Unfaithful: Web Of Betrayal

Medications, consultations, tests, needles, tubes, transvaginal ultrasounds. She covered her eyes with both hands. She could smell the doctor’s office in her mind as she read the procedures she had to go through for an In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatment. While Declan only had to jerk off his semen the morning of the egg retrieval.

She spent her whole working day researching the topic, looking at other couples’ success stories, failed attempts, pros, and cons. She let out a long sigh. Her day’s work is stacked on one side of her desk, and more is coming for the next day. She won’t be done with them if she stayed up all night in her office until morning comes, and she still hasn’t got the answer to her question. Does she want to do the procedure?

Once she’s on that train, she will have to succeed. Otherwise, it will only be a lot of money, time, effort, and energy she didn’t want to waste. It’s not a sure thing, the treatment can fail, and then it will have to be repeated, and again, and again until they succeed. At least, that’s her goal. It’s now or never, all or nothing.

Last night was magical. It happens sometimes. A moment of connection when she pictured herself in a future with children and Declan, his sincere apology, his loving touch, the dream they shared since they were married. A picture-perfect family in her mind when he lulled her to their bed and made love to her like a husband who’s crazy about his wife. The moment lasted until they both fell asleep.

They woke up in the morning, and the moment felt like a dream. The talk about IVF was only mentioned as an afterthought before Declan announced that he had to leave for a few days for a business trip with Brian. What seemed so special the night before is not as important anymore in the morning.

She threw herself back on the chair and stared at the ceiling with both hands clasped on her stomach. She remembered her first miscarriage. She couldn’t articulate the disappointment she felt back then, they waited months before they tried again, and she didn’t get pregnant until almost a year after the miscarriage.

The hope, the fear, the worry of her second pregnancy put a lot of pressure on her. During the second miscarriage, she fell deeper into frustration. Why? What happened? What’s wrong with me? It left her a bit traumatized to try again. They waited longer.

The third miscarriage was the point where she had a breakdown. She had post-natal depression. Unlike most mothers, she had to endure it without a baby. She lost hope of ever getting it right. She couldn’t understand why. In terms of fertility, they both didn’t have a serious problem. That’s why the doctor proposed the idea of an IVF treatment. He said their chances of a successful pregnancy were high.

But she was done with promises. She was done being hopeful. She was tired. She wasn’t good company and wasn’t very pleasant to be around. She had nothing else to look forward to except waiting for Declan to come home late to pick a fight with him. And that’s when they drifted apart, and Declan found his way to deal with his frustration. The idea of an IVF treatment faded into the background as Declan fell in love with another woman, and Olivia grew more distant.

Their marriage should’ve ended there, or at least when she learned about the affair. The only thing that stopped it was that he got caught. No matter how sorry he said he was, the fact remains. He would still be with that woman if she hadn’t caught him on his lies. And now this …

Roman’s argument started to make sense. She was defensive the night before because she was caught up in the ideal. When reality started to sink in, she was back where she started. One thing is sure. She wants a baby. It’s the father she wasn’t sure about.

The ring of her phone startled her.

Olivia: Urban Aesthetic … good evening, how may I help you?This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

Roman: Can I come over? You look like you need some company.

The sound of his voice made her smile. She tilted her head back to peek through her window. He was on his balcony looking her way. He waved a hand. She turned back to hide her expression. The tension in their conversation the night before seemed to have disappeared without a trace. The call came at the right time.

Olivia: Have you had dinner?

Roman: (Laughed lightly) I’d have it again with you … do you want to go out?

Olivia: (Paused) No … I’ll finish here and go to your place. Is that okay?

Roman: You can do it right now if you want.

Olivia: Do you have champagne?

Roman: No, my lady … I should stock on your favorite champagne, right? I have Hendricks … and tonic?

Olivia: Sounds wonderful … I’ll be there in a jiff.

—

She wasn’t so intimidated by his king-size bed anymore. After dinner, he lay on the bed with both arms folded on the back of his head while she sat on his sofa across the room. They each have a drink in their hands, talking casually. They’ve been discussing work over dinner and how much she fell behind on her deadline with new projects pouring in. Something she didn’t discuss with Declan because they hardly have time to discuss anything at home, and with the bit of time they had, Declan was usually the one that did the talking because his work was more important, his projects were bigger, and the money he generated was huge.

