CraftedBetrayalPt.01

晨柔夕

tropes. it's "The driveway." I parts. I'll order. a terms, words. list, a me. English. I feedback. a story, fiction, up, real. enjoy. Air's a godsend. a a bed, soft. office. SG1132 9 fresh, economy, 8am. Grab, style, office, a International. 40 20 back. easier, SG1133 7pm, sleep, International 7am. customs, a Brisbane, day. home. hall, Paddington, a quiet, leafy, suburb. a shoulders. should. a face, him. wasn't. bag, Point. again, again. a waited. 8 a morning, Singapore. 25 traffic. again, answer. a phone. a wasn't of, again, hadn't communicating lately. a driver, there. overcompensating, a it. triumphant. He'd ring, Affairs, Board, directly. skills. didn't overnight. university. opportunities Industry. hours, himself, family. hadn't suffered, a lifestyle, a Nanny/Housekeeper career. wasn't a years. hadn't way, a months, that, international he. Australia. Singapore. relocate, Singapore, a company, a week. a was, initially. happening, a away, Brisbane. in, Paddington, him, comfort, memories. street. driveway. a stop, driveway. A model, 2022 Fords. ride, there, a him. car, inside. door. house. quiet. asleep, thought. son's room, empty, daughter's too. his, her, office. a him. wrong. a visitor, kitchen. nothing. Then, stairs, it, snoring, a man's snoring, hall. sound, room, nothing. suite. bed, bed, wife, a man, asleep, naked, snoring. still, it. still. Looking. photos, a faces, clothing. man's pants. pocket, nothing.

A easy, favours, fuck, I ... ... ... fuck. neither. churn. silently. sick. hallway, noise, stairs, silent. bottom, hesitated. a son's bat, door, up, them. achieve? scene: screaming, room, police. door. bag. out, him. door, POS. windshield. Instead, car. a windshield. a console. phone, a photo. footpath, a by, ... Airport. a fog, feel, process, streets. way, corporation's app. 10 hours, fuck, a crap. Ah, a flight, A380, a Class. it, it. flight. online, Terminal. Lounge, photos. lines, search. cabin. didn't sleep. didn't eat. didn't drink. there, one, over,

' @- q( o, ?0 w3 J2 V, M+ XEmily's face. man's face.

6 ^" [2 F& z. I# k: `Naked... together.
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A Emily's breast, hair. cloud. eyes, wouldn't come. him. 30,000 plan, home, to. cried, once. Singapore, carryon, entry, a point. I'm thought, ,000 ticket.

Outside, a slap.

***** Airport. seat, a gun. driver's mirror, quiet. didn't unpacking. kitchen. a glass. drink, metal. him. back: Emily's face, closed, open. chest. evidence.

Insurance. revenge. all, more, table. him. out. didn't.
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Instead, sat, thinking, remembering, crying. bed. morning, wasn't weeks. immediately. a Indian, Engineer, Melbourne, Australia. 10 James's Assistant. friends, years. role. a mind, a memory. James's moved. Asia.
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/ A, f8 J2 n- B0 B9 B( D0 B"James? hell? You're early. happened, already?" Raj's lighter, him. smile. didn't eyes. "Yeah, couldn't enough" croaked.
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"You shit, man." squinted. "Jet lag?" swallowed. sand. "Something that, private?"
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Raj's shifted. nodded. a door. sagged, down, up. wall, folded. "Mate, you're me. What's on?" face. palms. couldn't Raj's eyes.

"I something," finally. photos. hesitated. a friend. ... this, mess. it. real. phone. Pics. open. didn't anything. Raj's hard. explode.

. G! z/ O) @4 X"Jesus Christ, James." a didn't he'd holding. nose. "That's Emily?" once. a exhale. "Fuck." a minute.
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6 S' }$ i  u! F2 `Finally, spoke. "Who's guy, he's familiar?" slowly. "I don't know." ... "Hold on." again. card. I can't a name, card. type. eyes. "Show again." ... "You've before?" head, closed, tears.

: E5 y( E$ M  s$ @; R2 ~! A"I've somewhere." screen. up.
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"What mean?" screen.

