Chapter 3 A Toast to Single Life

Roland's POV ​The mansion smelled of expensive perfume and cheap deceit. ​I traveled to Italy for a business trip, expecting Sheena, my fiancée, to be home. After I spoke to her hours earlier, I decided to surprise her by coming back a day early instead of tomorrow. I took the next flight immediately I was done with business. Sheena loved expensive bags and clothes, because of her job as an actress. I had shopped for her in Italy before driving straight to her residence. I parked outside, not wanting my car to prompt her that I was back. I walked quietly, and as I entered the hall, I heard the sound of voices moaning at the top of their lungs. I pushed the door open, and there they were-Sheena was naked and on top of a man, riding his d*ck like a horse. She froze and looked up. The man beneath her scrambled to pull up his pants, stammering apologies, but I didn't even hear them. ​I was angry, but I didn't scream. I didn't throw punches. I took the crystal vase and smashed it against the wall, shattering it into pieces. ​Get the hell out of my house. ​The man was shaking as he ran out, leaving Sheena and me with her using the duvet to cover her body. Sheena wept, calling my name, but her pathetic cry didn't move me. ​You're so shameless. A cheat, that's what you are. ​She tried to speak, but I didn't want to hear anything. You have twenty-four hours to vacate my house. It's over, Sheena. ​I drove to La Pella Hotel, one of the hotels we owned in the Spintex area, to drown the betrayal in heavy pours of whiskey. I sat alone in the room, staring through the glass window, swearing I would never let a woman ever get close to me again. ​A flashback of Sheena's betrayal flashed in my mind, and then the door opened. A young woman in her mid-twenties walked in, moving into my bed, looking completely disoriented and innocent. In my drunken state of heartbreak and anger, I mistook her for the ultimate betrayal, pulling her into a night that was supposed to ease the pain. I woke the next morning with a pounding headache and found her slapping my chest, yelling insults. The raw shock of seeing a stranger in my bed, coupled with blood on the sheets, reignited every ounce of anger in me. I looked at her with disgust. I assumed she was just another cheap woman who used my situation to trap me. I cursed her, called the hotel manager, and fired him. He knew I didn't allow anyone near my suite, but his carelessness had brought a stranger into my bed. I walked out and slammed the door behind me. Drove back to my house, got ready, and headed back to the office. I have better things to do than to think of Sheena. Sometimes I wonder what women really want. ​I am the heir to my family's businesses. We run hotels, Leslie Restaurant, oil and gas, and real estate. My woman wasn't supposed to lack anything, but I still got cheated on. ​I had a board meeting this morning. I prepared and walked into the glass-walled conference room where my partners were already waiting. We needed to finalize the blueprints and financial projections for our upcoming mega-mall project in Spintex Town. ​"Roland, the structural permits for the Spintex mall are cleared," Mark, our chief operations director, said, sliding a thick folder across the mahogany table. "Construction can start next quarter, but we need to sign off on the final contractor bids today." "Review the figures and make sure the budget doesn't exceed projections," I replied, leaning back in my leather chair, my mind still heavy and cold. "I want no delays on this project. Spintex is expanding fast, and this mall will dominate the retail space." ​ My partners nodded, diving into the architectural layouts and leasing estimates. After the meeting ended, I sat alone in my office, staring at my desk. That strange encounter from a month ago still lingered in the back of my mind. ​I picked up my desk phone, dialed the hotel number, and spoke to the new manager. ​Check the CCTV footage of a month ago, first Saturday in July. I want every footage sent to me immediately. ​Yes, sir, the manager replied nervously.

Two hours later, a message popped up on my phone with a video attached. ​I clicked play, watching the screen. It showed a young woman in a white lace dress walking down the hotel hallway together with two other girls. As the other two girls peeled off toward different rooms, it was clear what they were all doing-they had all gone looking for men to sleep with. My mood darkened instantly. ​Rage surged through me. So that girl wasn't innocent after all. She was just another easy woman out looking for a hookup, probably hoping to trap a man to sponsor her lifestyle. Girls like that would eventually come back with cheap blackmail. ​I slammed my fist hard against the mahogany table. That woman had messed with the wrong man. I was just waiting for her to show up and try to play her little game. ​My knuckles bled from the impact, but I ignored the pain. Work was over for the day. ​I called my friends Johnny and Darius, and we met up at the Onyx Lounge, knocking back heavy shots of brandy. ​"I slept with a total stranger, man," I growled, slumping against the booth. "All because of that cheating b*tch Sheena. I caught her red-handed riding some guy in our own bed." ​"So you paid Sheena back by f*ck*ng someone you didn't even know?" Johnny laughed, shaking his head. ​Darius grinned, teasing me. "A stranger is a stranger, man. But women are all cheats anyway." ​"Cheers to the single life," I muttered, raising my glass. "I'll never marry again. If I ever want a child, I'll just pay someone to be my surrogate." ​"So, how was the night with the stranger anyway?" Darius asked, leaning in. ​"Man, forget it. I don't even want to talk about it." We drank until I forgot I had to go home. My head pounded from the heavy alcohol, the dull ache matching the bitterness in my chest. Around us, the lounge speakers played a slow, crushing ballad-Morgan Wallen's "Sand in My Boots"-and we absentmindedly hummed along to the chorus as the alcohol blurred the edges of the night