1 1. Mystery Message for you, Valeria

The morning was still dull as it lacked the blooming blessing of the sun, but Valeria was already up.

In fact, she had been up over an hour ago. Her long hair was wrapped in a pony tail and sweat dotted her fair skin. She was nearly done with breakfast and in a few minutes, her husband would be up.

She was feeling tired, her whole body aching and her head banged with a headache. Still, this was her job as a housewife. She would rest once the kids were gone.

"Alright then, what next, Valeria?" She paused, thinking of what was the next important chore.

"Good morning, my love." A man just taller than Valeria a little, and a little over two years older than her, said. He came to squeeze his wife into a warm hug.

"Oh dear, you're up." Valeria said, smiling.

"Well done." He said, "I'll be home a little late today. Basically, this week will be very stressful for me."

Valeria frowned, but she understood her husband. He always got busy with work lately and she could only feel sorry for him.

"This means I'll need to make double of your daily meal from now on."

"That won't be necessary." He replied. "We have a cafeteria at work, Val. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." His was soothing and warm, just as Valeria loved.

She smiled. "Okay then. But what about the kids' parental meeting? Should I go?"

"Of course not." He snorted. "My sis will go."

"But why can't it go? I am the mother after all."

"Look, my sister already agreed she would go, okay? What am I supposed to do? Do you want me to tell her that you will go and she shouldn't bother anymore?"

"No no, it's fine." Valeria heaved in a heavy sigh. She didn't like upsetting her husband and if she continued with the argument, he would get angry.

"Good then." James said, then turned to leave. He stopped and went back to meet Valeria. "Don't call me unless it's important. You know I won't pick, still it hurts me to miss your calls. I will be very very busy. Even on the weekend, especially Saturday. I might leave on Saturday and come back Sunday."

Wow, work must be killing him! Valeria thought to herself. She smiled, "okay then."

It wasn't long before Valeria had already dressed the kids up and served them breakfast. "Alright kids, into your dad's car."

Dali and Jose, both of Valeria her kids, stood up from the dining table.

Dali only frowned and it wouldn't be a first. She was thirteen and had her mother's long hair and dark pretty eyes. Valeria always said it was her teenage phase and so that's why she was always grumpy from time to time.

"Mommy, you look sick. And your body is burning." Jose, four years old and the most caring of them said.

Valeria hugged her baby. "It's fine, my love. Mommy's fine."

James looked at her but decided not to take things seriously. If she was sick, she would always treat herself, he thought. "Alright kids, into the car."

"Take care, honey." Valeria said to James after the kids were in the car. James only nodded before he stepped into the car and drove off.

***

As she was about to begin her chores, she saw a file of paper on the sofa where James had sat down.

"Oh no, I hope this isn't important!" She took the file and rushed out, but he had already driven off. "Let me call him."

As she was about to dial his number, she paused. "What if he doesn't pick? I don't want to upset him! But this file might not be important anyway! After all, it's only just one and I doubt James would be careless about it if it was important."

Shrugging off the thought, she proceeded with her chores. The house was not really one to call a mansion, but it was a two storey building with four big rooms, two down and two up, and two parlors. Now, Valeria had work to do.

After cooking, she still needed to do the sweeping of the whole building! The upstairs wasn't always that much work as she and her husband managed there, but downstairs? Those were her kids' rooms.

She had inherited that beautiful house from her father before he died and allowed James to move in with her when he had nothing. They'd been living there for more than ten years.

Once she was done, she was still feeling tired, so she called her sister who was a nurse. "Hey Mylene, good afternoon."

Mylene replied to her, "you don't just call me unless you need my help in the medical lane. What is it, big sis?"

Mylene was right. Ever since their father died, she had been somewhat distant with her sister, despite them being in the same area.

"Oh come on, sis. Well I'm sorry about that." Valeria said as politely as she could. "But you see, I've been feeling tired and my head hurts."

"Okay then." Mylene replied, though Valeria could see she hadn't been excited about it. "When was the last time you had your period?"

"Last week Thursday."

"Hmm okay then. Since when did you notice the symptoms?"

"Yesterday I was feeling tired. Today, the headache started."

"Are you running any temperature?"

Valeria felt her skin and realized they were burning. "Yes."

"Yes? Can you manage to walk? You'll need to be admitted for more tests and better treatment."

"Admitted? But I don't want that. Who'll take care of the home!"

Mylene sighed. "I've told you times without numbers that I love kids and you should bring them around more often!"

"But--"

"No but. If you don't come here, I'm sending an ambulance. Your so-called husband should take care of himself, alright!" She hung up.

Valeria sighed. She couldn't possibly leave home? Leave her husband! Who would cook for him?

Her phone buzzed and she immediately checked to see if Mylene had changed her mind.

There was no name on the message sender. "Hmm. That's weird?" Valeria frowned as she opened the text message:

_What do you know about your husband, James Cruz? He's averagely tall, has dark hair and oh... He's cheating on you!_

In her head, she hoped for it to be a wrong number, but James' name was James Cruz! And all the descriptions fit him too!

Who is this person? How dare they accuse her husband of cheating!

James loved her!