"I'm I've bastard. a Bay, year, September, I think, a staff. I wouldn't notice, out, asshole" a look, "I faces".
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"Your wife's here. I'm he's photos. team, I think." website. Yes, that's ... Grant. Coordinator.
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James's twisted. "You're sure?"

"Fuck" hand. "She International I Qatar, that's 12 ago, long?" confirmation, betrayal, nausea, spun. him.

1 }: e# ?& j: t& s% p! D"Listen," softly. "We is. a him. there's In, etc." temples. "I ... Everything. I lives. he's married. her." didn't flinch. eyes. hard. "I ... I don't do, Raj. a nightmare."
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. z4 u8 {, z% q0 U7 ^+ PRaj's calm.
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"You don't today. First, him. it. time, Mate, together. a do, here. yet?" scream, nod. Emily's website, Galleries, laptop. directory. Grant. Coordinator. headshot. smile. photo. Facebook. Grant. Married. kids. Milton, Brisbane. information, arsehole's him, children, a front. carefully. "You going?"
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James's ice. "Yes." nodded. office. President, Luu. a table. a weeks. couldn't handle. immediately. afternoon, outs. Grant: 39 old. 12 Christine, 32. kids, a girl. group. Michael's a redhead. not. out, revenge. buzzed, Emily, call. 17 times. Voicemails. Texts: me. aren't answering?? I'm scared.

What's on?? ME. all, then, back.
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8 e' f3 U  C& r9 u! }Problems. Can't talk. down.

( x8 p: n3 l- w***** Mrs. Patterson, 18 years. ring.

"Hello?"
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: G- P/ m5 _  }) f5 t8 E9 ^"Hi, Edith, it's James."

. ~6 W$ d& W$ \8 E8 f"Oh, James! You're back! you?" normal.

# Y5 {- z2 A) d, d  r7 F, Z! y"I'm Fine. Actually, I'm back, crap, I something. a I'm away?"
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& W; r9 U6 T+ H) o0 P8 G% bA pause.

1 y! v' H7 ~) O! I0 N* U4 E7 C* C"Oh, that? yes, I have. Michael's Car" thumped.
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# H: N- @9 w: O"How often?"

"Most weeks. Tuesdays, I think. week. now." dry.
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* N" c' E2 }; m3 M/ `2 }. f5 M"How months?"

8 z- i) G- r# G"Oh... I don't exactly. 11 months, least." eyes. talking.

5 }' W5 G8 y  T% l: ^0 W( m"He nice's a Niel's Barbeques. I knew. regular, first, I out, ... close. I things, you're away." a laugh.

"Yeah. Thanks, Mrs. Patterson. That's... helpful. look, ... I don't marriage."

"Oh ... ... ... didn't know! Oh, a mess, neighbourhood you're this. You're not, you?"
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. G. }, s, d8 f$ I4 w  C& M- ]* Manswering. down. blurred. hurt.

11 ... 11 months. didn't it. knew. it. kids. know? this? ... him? rings. Sydney. face, a her. face, vanished.
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+ P) \5 t% `& d! [. B4 i"Dad?"
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  {* G# L8 @$ F1 k8 g"Hey."
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' j8 h% N) B1 ^# c7 N/ V# I! v! }"God ... finally. been? out. What's terrible, happened?" didn't smile.

"Yeah. I know. She's messages." him. a moment.

"I you. talk." frowned.
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4 N2 I' y5 Y" j3 c"Okay...?"
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1 F; R9 \6 L3 D3 \"Do Grant?"

5 j2 b* q+ c4 T"Who?"
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$ v1 i7 L: F! o7 n7 T! I& ?"Your mother's coworker. Marketing." head. "No. I?" tighten.

" B# [: t! e6 ?6 u$ H"I them. Together. bed." open, wide, incredulous. "What?" swallowed, tears.

"I ... I in. I them."
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; }+ F2 `* [2 a* T/ L$ ^" t( oSophie's red. white. "Dad, no. ... she'd stop!" froze.

"What?"

0 p9 v) X3 C. m& M6 l6 N8 SSophie's cracked. "I ... ... I didn't ... ... I fourteen, I man. I don't who. I ... them. I them." throat. a mouth. now.

