"Maria,"
James said quietly, "why are you avoiding my eyes?"
She froze at the dining table. The silver spoon trembled in her hand. "I'm not avoiding you,"
she whispered. "You haven't looked at me once tonight."
The tension in the room was sharp, thin as a blade. The house was warm, elegant, filled with the smell of roasted chicken and herbs. But between James and his wife… only coldness. Maria pushed back her chair. "I'm just tired."
"No,"
James said. "You're hiding something."
She stiffened, eyes darting to the hallway as if expecting someone to appear. James noticed. He noticed everything. "Sit,"
he said. Maria hesitated. Then sat. James leaned forward. "You haven't kissed me in two weeks. You flinch when I touch you. You don't sleep beside me anymore. Tell me what's going on."
Her hands shook under the table. "You're imagining things."
"No. I'm not."James's voice turned low. "Is it money? Are you unhappy? Did I fail you somewhere?"
Maria kept her head down.
James inhaled slowly. He had spent the last ten years loving this woman with everything inside him. He trusted her more than he trusted himself. So why did he feel like he was sitting across from a stranger?
Before Maria could speak, the front door opened. Seven men walked in, laughing loudly as they stepped into the living room. James forced a smile. "Tom. Michael. Andrew. You all came early."
Tom stepped forward first, charming smile, expensive perfume, the confidence of a man who never lacked anything. "Brother James!"
Tom spread his arms. "You know we don't need invitations to enter this palace of yours."
James chuckled. "This place is your home too."
Behind him, Maria's shoulders tensed. James didn't see it.But the seven friends did.
Tom's eyes flicked briefly to Maria, quick, guilty, unseen by James. Andrew nudged him, whispering something under his breath. Tom ignored it. James clasped Tom's shoulder warmly.
"I was telling Maria earlier, I don't know what I would be without you all. Every great thing I've achieved, you've been there. Every struggle, you've stood with me. I'm blessed to call you my brothers."
The men exchanged looks. Not warm ones. Not grateful ones. Dark ones. Soft smiles that didn't reach their eyes. Jealousy wearing masks. James didn't notice. His heart saw only family. "Come,"
he said. "Dinner is ready."
As they sat down, the men spoke loudly, laughing, joking, drinking, pretending nothing dark was growing among them. James poured wine into their glasses.
Maria's eyes widened slightly as he brought the bottle close to her cup.She shook her head. "I'm not drinking tonight."
James paused. "Again?"
Maria swallowed. "I… I just don't want to."
Tom's eyes narrowed. "Let her be, James. Women and their moods, you know?"
Maria stiffened. James's brows furrowed. "Is something wrong?"
"No,"
she said quickly. But her voice cracked. James reached for her hand under the table. She pulled away as if burned. Tom watched her. Not like a friend. Not like a brother-in-law. Like a man with history.
Michael coughed. "James, about the new business partnership,"
James held up a hand. "We'll discuss work tomorrow. Tonight is for family."
Tom leaned back in his chair. "Is it? We haven't been treated like family lately."
James frowned. "What do you mean?"
Tom smirked. "You're always helping strangers. Funding charities. Sponsoring schools. Giving out millions… but your own friends are struggling."
James looked confused. "I gave you all investments last month."
"Investments,"
Andrew scoffed. "You call that help?"
"Do you want more?"
James asked. "Then say it. I will give anything I have."
The room went silent.
Maria's hand steadied. Her breathing slowed. Tom studied James. "Anything?"
"Anything,"
James repeated. Andrew shook his head. "You're too soft, James."
Michael nodded. "Kindness is weakness in this world."
James smiled, sadly. "If kindness makes me weak, then I want to remain weak."
Maria flinched. Tom stared at her again. James finally noticed the tension. "What is going on?" he asked quietly. The men avoided his eyes. Maria's lips parted, but no words came.
James leaned in. "Maria… if there is something you need to tell me, "
His youngest daughter ran into the dining room. "Daddy! Daddy! I drew something for you!"
James immediately picked her up. "Show me, sweetheart."
She held a paper with messy crayons. A family picture. James. Maria. The kids. And behind them… A man with no face. Maria froze. James smiled. "Why does this one have no face?"
The child pointed at the drawing. "Because Mommy said not to draw Uncle Tom in our family pictures."
James's blood ran cold. The seven men stiffened. Maria's eyes filled with panic. "Emily, go to your room." The child didn't understand but left.
James turned to Maria slowly. "Why did you say that?"
Maria's lips trembled. "James…"
Tom stood abruptly. "Don't interrogate her."
James looked at him sharply. "Sit. Down."
Tom hesitated. He sat. "What aren't you telling me?"
James asked Maria again. She covered her face with her hands. "Please don't make me say it."
"Say what?"
She sobbed. "I can't…"
The seven friends exchanged dark glances. James's heart pounded. "Maria. Look at me."
She didn't. Tom exhaled. "This is not the time, James."
James glared. "Stay out of my marriage."
Tom smirked. "Funny, considering,"
Michael elbowed him sharply. James slammed his palm on the table. "TELL ME."
Silence. Maria trembled violently. Tom leaned back, arms crossed, and said the sentence that shattered James Wood's world: "Maria has been sleeping with me."
The room spun. James's face went blank. Completely blank. Maria cried harder. "James, please,"
He stood up slowly. "Maria… tell me that's not true."
She shook her head violently. "It's not what you think,"
"How long?"
James whispered."How long have you been betraying me?"
Maria buried her face in her hands. "Three years…"
James staggered back. Tom looked away, suddenly less confident. The other six men sat in silence, watching the collapse of a man they secretly envied. James whispered, "Why?"
Maria sobbed harder.
James's voice cracked. "WHAT DID I DO TO YOU?"
The seven friends exchanged looks, guilt, fear, amusement, satisfaction. Tom finally spoke. "James… kindness makes you blind. You trust too much. And trust gets a man killed."
James looked at him sharply. "Killed?"
Tom smirked slightly. Maria's face went pale. "Tom… don't," she whispered. "Please don't say anything else."
James turned slowly. "Say what?"
Michael stood. "Enough. We shouldn't,"
James slammed him back into his seat. "SAY. IT."
Tom looked at Maria. Maria shook her head no. Tom looked back at James. And said: "You're dying, James."
James froze. Tom's voice dropped to a whisper. "You've been dying for months."
Maria sobbed into her palms.
"What… what are you talking about?"
James whispered. Tom's smile was cold. "Check the food she serves you every night. Slow poison. Untraceable in regular tests. You've been ingesting it little by little."
James felt the room fading. The walls shrinking. His heartbeat slowing. Maria screamed. "STOP! STOP TALKING!"
Tom leaned forward. "He deserves the truth."
James's breathing quickened. "Maria… did you…?"
Maria collapsed to the floor sobbing. "They forced me! They threatened to expose the video! They said they would ruin me! I didn't want to, James please, James please believe me, "
James stumbled backward, knocking over his chair. His vision blurred. His throat tightened. Tom whispered, "This house… this wealth… it's time you shared it. Equally."
James collapsed to his knees. The seven men stood slowly… watching. Smiling. Maria screamed his name. James's last thought before the darkness swallowed him was simple: "I loved you all… and you killed me."
His eyes closed. His heart stopped. Darkness. Total. Final. Then, A faint light. A heartbeat. A cry. And James Wood opened his eyes inside a newborn body. But that is Chapter Two.