Chapter 80

“Not a single room?”
“It’s peak tourist season, and a weekend. Everything was booked up.”
Penelope sighed. “I guess I’ll have to try another hotel.”
“I’m afraid the other hotels are likely full as well.”
She had to try. Otherwise, where would she sleep tonight?
Hoping to get lucky, Penelope went to every hotel on the island. As the receptionist had predicted, there wasn’t a single vacant room to be found.
She ended up back at the first hotel, sitting on a bench outside, trying to figure out what to do.
Just then, she received a text from Zebulon: “My bed is half-empty. I can save it
for you.”
Penelope gritted her teeth. He had canceled her room, leaving her stranded, all to force her into his. It was obvious what would happen if she went.
The coward.
She refused to let him win. She stood up and marched toward the hotel lobby. But just as she did, she saw Zebulon and Rebecca walking out, deep in conversation. They hadn’t seen her.
She started toward them, about to call out, when two cleaning ladies emerged from a side door, right in front of her.
“Hey, that’s them!” one of the women said, pointing at Zebulon and Rebecca.
The other woman looked over. “Are you sure?”
“Of course I am. Half the housekeeping staff saw it. It was about three years ago. That man brought his wife here for their honeymoon, staying in this very hotel. But there were three of them—him, the wife, and her,” she said, nodding at Rebecca, “the bride’s best friend.”
“On the first night of the honeymoon, those two got the bride drunk. As soon as she was passed out in bed
there all over each other was
on
and I was just going to ask if they needed some soup to sobër up, but they were so desperate they didn’t even close the door.”
“The bride was unconscious, and they were doing it right next to her?” the other woman gasped, horrified.
“Yep. They only stopped because I caught them. Then they went to the friend’s room. And let me tell you, when we cleaned that room the nex day… the sheets, the mess… you can only imagine how wild they were that night.” The cleaning lady shook her head at the memory.
“And the bride never knew?”
“Not a clue. They were such good actors. The whole time, she was walking around with her husband on one arm and her best friend on the other, thinking she was the happiest woman in the world. Poor thing.”
“I heard at the front desk that there are three of them this time, too.”
“Despicable. Those two are just awful.”
The two women walked away, but Penelope remained frozen, her face ashen, her teeth clenched so hard her jaw ached.
That night. They had been together that night.
Her wedding night.
A volcanic rage erupted inside her. She took a step forward and nearly collapsed. Steadying herself, she stormed after Zebulon and Rebecca.
They had gone to a nearby restaurant. When Penelope found them, they were discussing how to track down the new department head and get on her good side.
Zebulon saw her first. A smug look crossed his face, assuming she had come crawling back to him.
He never saw it coming.
Penelope grabbed the freshly opened bottle of red wine from their table and dumped it over his head.
“You animal!”