"She again. lonely, her. me. you. over." slowly, there, discover. this. 14 ... years. Fuck, go.

2 @3 e( q3 W4 z' A. E( A1 O- H. s"She you." James's cold, neutral. hand. Dad's her, down, anger, rage, frightening.
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: }  g9 ~7 b* X( d6 Z"Oh god. god. Dad..."

"Listen me. I didn't know. I I airport. I'm a year. ... I ... ... ... ... She's I it." hand... stricken.
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"She knew?"

# h" c  N/ X3 e7 I"Yeah. I it. I didn't care."

"Oh god. I ... I ... I know. normal. She'd sometimes. I weird... thing. weren't, you. God, she's a slut... a slut" eyes. calm, pain, this, know. heal. tears, father's mask, eyes, pain, betrayal, a shattered. too. he, beginning, ... liar, betrayer. talking.

3 c4 s/ ]5 i5 Z' p# ["Was fourteen? else, else?" sniffled. tears, head.

"I don't know. I else. But... I wondered." hesitated.

& i; u/ [. u1 Z; u( }: W) P1 k: e"I rumours. Once. a party. being... know. Easy. A I cars, I a Mercedes, I a I a once, I I up, trouble. I away, Kath's ... a lot" twist. didn't speak. half.
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& ?7 Y' s; O$ G"Dad. I'm sorry. I should've you. I should've then. But... convincing, ... ... again" head.
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"No. a kid. wasn't job. position, you. ... ... you. ... me. I wasn't I'll myself." harder.
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"Please please. ... Don't her." swallowed.

. B0 C9 J5 i) ^) H% m/ p$ E"I'm out. Sophie. I a plan"
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"Dad, ..." cracked.

"I will. I promise. Sydney, ... like, Christmas, want. happens, I'll you." a moment. red. tears.

# t6 [! k9 [& B- \* _2 P% t"Dad?" whispered.
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"Yeah." a breath.
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& ]1 @& q( t2 Y; K! r"Thank truth." once.

  A! L# x* `- l, }+ x"Love you, Soph." back. call. down, hollow. alive. a him. engineer's gear. everything, wanted. do. saved. family. Sophie. Grant, home, Grant. son. shaking. ring, a room. Dark... a look.

"Dad." said, distant, a voice.

"Hey." flatly.
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"You Mom?" exhaled, son's eyes, didn't like. Distain? Pity? wasn't respect.

"Did Grant?" didn't blink. "Yeah." him. "How known?" shrugged. "Months, shit, years."

0 i" S7 ^0 R# \. T. RJames's clenched.

, J9 Q! c+ ~& P' M' r$ I  e"Why didn't me?" snorted.
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2 O- q- i+ O% b"She knew. it." stared, heard.
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"That I it?" chair.
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"Yeah. into... sharing. whatever." throat.

"That's a lie. I didn't know. I that." a look.

- {, T. c4 G+ ?4 S- z7 V"Then it, a boyfriend?" blinked.
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"I didn't ... I'd I known. I'd with? a face. "Sure ... whatever"
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' Y) ~1 g1 ^! y3 q( ~* m$ sJames's cracked.
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1 v' r7 U% {5 W1 @"Grant... men?" shrugged. "I don't know. Michael. He's longest."
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James's stopped.
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0 t; ]8 c, x: i9 g4 E"Names. me." eyes.

; L2 T2 h% k* i. I4 r"Why? up? her? a father? care? You've week. you're you're here. are."
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James's gravel.
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# Z" C- R9 _1 D9 H9 M"Names, Grant." camera.

"There Michael. that, something, I think. Plus, I 12 Jacob's 'company.'" blur. ... going, bored.

! }& h5 s/ e. o"Oh, kitchen. I once. shit." mouth, rage. ... now.
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* {* m# u- f' Y7 M( P( f"Who I a ... when?" asked, steady, distaste.

"Mom a photo, hotel. a two, know, Christmas, I Jarod's place, Guy's room. too. I 14 ... ... weren't here."
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"And nothing, fucking, ... a ... years. Sophie, her, help?" again.

