Chapter Three
The driver parked the Rolls Royce in the garden. Three of them rode in the same car. When they got to the seaport, a luxurious evening unfolded aboard a grand cruise ship beneath a canopy of twinkling stars. Isaac and Clara, radiating warmth and affection, sit at a candlelit table on the open deck. Clara, with her shimmering dress catching the soft glow of the deck lights, leans into her partner, their laughter and whispered words creating an air of intimacy. Isaac, casually handsome in a crisp shirt, gazes at her with a smile that speaks of unspoken love.
Across from them sits Jacqueline her best friend, dressed elegantly but with an understated air. She sips her cocktail, the icy condensation on the glass mirroring the sudden chill in her mood. Her eyes flicker between the couple and the sizzling steaks in front of them, the rich aroma of grilled perfection doing little to distract her. She watches the subtle touches, the shared smiles, and the seamless connection between her friend and her partner. A pang of envy begins to creep in, her longing not for the dinner or the luxury, but for the kind of bond the couple shares.
The ambient sound of waves gently lapping against the hull, coupled with the distant hum of the ship's engines, only amplifies her thoughts. She forces a smile, raising her glass in a toast, masking her emotions with practiced ease. The couple clinks their glasses with hers, their happiness an unspoken contrast to the quiet yearning in her heart.
"I'll go inside the suite and rest now you guys enjoy." She said making her way to the suite.
"Babe I need to get something inside the suite," Isaac said.
"Alright, don't keep me here waiting; I can't do without seeing you for a second."
"That's my girl." He said, kissed her forehead, and left.
Isaac didn't go to their suite, but he went to Jacqueline's suite. He pushed open the door.
"Did I scare you?" He asked.
"Why didn't you knock on the door before coming in what if I'm undressing."
"Sighed softly. It's not like this is the first time I've seen you undressed. Should I get rid of your nightgown?" He said, kissing her collarbone.
She didn't reject his offer, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed her thin lips vigorously. A few minutes passed, and Isaac had not returned yet; she decided to go and check on him; she checked their suite, but he was not there; she headed to Jacqueline's suite to ask her If she had seen Isaac.
She opened the door to Jacqueline's suite, and then, her eyes flickered. Tears rapidly streamed down her face, and a pang of shame stabbed at her, watching her best friend and the love of her life together on bed exchanging intimacies.
"Isaac....you! How could you do this to me? What are you two doing together in bed?"
Both of them stared at her without any sigh of remorsefulness.
"It's just like what you're seeing right now"
She moved closer to the bed, dragged the sheet off Jacqueline, exposing her nakedness, and grabbed her brown hair, hitting her head against the cluttered table beside the bed. Jacqueline stretches her hand, reaching for the wine. She holds it and hits Clara's head with the wine bottle, the glass shattering against Clara's head. The sharp crack echoed in the tense silence, and crimson blood began to seep, dripping onto the plush carpet and pooling under the shards of broken glass; Clara fainted. The room descended into chaos, the once romantic moments now marred by betrayal and violence.
"Oh my goodness, what have you done, Jacqueline."
"Is she dead?" She asked curiously in fear. "What are we going to do now?"
"I don't think she is dead yet. She probably fainted." He said. "I know what to do."
He carried her, heading to the edge of the ship. Jacqueline followed him, and Isaac pulled off his shirt soaked with blood and used it to clean the blood stains on his hand and neck. He folds the shirt and throws it into the sea. Jacqueline, standing at the edge of the ship, bitting her fingers, panicked about the situation.
"Please don't kill me, help me. I promise not to cause any trouble for both of you; I will forgive and pretend nothing happened here." Clara muttered in pain.
"So you're finally awake
"Isaac, let's throw her into the sea," She said nervously, rubbing her fingertips together.