her husband had been lying to her? She didn't want to think Brian would do such a thing, but regardless, she needed to find out.

"Give me a second please." She revealed to Amelia, who looked slightly puzzled. Brenna grabbed her handbag and headed to the car park, while glancing behind her to see if she could get another glimpse of the man. He was gone.

She looked around the car park, trying to catch a glimpse of the mysterious man, but there was no sign of him. A glint of light from a car's headlights caught her eye, and she noticed it was a familiar vehicle. She was now certain it was her husband's car. She walked faster, to catch up to the car, which had started moving. Brenna made a dash towards her car and started it, in pursuit of the mysterious vehicle.

The car was driving slowly, which gave her a chance to catch up. She kept her distance, so the occupants wouldn't notice they were being followed.

Her heart was beating fast, as her thoughts started racing. She was now sure that her husband was in the car and he had brought another woman. All the while Brian had been lying about being busy, it was fully obvious that he had been cheating on her. This revelation stung her, like a thousand bees had attacked her. It was a betrayal that felt even more painful than she had imagined. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, as anger boiled up within her. She made up her mind to confront her husband.

Brenna was even more surprised, when the car drove towards a familiar territory. Brenna's curiosity at this point was raised higher. Apparently, this was the property her mother had acquired months ago, as part of her dream to invest into real estate. The question what Brian would be looking for at this place in such an hour, was one she was about to find an answer to.

She stopped her car a distant block away from her husband's own, as she could properly have a full view of what was going on. She watched Brian get out of his car and rush over to the other side and open the door for a woman. Brenna was shocked to see her mother get out of the other side of the car. What was Brian doing with her own mother?

Once she was certain they were inside, Brenna hopped out of her car, grabbing her phone and navigating her way towards the mansion. The door had been left slightly ajar and Brenna stepped right inside.

There was no sign of anyone, but Brenna guessed that they would be inside. She slowly walked up to the rooms, where her ears picked up strange noise. Brenna didn't want to believe her ears. As she slowly walked towards the direction of the noise, her heart beat increased.

The moment Brenna pulled the handle of the door opened, she dropped her phone to the floor as she gasped in disbelief at the sight before her.

Anger, hurt and sadness engulfed Brenna. How could her mother betray her like this? How could she be involved with her own husband? A rush of emotions and questions flooded her mind, making it difficult to comprehend everything.

Staring in front of her was Brian on top of her beloved mother, with a look of shock on his face, while her mother didn't looked bothered or even flinched at the slightest. Words failed her as she tried to say something, all that she felt at that moment was tears flowing down her cheeks.

Instinctively, she left the room and hurriedly drop down the stairs, while the memories of the despicable picture she had just seen, kept playing in her head.

As she left the mansion, tears streamed down her face and her body trembled. The feeling of betrayal was overwhelming. She had said her marital vows to the one man she had hoped wsbe would love and cherish. Brian meant the whole world to her and never did she thought she would ever catch him in an infidel act. She got into her car and began driving home, crying as she pressed the pedal harder. One part of her wanted to end everything, but her logical side was quick to come in and remind her that Brian was not worth it.

The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to confront her mother. But could she even face her mother after what she had seen? She wondered if her mother was contented with the fact that she was fully heart broken.

As Brenna made a turn down the a remote path, which leads to her luxurious home; the marital abode she had shared with Brian all this while, her phone began to ring. At first she was hesitant, believing it was Brian, but she eventually picked up and Amelia was on the line.

"You should always learn to tell someone when you are leaving the party..." Amelia spoke out the moment, she picked up. Brenna couldn't say a word as she continued sobbing and fighting very hard not to be heard from the background. "Brenna are you okay? What's wrong? Why are you crying?" Amelia had noticed everything and curiosity immediately set in.

"I caught Brian cheating with my mom..." Brenna still didn't want to find it easy to believe that the words that had just escaped from her mouth were reality.

"What? Are you serious, Brenna?" Amelia's voice came out in a rush of shock and disbelief. "That's impossible. I mean, this is your mother we're talking about." Brenna could feel the shock from Amelia's voice.

Brenna's sobs became more pronounced as she answered. "I know, Amelia. I can't believe it either, but I saw it with my own eyes. They were in bed together." One hand placed on the wheels, she used the other hand to wipe out the tears that were threatening to blind her vision.

"Oh my God! This is awful!" Amelia's tone was sympathetic and caring. "I'm on my way to your place, okay? I'll be there in ten minutes." There was shuffling at the background, before Amelia would eventually hung up.

As Brenna drove home, she started to replay her memories of the past few months. Things that she hadn't noticed before began to stand out. The time when Brian had started coming home late from work, claiming to be working on a big project. Or the times when he would leave for work early in the morning without even kissing her goodbye. The excuses he had given her about not being able to spend time with her, saying he was too busy. It all started to make sense now.

She knew she should have seen the signs, but she had trusted him and believed him when he said he was just busy. Suddenly, a silent voice in her head replayed the words from the annonymous caller, who had contacted her earlier that evening; 'It would be highly risk if you place all your eggs in one basket' That was exactly what she had done with Brian, by simply placing her trust on the man she claimed to have loved.

The moment Brenna arrived at her apartment, she was surprised to see Amelia already waiting for her. How Amelia had arrived so quick was a thing of mystery, but it was not fully part of what she was thinking through at that moment.

Once Brenna got out of her car, Amelia held her tightly, letting her cry and vent all her anger and hurt. She rubbed her back soothingly and whispered comforting words. "You don't deserve this, Brenna. I'm so sorry you had to go through this." Her words were soothing at that point.

Brenna looked up at her, tears streaming down her face. "It's just so hard to believe. How could my own mother do this to me?" She thought out loud.

"I know it's difficult to understand, but maybe there's more to the story. Maybe we shouldn't jump to conclusions." Amelia spoke softly. "Let's try to stay calm and figure this out." Amelia still didn't wanted to believe the entire tale.

Suddenly, the sound of a car pulling up to the curb outside the apartment caused Brenna to look up. Her heart was pounding as she saw Brian getting out of the car. He looked directly at her, and their eyes met. The hurt and betrayal in her eyes was evident. While Brenna eyes held so much pain, she noticed the different sort of emotion with Brian; there was something else there, too. Regret? Remorse? Brenna wasn't sure.

Amelia's arm was still around her shoulder, and she could feel the tension in the air. She wasn't sure what to do, or what to say. All she knew was that this was the moment of truth.

"I can't believe you." Brenna's voice was shaking with emotion as she looked at him. "How could you do this to me? How could you betray me like this?" She asked letting herself loose from Amelia's arms, while she slowly walked to confront Brian.

"I'm so sorry, Brenna." Brian's voice was pleading, and there was a look of desperation on his face. "I know I've hurt you, and I will never forgive myself for that. But please, I just want you to know that I love...." Brian couldn't complete his statement, as he felt a strong pain on his chin.

He looked up and saw the Brenna's eyes blazing red and the reality of what had just happened struck him; the ever loving Brenna had simply slapped him hard on the cheeks.