A Christmas Betrayal

Choosing me

Dawn

I leave the booth quickly and hope no one sees me leave it. If anyone knew what happened in there, my marriage would be over. I know they would tell Dave because he has that much influence and everyone wants to be on his good side.

I can't believe I kissed a stranger. Dave will kill me if he finds out. I can't let him find out.

I rush out of the banquet hall, my red dress flowing behind me. I find myself in a hallway, and I begin to open random doors. I just need to be somewhere I can hide and think clearly before Dave starts to look for me. But where is Dave?

The next door I open makes me pause in my tracks. The lights are dimly lit, yet enough to give me the outline of the people f*****g in front of me.

“Oh yes, Dave.”

Her fingers wave into Dave’s red hair, and he thrusts harder. She laces her legs around his waist, and Dave pushes her body to lie over the table while he remains standing between her legs.

“You are so sweet, honey; I will always love you,” Dave tells her, and my heart breaks into a million pieces.

Those are words I have longed to hear from him through the three years of our marriage.

Who is this damn woman, and why does her voice sound familiar?

I inch closer, making sure I keep quiet, and when she pushes her upper body up on her elbows, my heart breaks even harder.

“Then why don’t you divorce your wife and marry me instead?” She asks; her eyes are so focused on the lover in front of her that she fails to see me, who is standing directly behind them.

“You know I can’t do that.” Dave growls, thrusting a little harder, making Tara moan.

“But she can’t give you a child; I can do that.”

Dave groans and pulls out completely. He remains standing between her legs.

He does that when he wants to get things straight, but you are failing to get his point of view. It’s the same way he fails to focus on two things at the same time.

“We have already talked about this, Tara. You are the one I was meant to marry from the very beginning, but you convinced your parents that I needed to marry your sister, and I did. You didn’t want to marry me, remember, and I told you that the wedding needed to go on even if I used your sister as a substitute, and now you want me to divorce her. Besides, I have done everything you have asked of me. That house in Beverly Hills that you wanted so much, I already bought it for you, and I have been treating my wife exactly as you have told me to. What else do you want to me do?”

“I don't care about the things you have done for me. I just want you to be my husband. Back then, I was scared of getting married, but then I realized what a big mistake I made. She is nothing but a replacement; you can still divorce her and break off the contract.” She demands. “I don’t like seeing you with her, plus she is so desperate for you that she would kiss the ground you walk on; it’s so pathetic.”

“I am sorry, Tara, but the contract can’t easily be broken. I will try, but it will take years before that can happen.” He assures her with a pat on the neck.

I leave quickly before they find out.

I head back to the hall and find a seat. I grab a glass of wine from a passerby waiter and down one cup before I down the next. I hold back my tears, if I cry now, and he shows up, he will know something is up. I suck it up like I always do.

The whole time, the words he said to her haunt me.

‘I love you’

I hear them like a broken record stuck in my mind. Only they are not said to me but to my half-sister, whom I have confided in for a long time. She knows almost all of my secrets. She is the one I have always complained to about the troubles I have faced in my marriage, and this is how she repays me.

Have I been that naive?

Another waiter comes by with a tray, and I grab two more glasses. The first is down my throat, and the second a hand snatches it away from me.

“You just want to embarrass me tonight, don’t you?!” His voice is louder than the soft music playing in the background. Few people stare, and I only look down.

“I warned you not to do anything stupid, and here you are getting drunk,” He adds as he harshly grabs my arm, his fingers dig into my skin and I hiss.

My sister shows up with a concerned look. I observe both of them and realize something I always overlooked. They both look flushed, with their clothes a little out of place.

“My sister might just be having a horrible night. Don’t be too hard on her brother-in-law,” She says, and I nearly laugh at the absurdity of her words.

Dave hoists up on my feet and begins to drag me out of the hall.

“I don’t care what kind of day or night she is having. She knows how important this event is to me. There are big business potential partners at this event, and if they see my wife behaving this way, they may refuse to partner with me in the future,” He vents out, and my face remains passive.

The only thing I feel is numb, as I will my tears not to fall.

