His Only Obsession

As soon as Meira opened the door and walked into the house with her twins, a sense of unease washed over her. It was nine p.m., and the house was unusually quiet. Normally, her husband Richard would be home by now, watching the news or football. But tonight, there was no sign of him.

"Mommy... Where’s daddy?" Gabriella, her daughter, voiced the question that was already lingering in her mind.

"Maybe daddy's working late today," Meira replied, trying to reassure her daughter. "Why don’t you two go to your rooms and freshen up? I’ll get dinner ready."

"Okay!" they chimed in unison before heading off.

Meira carried her bag to the kitchen, placing it on the table, and began preparing dinner. Thoughts of Richard lingered in the back of her mind. If he was going to be late, he would have called her. But since he hadn't, she resisted the urge to call him, assuming he would reach out soon.

After dinner with the twins, she helped them with their homework and sent them to bed. At seven years old, they didn’t need bedtime stories anymore.

By midnight, Meira sat up in bed, a gnawing worry growing in her chest. She picked up her phone and dialed Richard’s number, holding it to her ear.

"Hello?" a voice she didn’t recognize answered.

"Hello? Who is this, please?"

"My name is Julius. I found this phone on the ground... I think the owner lost it. Who are you?"

"My name is Meira, and the owner of the phone is my husband. Where did you find the phone, and when?"

“I found it under a tree in front of the Catholic church on Daniel Carter Road, around noon today,” Julius replied.

"Daniel Carter Road?" Meira frowned, confused. What was Richard doing in her best friend’s neighborhood at noon when he was supposed to be at work? "Um... I’d really appreciate it if we could meet, sir. I’ll even pay you to return the phone."

“There’s no need, ma'am. I work at Emerson Cruz Group of Companies. You can find me there—just ask for Julius Wilson.”

Meira’s pulse quickened. “You must know Richard Gilbert then, right? He works there too.”

“Gilbert? Yeah, I know him, but… he got fired last week.”

"What? Are you sure? He’s been leaving for work every morning." Meira’s voice trembled with disbelief. "He’s Mr. Cruz’s assistant."

“I’m not sure what happened, but all I know is when I got to work on Monday, his secretary said the boss was furious about something and fired Richard.”

Meira felt her heart race as she placed a hand on her chest, trying to steady her breath. Richard had lost his job and hadn’t even told her. And now, he was missing.

“I’ll meet you tomorrow. Thank you,” she said before hanging up. Instinctively, she dialed her best friend’s number, but it went straight to voicemail. The sudden dead end made her frown. Something wasn’t right, and she was determined to figure it out.

The next morning, Meira went through the motions of preparing breakfast for the twins, packing their lunches with robotic efficiency. Her mind was elsewhere as they all got ready and headed out the door.

"Mommy, did Daddy come home last night?" Gabriel asked as they walked toward the cab.

“He didn’t,” Meira said, forcing calm into her voice. "I think he went on a trip with his boss or something."

“Or something,” Ella snorted, breaking into laughter.

Meira smiled weakly and gently tweaked her daughter's nose, eliciting a giggle. "You naughty girl."

As they climbed into the cab, Ella piped up, "Mommy, when are you going to buy a car? Didn’t Daddy promise you one for your birthday?" She turned to the cab driver. "Fountain Valley International School, please."

"Which is today," Gabriel added, grinning. "Happy birthday, Mom." He leaned in to hug her.

“Happy birthday, Momma!” Ella echoed, wrapping her arms around Meira. “Long life and prosperity!”

“Thank you, my loves,” Meira whispered, holding back her tears as she kissed their cheeks.

When they arrived at school, the twins kissed their mother goodbye, then hopped out of the cab, waving at her as they rushed off with the other children.

"Take me to Emerson Cruz Group of Companies, please," Meira instructed the driver. She was supposed to be heading to Fountain Valley High School, where she taught, but this matter felt far more urgent. She hoped the principal would understand.

Almost two hours later, Meira stepped out of the cab, paid the driver, and watched as he drove away. She took a deep breath and walked up the steps of the building, heading straight for the reception desk, where she spotted Janet—another friend she had met through Richard.

"Hey, girlie!" Janet greeted her with a smile.

"Hey, Jane," Meira replied, her expression somber. "Have you seen Richard this morning?"

"Richard? He hasn’t been to work since last week. He’s not home?"