“So … how did it go last night?” he looked at her flirtatiously.

She took a big gulp of her drink, “You don’t wanna know …”

He crossed his feet on the bed and let out a long sigh. He’d imagined they would be fighting over what Declan said at the party. But her answer made it sound like it went another way. It made him uncomfortable.

“What about you? How did it go last night?” she returned the question.

He shrugged, “It was fine … I took her home, we kissed, then I went back here.” His eyes sharply waited for her reaction.

A twitch was in one corner of her eye, a curl on her nose, and a creased on her forehead. It was quick, he barely captured it, but he saw it. He smiled in amusement.

“How long are you going to pretend you have a girlfriend? That poor girl … she seemed like she really likes you.”

He sat up, “She’s well compensated … as long as it keeps my dad out of my personal business, I guess.” He stood and walked to the dining table to pour more gin into his glass.

“But … how does it work … exactly? I don’t understand.”

He laughed lightly, walked over to where she sat, and kneeled before her. “Are you jealous? What’s with the 50 questions?”

She pouted, almost blushing, “No … I’m not jealous … I’m just curious … I’ve never known anyone who hired a date. I wonder how that works.” His face was right in front of her. His bright blue eyes looked at her. He smiled, a dimple curved on his left cheek. She quivered inside at the sight.

“I took her home and kissed her. You went home and kissed him when all I wanted was to kiss you … and all you wanted was to kiss me,” he tucked her hair behind her ear. “That’s how it works … at least until you say the words … then it doesn’t have to be that way anymore.”

She shook her head and looked away, “You’re so bad …” she laughed.

“Actually … I’m being a very … very good boy … or otherwise you won’t be sitting here …”

She turned to him again, their eyes locked. She can’t deny that she likes it when he’s flirting.

“You’d be on that bed right now … and get this edge off of me … I’d take your clothes off, do all the things you like me to do … and make you feel good.”

All that talk made him imagine things he shouldn’t. He rubbed his nose against hers. “Kiss me,” he said. Their lips were almost touching.

She wanted to. She was thinking about it. After knowing that he kissed that girl last night. After all that pressure of researching for her self-torture of IVF. After remembering how it felt to be so broken and betrayed. She wanted his lips to engulf her and remind her how heated their feelings were. But it’s a path of no return.

She looked down, “I think it’s time for me to go.”

He sighed deeply. He cocked his head to search her eyes, “Why? Do you have something urgent to do at home?”

She sat back on the sofa and took a long breath, “No, actually … Declan’s away on a business trip.”

He raised his brows in glee, “Wow … that was fast … from planning an In Vitro to leaving you alone to do your research,” he chuckled.

She cushioned his face, “Don’t mock me … I don’t wanna talk about it.”

He laid his head on her lap, “I don’t wanna talk about it either. Your husband is a very dull topic … the only reason I want to talk about it is to point out how dull he is.”

She put her hands on his head and naturally brushed his hair with her fingers. Their closeness was helping her to see things more clearly. She felt more at home there with him than in the emptiness of her house.

“Stay then … we can talk about other things … anything …” he pleaded.

She paused for a moment, “Just talk?”

He laughed and raised his head to meet her gaze, “Hey … I’m game for anything … whatever you want to do is fine with me.”

“Tsk … that’s not what I meant …” she put her palm to his face, “No …” she pushed him slightly away, “I have to go.” She realized that things would go too far if she stayed longer and was not ready for anything to happen between them again.

He had a disappointed look on his face as he watched her gather her things to get ready to leave.

“I’ll see you tomorrow … can you come to my office and look at some sketches for the exhibition? It would be helpful if you can look at it and make any adjustment you want in my office … saves me some time.”

“Or we can do it right now so you can do your projects tomorrow … saves you even more time,” he stretched his arms up lazily as he walked over to her.

“Nice try,” she curved her lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Then she did something unexpected. She kissed his cheek before she walked out the door.

Even though he knew her husband wasn’t home, it still made him feel like she had left him to be with Declan. Their closeness had grown in him. He wanted more. He waited for an hour before he called her, and they talked for hours on the phone.