Chapter 1: The Honeymoon Guest
My husband brought his secretary on our honeymoon, but he never imagined the surprise waiting for him when their plane landed in Hawaii.
The departure terminal at JFK was packed with travelers rushing toward their gates, the sound of rolling suitcases echoing across the polished floor.
I stood beside my new husband, Julian, at the check-in counter, my hand resting lightly on his arm.
We had been married for less than twenty-four hours, and this trip to Maui was supposed to mark the beginning of our life together.
Everything seemed perfect until the airline agent reached for our passports.
Julian suddenly cleared his throat and turned toward me with an uneasy expression.
“Clara...
there's something I need to tell you,” he said, avoiding my eyes while adjusting the sleeve of his expensive jacket.
“Sienna has an important business report that can't wait.
She's going to fly with us so we can get some work done during the trip.”
For a moment, I simply stared at him, wondering whether I'd heard correctly.
Before I could respond, I noticed a familiar woman moving through the crowd.
It was Sienna, Julian's secretary, pulling an expensive suitcase that looked almost identical to mine.
She wore a flowing white dress that seemed far too bridal for someone supposedly traveling for business.
Her impeccably styled hair and carefully chosen accessories made it obvious that she'd prepared for much more than a few business meetings.
“Oh, Clara,” she said with a rehearsed smile.
“I'm so sorry to interrupt your honeymoon.
I hope you don't mind.”
Her voice was sweet and apologetic, but the look in her eyes told an entirely different story.
She glanced at Julian with a familiarity that made my stomach tighten.
Meanwhile, my husband slipped his arm around my waist, silently warning me not to embarrass him in public.
So instead of arguing, I smiled.
“It's fine,” I answered softly.
“Business comes first, doesn't it?”
Relief instantly spread across Julian's face, as though he had just escaped a terrible confrontation.
Sienna looked equally pleased and eagerly handed her passport to the airline agent.
Neither of them seemed to notice that my smile had become a little too calm.
While they were distracted by the check-in process, I discreetly unlocked my phone inside my coat pocket.
There was one crucial detail Julian had apparently forgotten: every reservation for our honeymoon had been made through my personal account.
The flights, the luxury oceanfront suite, and the special arrangements for our arrival were all connected to me.
I opened the airline app and found our booking.
Without hesitating, I chose my own ticket and canceled only my seat.
A confirmation appeared on my screen, followed by a notification that my refund had been processed.
I slipped my phone away before either of them turned around.
My heart was racing, but my face remained perfectly composed.
I wasn't going to cry at the airport or beg my husband to choose me over his secretary.
As we approached the security checkpoint, I lightly touched Julian's arm.
“I need to stop by the restroom,” I told him.
“You two go ahead.
I'll catch up with you.”
Julian barely looked away from his conversation with Sienna.
He nodded, told me not to take too long, and continued walking beside her.
I stood there watching them disappear beyond security, noticing how comfortably they moved together.
Then I turned around and walked in the opposite direction.
I left the terminal, stepped outside into the chilly New York air, and called a taxi.
Instead of flying to paradise with my brand-new husband, I headed straight back to my apartment in Manhattan.
During the entire ride, my phone remained silent.
Meanwhile, Julian and Sienna boarded the flight to Maui, apparently convinced that I was somewhere on the same plane.
They settled into their seats, unaware that the woman they expected to accompany them had already left the airport.
Neither of them made any serious effort to find me.
Eleven hours later, their plane finally landed in Hawaii.
Julian made his way to the luxurious oceanfront hotel where our honeymoon suite had been reserved.
When he opened the door, he found a beautifully prepared room overlooking the sparkling blue water.
Everything looked exactly as promised, except for one unsettling detail.
I wasn't there.
There were no suitcases belonging to me, no clothes hanging in the closet, and no sign that his new wife had ever arrived.
Julian checked the bathroom and looked around the suite again, his confusion slowly turning into uneasiness.
He reached for his phone, perhaps expecting an explanation.
Just then, the screen lit up with a message from an unfamiliar number.
“Happy honeymoon, Julian.
I hope the trip is everything you imagined.
I've decided that sharing my honeymoon with your secretary wasn't included in my wedding vows.”
His expression hardened as he continued reading.
But the next line made his fingers freeze against the screen.
“There's one small detail I forgot to mention before your flight...”
And when Julian finally read the sentence that followed, every trace of color vanished from his face.
Because what I had quietly arranged before leaving JFK was something he had never believed I could do...
May you like
What did Clara arrange—and how will Julian react?
Comment “NEXT” for Part 2.
