A Christmas Betrayal

Dawn The grand hall is buzzing with life as jingle bells play while people waltz near the stage. Dave knows I didn’t want to be here tonight; I would have rather been home watching Christmas movies than here with rich snobs who would rather spend their time gossiping behind my back. As a submissive wife, I could only agree when Dave showed me the invitation. “Why are you sitting at the back all alone instead of socializing ?” Dave harshly whispers in my ear while he tightly grabs my wrist. He squeezes it slowly, and I bite my lower lip to hide the pain. I am already used to this, and the worst part is that I have never stopped loving him. My heart will always belong to him. I lower my head. “You know, I don’t do well with crowds; I just needed a bit of space.” “As my wife, you are representing me tonight, and the last thing I want is for you to embarrass me. Already you can’t give a child; the least you can do is give me this, and after you are done, you should go and wait for me in the mistletoe booth. I want to kiss my wife from there so that our connection can grow stronger." His tone becomes softer at the end, and I early smile at him. Dave and I haven't shared any intimacy for a year now, so I am excited about this. With his finger under my chin, he raises my head to look at him. “You got that wife?” “Yeah,” I stutter a lot as my chestnut meets his harsh forest green. Dave Williams is a powerful millionaire that everyone admires. He is a big business tycoon with a reputable, powerful background. He runs a well-known shoe brand in Miami. His great looks are an added advantage. Women go crazy for this man, they wish he was single. I can say he is every girl's dream, including me. I was so excited when Dad said I would marry him that I didn't even object to the offer. I didn’t care that the marriage was based on a contract. I simply agreed to be with him as the eldest daughter of the family. It was my obligation, and of course, because of the undying crush I had on me. Honestly, it was a dream come true. In the beginning, the marriage was sweet, and even though his family never loved me, he always protected me from them. Well, until things began to get sour when I stayed two years in marriage and couldn’t give him the one thing he wanted the most, a child. We have been trying ever since, and with each month that I saw my period, his attitude towards me got worse until here we are now. I leave the hall, saying a few hellos to the ones that greet me. Everyone knows who I am because of who I am to Dave, and I feel everyone knows about what goes on behind closed doors. I have decided not to pay attention to the gossip to save myself from more heartbreak. “Hey big sister, how are you?” Tara, my half-sister, blocks my way and I force a smile. “I'm fine, and you?” “You don’t look fine to me. You look flushed; has Dave done something to you? I saw how he held you back there, it’s not nice at all. You should divorce him.” The people around us turn a few heads at us, and I nervously laugh at Tara’s statement as I pull her along in the crowd till we find ourselves where it’s secluded on the outside. The outside of the grand hall is well-lit with beautifully decorated Christmas trees. The place is breathtaking. “You know I can’t do that. Our marriage is based on a contract, one I vowed and promised to never break,” I tell her. She rolls her eyes. We have been having this conversation for a long time now. “You should run away then. The only thing Dave does is hurt you. He isn’t a good man for you.” “I know he will change. I will get pregnant one day, and our relationship will be rekindled.” I believe that it will be rekindled and he will change. I can change him; I know I can. I just need to give him what he wants. She groans and pulls her hair. “Half-sister to half-sister, men never change. It doesn’t matter how much you sacrifice for him, he isn’t going to change, and a baby surely won’t bring you the happiness you are chasing.” My gaze hardens. I lift my head higher and proudly say, “The fact that he doesn’t cheat on me still proves that he loves me. Dave is my husband, and nothing will make me leave him. It’s high time you understood that, young sis. And please don’t poke your nose in my affairs anymore I don’t like it.” My voice is as stern as my eyes. I won't let her come between me and my marriage. Dave is the man of my dreams, and I know deep down in his heart, he must love me. Tara’s blue eyes roll once again. She often does that when she is irritated with you, and right now I know she is. She has been preaching to me to leave him since the first time I opened up to her about his abuse and how he lets his family bully me in any way they feel like. She has given me all sorts of things to try to rekindle his love for me, and I have tried everything from setting up dates to buying sexier lingerie. “Now if you will excuse me, my husband is waiting for me in the mistletoe booth, he said he wants to kiss me under the mistletoe tonight. You know what they say about kisses under the mistletoe.” I flip my blond hair that I got from Dad and walk away majestically. Nothing she tells me will make me leave him. I love Dave with all my heart, and I have loved him since the first time I saw him. Going back inside the hall. I make it to the booth, which is near the platform. Gently brushing the curtain aside, I step inside the booth, and it’s pitch black in there. My eyes can’t see anything; I can only hear a gentle breath. I take some steps forward and bump into the man in front of me. I smile as I feel hands around my waist. My body is giggly; Dave has never held me like this before. If he keeps holding me like this, I will fall in love with him all over again. Fingers under my chin have me inching my head upwards. Soft, firm lips meet mine as rough, manly fingers caress my cheek. I sigh as my lips move again, my eyes closing in the process. My hands find themselves on his shoulder as I inch closer to his sexy body. My body is on fire like never before. Dave lightly tugs on my lower lip, and I giggle. It's been so long since we ever kissed that I almost forgot how great his kisses feel as well as his lips. Our tongues dance to a tune they have never danced before. His hand snatches my waist tighter and the other guides my head, making sure he has more access to my mouth. The kiss is breathless and I give into it, moaning a little. I knew that Dave still loved me. With one last peck, he finally pulls away, leaving me craving more. I know we will continue this when we get back home. “Dave,” I whimper. “Shhh.” He places another kiss on my lips, and I blink. He is so different today, kissing me like he has never kissed me before, and his lips, taste so much better today I don’t want to stop. With a peck on the cheek, he turns around and slides the curtain to the side, allowing a little light inside and a glimpse of his back. The color of the suit is the only thing I manage to take note of before the curtain closes and I am left in the dark. My heart is racing as I realize one thing. This man isn’t my husband.