Meira shrugged. "He didn’t come home last night."

"Did you call him to find out where he is?"

"He lost his phone," Meira explained. "Actually, I’m here to see someone else. Do you know Julius Wilson?"

"Yeah, he’s the head of the IT department. Why?" Janet frowned.

"He found Richard’s phone. Told me he picked it up."

"I see. Just take the elevator to the tenth floor and ask for Julius Wilson."

"Thanks," Meira said with a small smile before heading to the elevator.

Lost in thought, she didn’t notice someone else had entered the elevator with her until the doors closed.

"Isn’t it a bit early to be daydreaming, Meira Gilbert?" a deep, smooth voice broke through her thoughts as the elevator began its ascent.

Meira gasped, turning toward the voice. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was. Raine Emerson Cruz—the big boss.

"Good morning, sir," Meira greeted, feeling flustered. "I didn’t notice you. I’m sorry."

"It’s fine," Raine said with a hint of amusement. "But really, it’s a bit early."

"I wasn’t daydreaming," Meira objected. "I was... thinking."

"About what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Meira sighed, her worry spilling over. "Richard didn’t come home last night."

"And you’re worried... why?" Raine's tone was flat, almost disinterested.

Meira stared at him, stunned. "He’s my husband. Of course I’m worried."

"You married the wrong guy."

"Excuse me?" Meira snapped, bristling. "Who are you to tell me I made a mistake marrying Richard? You don’t know anything about me."

"I know enough to say you made a big mistake marrying someone like him," Raine replied calmly.

"As I said," Meira retorted, her voice sharp, "you don’t know anything about me."

Raine flashed her a secretive smile and shrugged nonchalantly, as if to agree with her.

“Can I ask you a question?” Meira ventured.

“No,” he replied flatly.

“Why did you fire Richard? He’s worked for you for years, and you told me he was a good employee,” Meira pressed, her tone accusatory.

“He was, until he got greedy,” Raine said coldly. “He decided what I paid him wasn’t enough and stole from me.”

“What?” she rasped in disbelief. “What are you talking about?”

Raine ignored her question. “Why are you really here, Meira? To see your husband?” He glanced at her. “You’re in the wrong place.”

The elevator stopped on the twentieth floor, and as the doors slid open, he stepped out.

Meira hurried after him, ignoring the secretary’s voice calling her back as she followed him into his office, the door closing behind them.

“Get out,” Raine commanded, his tone icy.

“I’m not leaving until I get answers,” she retorted defiantly. “What did you mean earlier?”

Raine dropped his briefcase onto his desk, casually turned on the TV in the corner, and began setting up his laptop. He completely ignored her presence until he pressed a button on the intercom. “Brenda, come in.”

Moments later, Brenda entered, casting Meira a glance before turning her attention to Raine.

“Yes, sir?”

“Escort her out,” Raine ordered without looking up.

“Mr. Cruz—" Meira began, her voice shaking slightly. "I’m sorry.”

“Do you want to lose your job, Brenda?” Raine cut her off. “I said to escort her out.”

Brenda sighed and took hold of Meira’s arm, guiding her firmly toward the door. “I’m sorry, but I can’t lose my job because of you. Please, just leave.”

Meira glanced back at the closed office door, letting out a frustrated sigh. She had always known Raine could be cold, but she wasn’t giving up. He was the only one who could tell her what had happened to Richard.

“Tell your boss that I’ll see him when he least expects it,” Meira told Brenda firmly. “And he’s going to tell me what I want to know. Make sure he gets that message.”

Brenda simply waved her away. “Just go.”

Meira walked to the elevator, pressed the button, and stepped inside when the doors opened. She pressed the button for the tenth floor as the doors closed.

“I’ll be back, Raine Cruz,” she whispered to herself as the elevator began to descend. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

Meanwhile, back in his office, Raine leaned back in his chair and asked Brenda, “Is she gone?”

“Yes, sir,” Brenda nodded. “But she left a message.”

"Oh?" Raine raised an eyebrow, his voice dry. "And what was it?"

“She said you’ll see her when you least expect it, and you’ll have to tell her what she wants to know,” Brenda relayed, pulling a face.

Raine scoffed. “We’ll see who’ll be surprised,” he muttered. Then, shifting gears, he asked, “What’s my itinerary for today?”