“Forgive her brother-in-law. I am sure she didn’t mean any of that.” Tara rushes to say in a soft tone while she flatters her eyelashes at Dave. She is a soft-spoken person, and that’s one of the most deceiving things about her.

“She has a mouth. Let her defend herself.”

“It’s nothing, I am sorry. Forgive me.” I mutter under my breath, my gaze cast down.

“Now, tell me what got you acting like this.” He stops walking the moment we are outside the hall. He quickly lets go of my arm like he touched fire, he wipes his hands against his jacket with a disgusted look.

“I was waiting for you at the booth. You didn’t show up,” I say. My voice is low, as it normally is in front of him.

“Something came up, there was a problem at the company that needed me to sort out. I am sorry, I forgot to tell you about that.”

I nod quietly and take a step forward, only for my sister to interrupt our little moment.

“Can’t you just spare her for the night,” She raises her hand towards Dave, only for her to drop it.

“Whatever!”

Dave continues to move forward, and I follow right behind. We get into his car, and he lets me take the front seat while Tara takes the back seat.

I lean against the seat and close my eyes.

My mind briefly wonders about the kiss, and I shake my head and then squint my eyes tighter.

The sound of the engine going off is enough to wake me up. Gone are the days when Dave would carry me from the car to the house; this time he always leaves me behind.

“You go in, let me drop Tara off, and I will come back,” Dave informs me as I get out of the car.

“Okay,” I respond as I grab my purse and get out of the car. I don’t have it in me to ask questions or even act like the jealous type. Besides, I'm too tired for all that; all I want is to sleep.

I wave goodbye and head into the house. It’s three stories and too huge for the two of us. I head straight to the bedroom and blackout.

When Dave gets back, it’s past midnight, and he tries to touch me, only for me to complain that I am tired. He lets out a few curses and leaves me alone.

In the morning, I am having coffee and thinking about everything I saw last night. It’s Christmas time and I am meant to enjoy every bit of it, even though it’s not my favorite holiday, yet I am numb.

I take a few more sips before Dave shows up in the kitchen. I take a good look at him as I ask myself why I love this man. What has made me stay after all the abuse?

And out of all the people, why did it have to be my half-sister?

Images of last night keep flashing in my mind until one particular one stands out—the kiss under the mistletoe. The most breathtaking kiss I have ever had in my life. I want to chase that feeling and feel alive for a moment, just as I felt last night. But I am stuck in this one-sided love marriage. I know Dave won’t let me go because of the contract.

Maybe I should just forgive him and move on from it all. I will call it even because I kissed a man who isn’t my husband, even though he has been having s*x with another woman who happens to be my sister. That’s what submissive wives do, right? Right?

“What’s running through that pretty little mind of yours?” Dave smiles, and my heart melts like a fool blinded by love. One-sided type of love.

I still believe I can change him.

“Nothing, just wondering why you showed up late after you went to drop off my sister?”

I always overlooked this, but now that I know, everything is in plain sight.

“I took a long, refreshing drive after how you embarrassed me in front of everyone. As if your inability to have a child is not humiliating enough? What else do I have to put up with when it comes to you?” His words are harsh once more, and his green eyes regard me with a type of irritation I am already used to.

“It’s like everything I do is embarrassing to you. If it’s so embarrassing, why don’t we just end this marriage, and then you can marry someone who won’t embarrass you like I do?” I scream in his face, and he slaps my cheek.

I grab the area with my eyes wide. He has never hit me before. My eyes remain wide as my jaw drops.

“Don’t even f*****g talk to me like that! And don't ever think I will ever divorce you. It's best if you remove those thoughts out of your mind.” He grits out while I let tears fall from my eyes.

He grabs my coffee and throws the mug on the floor, shattering it up and messing up the area in the process.

“Now, like the good wife you are, clean this mess-up.”

He walks out of the kitchen, leaving me alone as I cry.

I have put up with enough of this treatment towards me. I will choose myself this time, and I will never fall for anyone ever again, especially rich snobs like Dave. That’s a promise I am making to myself, and I intend to keep it.