But among the photos was a card with a message that sent a chill down her spine: “Karma will show you the way.”
Her mother gasped in shock. “Jane, what is this? Is that Anthony?
Is he being blackmailed?”
Jane nodded silently, not knowing how else to explain this and feeling as if the ground had been pulled from under her feet. With trembling hands, she dialed Anthony’s number, needing to hear his voice. Ring… Ring… The phone seemed to echo through the room, each tone hammering her heart.
He never answered. “I know this hotel,” her mother affirmed. “They have the same lamp in each room.”
“Really?
Where?” Jane demanded, and her mother reluctantly told her the address. “I have to go. I’ll be back soon.”
“Be careful.”
With a nod, Jane hurried out, the photographs clutched in her hand like a lifeline to the truth.
She arrived at the hotel in record time. Her heart raced as she approached the reception desk. “Hi, I need to check on a guest, Anthony,” Jane asked, clearing her throat.
“His last name is Sanders.”
The receptionist, a young man with a polite smile, replied, “I’m sorry, ma’am, but we can’t disclose guest information. It’s against our hotel policy.”
Jane insisted, “Please, it’s really important. I believe he’s here, and it’s urgent that I see him.”
The receptionist’s expression remained sympathetic yet unyielding.
“I understand, but I really can’t help you.”
Jane turned away, not knowing what else to do. But just then, she overheard the receptionist call out to a hotel maid. “Karma, you’re needed in room 121 for cleaning.”
Jane froze.
Karma?
The card! Karma will show you the way. She turned and watched as the maid, a middle-aged woman with a kind face, acknowledged the instruction and turned her eyes to her for just a second.
In that fleeting moment, Jane understood – this was her lead. She followed her down the corridor, dreading each step, but she had to know the truth. As Karma entered room 121, Jane waited a few moments before gently trying the door.
To her surprise, it was unlocked. “Wow. You’re smart.
I didn’t know if you would get my message, but it worked,” a woman said, rising from the hotel bed. “Thanks, Karma. You can go.”
The maid passed by Jane, who was still confused at the entrance, and left them alone.
“You’re the woman in the photos,” Jane murmured. “Anya,” she introduced herself, resigned. “You’re Jane, correct?
I suppose it’s time you knew everything.”
Jane whispered, “How long? How long has this been going on?”
“Too long,” Anya replied. “But I only found out about you last week.
Can you believe he wanted to keep me as his mistress? That’s when I decided enough was enough. He had to be stopped.”
Before Jane could respond, a noise from the hallway caught their attention.
“Quick!
It’s him! Hide and record it,” Anya said, pushing Jane toward the bathroom just as the hotel room door opened. Anthony’s entrance was calm, as if he owned the place.
Anya greeted him with a feigned warmth that made Jane’s skin crawl even if she couldn’t see it. Once she was sure they were closer to the bed, Jane opened the bathroom door slightly, took out her phone, and started recording their conversation. Anthony’s words, his casual intimacy with Anya, cut through her like a knife.
It was all the confirmation she needed – the man she was about to marry was living a lie. Things were getting more heated, but Jane had enough – both in her soul and the video – and slipped away quickly. But instead of breaking down, she felt a piece of her old self fall away, leaving room for a new version to emerge.
Before Jane could respond, a noise from the hallway caught their attention. “Quick! It’s him!
Hide and record it,” Anya said, pushing Jane toward the bathroom just as the hotel room door opened. Anthony’s entrance was calm, as if he owned the place. Anya greeted him with a feigned warmth that made Jane’s skin crawl even if she couldn’t see it.
Once she was sure they were closer to the bed, Jane opened the bathroom door slightly, took out her phone, and started recording their conversation. Anthony’s words, his casual intimacy with Anya, cut through her like a knife. It was all the confirmation she needed – the man she was about to marry was living a lie.
Things were getting more heated, but Jane had enough – both in her soul and the video – and slipped away quickly. But instead of breaking down, she felt a piece of her old self fall away, leaving room for a new version to emerge. Anthony began to protest, “No, this is a misunderstanding,” but his words fell on deaf ears.
The crowd was in an uproar, but the noise was interrupted when a woman stood up. It was Mrs. Richards, Anthony’s potential business partner, the one who could put them on their way to “becoming millionaires.”
“Mr.
Sanders, I cannot work with someone who lacks integrity and loyalty,” she declared. “Our deal is off, and I will make sure everyone in our industry knows about this.”
“No!” Anthony bellowed, his hand rising to stop Mrs. Richards.
But she walked out, followed by a stream of grumbling guests. Jane’s mother tripped Anthony as he tried to chase after the important businesswoman. Jane looked down at him, wrinkling her upper lip and feeling slight satisfaction at his helpless expression.
She had to rub it in. “Karma did her job, Anthony,” Jane said.
With those final words, Jane walked away from the altar, her mother by her side. In the car, Jane’s mother asked, “What now?”
“Now, we go home, pack his things, throw them out, and move on,” Jane said, nodding triumphantly.
They stopped for dinner on the way. Jane felt lighter with each passing moment because she was no longer a people-pleaser but a woman who had faced deception and emerged stronger. Tell us what you think about this story, and share it with your friends.
It might inspire them and brighten their day.
