The Letter L
Alvin’s laughter echoed menacingly around the room as everyone struggled to catch their breath.
“Holy grail, that was fake—it was hit that deep…” he declared, his tone completely unfazed.
“That was not funny…” Ivy shot back at her brother-in-law, finally managing to exhale after the shock.
“Seriously, Uncle Vin, thinking this was funny is downright crazy,” Kendra chimed in, her eyes narrowing.
“What the heck, Alvin? What was that about?” Nate asked, scanning the room for signs of panic.
“I could've died, Vin! I should have known your gift box was a prank meant to give us all a heart attack. I hope there are no hypertensive patients here, because this could be fatal,” Lana pointed out, her voice trembling with anxiety.
“It’s only Tika. She’s off duty today…” Ivy replied, giving herself a little fan with her hand.
“Guys, I’m really sorry! I just wanted to have some fun. And yeah, I was pranking Nate. Seriously, everyone…” Alvin said, but there was no remorse in his eyes. Ivy couldn’t shake the feeling that something was seriously off about him.
“I’m heading to my room,” Justin muttered, finally breaking his silence. He grabbed his phone and slipped away, followed closely by Kendra.
“Guys, it was just a prank!” Alvin pleaded, but the twins were already dismissing his words. The staff had returned to their posts, the tension too high to bear.
Without warning, Nate lunged at Alvin, yanking him by the collar as the women rushed to intervene.
“Is this some kind of joke to you? What’s wrong with you?” Nate growled through clenched teeth.
“Come on, Nate! It’s just a prop gun. Chill out!” Alvin replied casually, a smirk creeping onto his face.
“Did you forget my kids were here too? What’s wrong with you?! For once in your life, stop being a joke,” Nate’s voice was filled with fury, and the anger spread out from him like heat.
“Honey, just calm down. I’m sure he didn’t mean it,” Ivy said, finally managing to pry Nate’s grip off of Alvin.
“Fool!” Nate spat angrily before storming upstairs.
Ivy exhaled sharply, while Lana glared at Alvin, who was now absentmindedly poking at the cake and licking his fingers.
“Really, Alvin? You picked their anniversary for this? You’ve got to be kidding me,” Lana exclaimed, but her words fell on deaf ears.
“My anniversary is ruined, thanks to you, Vin!” Ivy added, her frustration bubbling over as she plopped down at the dining table. Lana walked out to catch her breath, and Alvin turned to Ivy, his expression a mix of regret and unconcern.
As Ivy sipped some water, the weight of the event settled heavily on her shoulders.
“I’m really sorry, Ivy. I just wanted to see how Nate would react,” Alvin admitted, his voice softening as Ivy turned to face him, disbelief carved on her face.
“So… did you get the reaction you were hoping for?” Ivy’s tone was laced with sarcasm, sharp enough to cut.
“Come on, you know I’d never intentionally hurt you or your kids,” Alvin vowed, trying to sound sincere.
“Heck, you already have. You went too far. Everything was fine until you decided to pull that stunt—it was absolutely unnecessary,” she replied, her voice flat and stubborn.
“Hey, I’m really sorry. I truly am,” Alvin insisted, placing his hand over hers in what was meant to be a comforting gesture, but it felt entirely wrong to Ivy. She pulled her hand away, the chill of his touch lingering in the air between them.
Ivy instinctively pulled her hand back, sizing him up with a piercing gaze. “Um… I have to go check on my husband and the kids,” she said bluntly, hurrying away before anything could happen.
“Come on, Ivy, stop trying to resist me. I tell you, Nate is not the man you think he is,” Alvin interrupted, gently spinning her to face him.
“Do you have no decency, Alvin? Do you?” she demanded, her voice firm. Before he could respond, Ivy turned and quickly left.
As she walked away, her thoughts began to swirl. Did he really have to speak ill of Nate, a man she regarded as an angel? Over the years, she had always viewed Alvin’s gentle demeanor as kindness, but now, doubt crept in. Was there more to his intentions? Just when she believed their past was buried, why was he rekindling it?
Questions lingered in her mind as she ascended the stairs, determined to focus on her future with Nate and their children. When she reached Justin's door, she knocked softly, but loud rock music drowned her out.
“God, Justin, turn that down a bit…” she called, frustration weaving through her words. “Justin??” After a moment, the door opened slightly, and he sighed, clearly irritated. “Justin, that’s too loud. Please turn it down a bit…” she urged, attempting to slip past him. Justin halted her. “It was handled. It was nothing serious—”
“Can’t you see that something is going wrong?” he shot back sharply, and before she could interject, Justin continued, “I’m in a game with my friends, I have to get back,” before shutting the door in her face. Ivy squinted, trying to process what he meant.
Next, she walked to Kendra’s room, knocking gently before opening the door to find Kendra deep in a call. Respectfully, Ivy stepped out and made her way into her own room—their matrimonial sanctuary. There, she was taken aback to find Nate packing a few things.
“Are you traveling?” she asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.
Nate looked up with a faint smile, “Something came up minutes ago, and it needs my urgent attention,” he said briskly as he continued to pack.
Her heart raced. “You could’ve at least told me,” she said softly.
“Hey sweetie,” he murmured, moving toward her and cradling her face. “I know, but this came in at the last minute. It was that business call I kept getting interrupted by. I’m really sorry, but I must meet with potential clients. I’ll only be gone for two days, max,” he reassured her, his warmth easing her tension for a moment.
“Maybe I could just... come with you? I booked a weekend getaway to Niagara for our anniversary. I wanted to surprise you,” Ivy suggested, trying to convince him.
“That’s lovely, but you didn't have to do anything special. It’s my responsibility to ensure your well-being. However, I must pass this time. It’s very important, sweetheart, it can't wait,” he snapped, leaning down for a quick kiss. “When I’m back, we’ll visit Niagara as you planned—I really do appreciate your thoughtfulness, baby,” he added, kissing her again.
“Alright, I’ll be here waiting for you. Although… I can’t shake this nervous feeling about your trip. My instincts are—”
“Your instincts are simply insecure, my love,” Nate replied as he zipped up his bag, preparing to leave.
“Wow, not even a goodbye hug?” Ivy pointed out, confused at what kind of trip would make him forget such a simple gesture.
“My bad,” Nate said quickly, pulling her into a brief embrace before darting out of the room.
Moments later, a phone rang, drawing Ivy’s attention. When she spotted Nate’s phone on the nightstand, her heart raced with urgency to catch him before he left.
But then, something caught her eye. Peeking at the screen, she saw the letter ‘L,’ accompanied by a red heart and kiss emoji. Suspicion flooded her mind. Could Nate be cheating on her with ‘L’? Anxiety mounted as she contemplated.
Just then, the door swung open, and Nate was standing there, his gaze landing on the phone in Ivy's hand.
“Who is she?” Ivy demanded, her voice firm and unshakable, ready to uncover the truth.