"She you, here, away, friend's place, time, I ... I caring. kink, cameras." a sound. "Cameras, cameras?"
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"The Cameras, house, years, it's protection, us, I'm you." again, recover. hadn't felt. a settled.

"Grant," said, cold, "I've this, I this, I it, I it, I don't a ... I'm move, stay, I time. time, fuck... I a ... I'd ... ... Grant, I idea" didn't convinced. "Whatever. problem." time.

8 ^, x6 X# t0 W, n/ U"I mean, don't ... ... whatever. I'm 17. I'll soon. Just... people, ... it." swallowed. space.

"Grant..."
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0 P# W, c2 _- L1 [* A# N8 ~" G"Look," said, flat. "I don't a split. I don't a court, I don't ... don't Sophie, don't ... okay?" collapse. numbly. up. phone, balcony. didn't up. again. I ... ... I ... kink. head. does, ... infidelity, betrayal. ... doesn't me. ...
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She'd ... ... ... opposition, denials. wasn't didn't eroded, honour, away. a ... wasn't there. didn't ... narrative.

***** doors, buzzing. a neck. thought, I don't sleep. pains, foot. phone. Fatima, her. James, English, I well, I peace. exotic.

"I too, Fatima", Bahasa, her. schools, Chinese. 20 ASEAN.
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"Encik Club. I 11 directly. a ASEAN. I 20 minutes." relayed, professional.
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20 thought, call, a out. didn't Emily. kitchen. didn't a towel, disrespect. Instead, kitchen, dressed, casually. kitchen, Ashah, housekeeper, years. 300,000 Singapore. 200 Malaysia. a coming. a month. Toast, Kitchen. ate, team. family. Sea, Singapore, 300 home. home. hadn't separation. James, him. man, years. employer, comment, silent. him. 11 a Gentlemen's building. a entered. a room. didn't meeting, ... expected. a a society. A a Australia, Chinese, Indians. religions. Islam, Hindu, side. Therefore, restrictive, illegal, policed. a illegal. However, property, consent, law. Gentlemen's 200 a imaginable. old. didn't a name. money, money. membership. a understatement. conducted, meetings, here. quietly, a a five. taken, a Luu. a men. doubt, thought, acknowledged.

* c. V  x3 |% L' C"Ah James, us" Chong's man. approached, Chong's head.

. }% L0 P/ I7 C! z, n, O3 o"Your Excellency, I presence." Cantonese.
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' t$ |( a* c0 _! @4 R/ P& g1 R"Thank you, son, respect" Cantonese. others, "you Mobil". Chong. "Gentlemen" group, Asia, a him." Asia, him. them, ASEAN, 90 Asia. 100 Singapore. China.
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A later, weeks, alone. a side. a sum. finished, chairs. folders.

"First, James, together, Lao." caught. bestow, a ... a friend. few, family.
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"Now offer" a folder, "This attend." folder. figure, 32 a Stock. certificates, a Apartment. Finally, attached. Sykes, a 20's a 30's a mercenary, attendant, bodyguard. James's face.

/ X" N* D3 V# K: X"You a club. membership, a associated." a continued.

"We years. abilities, considered. 5 you, ... Faces. us. take. world. Baihu, West." a folder.

/ @/ D/ P4 _) U4 h- z8 _"The ... appealing" folder, Chong's face. nothing, away. a unchanged.

( j5 Q& L! C, ?7 G"When I you, family. a days. I concluded. I a staff, offices. a situation. I advise, need, you. use." a knee.
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"Do you. back, premeditated. I shows. yourself, discover, a choice. wrote, them, course."

"Now Board, back, jaw. I fierce."

***** 23rd building. Affairs. legal, financial, teams. corporation's a 36 that. Fatima, Staff. Raj, James's apartment. a James's guests. served, weekend. apartment. a folder. a strike, a detonate, family. a death. a it. climatic. A page, a names, dates. A3 list. names, years. a spiral. spinning, blurring, rose, toilet. him. act. space. he, Lim.

"This 6 years, I that's her. time. Mining, Emily's company. ... theirs, wedding. Emily's subordinates. ... ... James's

5 O8 Y; `8 h( d) @( x  G+ J*****
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