Ellen stepped into her home, the silence greeting her like an old friend. The brunch had gone well—far better than she had anticipated.
She made her way upstairs, her footsteps soft on the carpeted stairs. When she reached her room, she let her bag fall onto the bed, the events of the day playing over in her mind. As she began to undress, ready to wash off the café smell and the light sweat from yoga, her thoughts were already back at the table with Clara.
Clara was a goldmine.
Ellen turned on the faucet, letting the warm water fill the sink as she splashed some on her face, the cool breeze keeping her wild mind in check.
Clara had been so friendly, so warm, more so than Ellen expected. The conversation had flowed easily, and before long, Clara had casually invited Ellen to come by her house sometime, saying they could have tea or just chat.
Ellen stared at her reflection in the mirror, the water dripping from her chin. That invitation had been a gift. If she could spend more time with Clara, get closer to her, the chances of her plan succeeding would only grow.
Ellen’s been through this in her head already. What would make Gerald stop his ridiculous plan to help Aubrey? The answer was clear—his parents. Whether it was his father or, more likely, his mother, someone needed to make him see that it was time to stop.
Gerald may be loyal to Aubrey now, but what if his mother got involved? What if Clara, of all people, started to see things from Ellen’s side? She knew how much influence parents could have, and if anyone could knock some sense into Gerald, it was likely his mother.
Ellen grabbed a towel, wiping her face gently as she thought about it further. Aubrey’s only real support is Gerald. Without him, what does she have other than her stubbornness?
Clara had always seemed reasonable. She adored Mason and was nice to Ellen. If Ellen could steer the conversation in the right way, subtly mentioning her own struggles, showing her vulnerability, maybe Clara would begin to see how wrong her son’s actions were.
Ellen then walked into the shower, her bare feet cool against the tiled floor. She turned on the water, letting the water run hot for a few moments before stepping in. As the water poured over her, her thoughts circled back to Clara.
There was no guarantee that Gerald would stop meddling if Clara found out what was really going on, but it was better than doing nothing.
Ellen ran her hands through her wet hair, the water soothing her tense muscles. After enjoying the warm spray for a few moments, she turned off the water, stepped out of the shower, and felt refreshed.
Ellen dried off and had just finished changing into a soft pair of sweatpants and a loose t-shirt when her phone suddenly rang. She froze for a second, then hurriedly grabbed it from the nightstand. The screen lit up with the name "Husband."
Mason? Her eyes widened in surprise. Mason is calling me? This was the first time. Not wanting to miss it, Ellen quickly answered the call, bringing the phone to her ear.
"Hello?" she greeted, feeling a little anxious since he hadn’t mentioned his jealousy again, almost acting like it never happened.
Mason didn’t even greet her. "I’ll be home late tonight. Don’t wait up for dinner," he informed.
Ellen blinked, adjusting the phone against her ear. "Why? Do you have a meeting or something?" She glanced at the clock, wondering how late he meant. "How late are we talking?"
"It’s one of the manager’s bachelor parties," he explained, sounding less than thrilled.
"Oh..." Ellen replied, a little taken aback. She sat on the edge of the bed, trying to process it. "Okay... Just, um, don’t drink too much, alright?" she asked with a hint of concern.
"No promises."
Ellen’s brow furrowed. "Mason..." she grumbled, half playful, half serious. Then a thought crossed her mind. Wait... bachelor party?
"But... there won’t be women, right?" she asked quickly, biting her lip. She could already feel a knot forming in her stomach. "I mean, like strippers or something?"
She waited for his response, heart beating a little faster than it should. For some reason, the idea of Mason being surrounded by that kind of scene made her uneasy. She could almost hear the smirk in Mason’s voice when he answered.
"I don’t know. I guess I’ll find out when I get there," he repllied, and she swore she heard a soft chuckle, like he was amused by her concern.
Her lips pressed together in a pout, feeling a wave of frustration bubbling inside her. "Mason!" she shouted, trying to be serious but not quite pulling it off. She knew he was teasing her, and it only made her feel more flustered. "If there are... just... don’t look at them, okay? Close your eyes or something! Cover your face! Look at something else!"
Mason’s voice was lighter now, always ready to tease. "And what exactly should I look at, Ellen?"
Ellen bit her lip, her mind racing. What could he look at? And then, without thinking much, she acted. She quickly pulled the phone away from her ear, opened her camera, and squinted into the lens, pulling a slightly goofy face as if she were spying on someone. She snapped the picture, capturing her playful but serious expression, and sent it off to Mason before she could second-guess herself.
Bringing the phone back to her ear, she felt a small thrill of anticipation. "There," she said with a little proud. "Look at that photo. Look at my face and remember you have a wife waiting for you at home."
For a few seconds, there was nothing but silence on the other end. Ellen’s heart thumped a little harder as she waited for his reaction.
There was a moment of silence, and then Mason chuckled again, but it wasn’t his laugh that made her heart flutter.
It was what he said next. "I don’t think I could forget about it."