"As a matter of fact, Xavier and I went to Bali for our honeymoon, Father." Cathleen shocked Xavier even more.
"Did you?" Cathleen's head bobbed up and down in agreement, her long jet-black hair catching the sunlight as she leaned forward. The old man's face lit up with a toothy grin, his wrinkled hand grasping hers tightly in excitement. "Should I be expecting grandchildren any time soon?" Xavier's hand flew to his throat, and he gasped for air as tightness squeezed his windpipe. He struggled to form words, but only strangled sounds came out.
"Father..." Cathleen cut him off.
"Of course. We are still trying." Cathleen exclaimed, her voice filled with bubbling excitement. Her gaze involuntarily flicked to Xavier's mistress, a slight smile tugging at her lips. She had assumed that Xavier had informed Olivia about their pretend marriage, so she didn't hold back. With every fiber of her being, she was determined to keep the old man happy. Leaning in closer to him, she whispered, "Maybe last night might be it." Olivia's mouth dropped open, and her hand flew to cover it as she watched. Finn's serene blue eyes transform into fiery red. Xavier, frozen in shock, stumbled back onto his chair while the old man doubled over in uncontrollable laughter, tears streaming down his face in excitement.
"Oh dear, don't be too hard on yourselves." The old man said to them: Olivia's eyes turned red. She was so close to crying, but she knew she couldn't. If anything, they were doing what a husband and wife should do.
"Oh, Father. That's what I told Xavi last night. But I have faith that God will grant us our heart's desires." The old man nodded his head. Xavier couldn't believe what Cathleen had done. She was so good at this. How did she manage to make up a story like that and make it seem so real to anyone? Apart from their kiss on the day of their wedding, he had never touched her. Now, more than ever, he was determined to find out just what it was that Cathleen did for a living. He was so sure that she was a cunning woman and that she was in this marriage for the money.
But then again, how much had his father been paying Cathleen?
Finn's eyes welled up with unshed tears, and his heart was heavy with frustration and longing. He had spent years trying to make love to Cathleen, but she always rebuffed his advances. She was a delicate and easily influenced young woman, and it pained him to think of her in the arms of Xavier so quickly after their breakup. The fact that Xavier was cheating on her only added insult to injury. Finn couldn't believe that Xavier had even brought his new flame to their shared home-a blatant display of disrespect and betrayal. It was like a knife twisting in Finn's chest; the pain was almost unbearable.
Finn's mind churned with thoughts and worries, and his brow furrowed as he pondered the situation. Cathleen was a woman of strong principles and values, not one to easily give in to temptation or betray her marriage vows. The mere thought of her being intimate with Xavier, her husband, made Finn's stomach twist. Yet they had agreed to this arrangement for the sake of Grandpa's well-being. Finn thought their marriage was for the old man. There was no way Cathleen would marry someone like his uncle. Finn let out a heavy sigh, grateful that his uncle had not crossed any lines with the woman who held his heart. As he exhaled, the tension in his body eased slightly, but the weight of the situation still lingered heavily in his mind.
Meanwhile, at the table, Olivia was on the verge of tears. Her face was getting paler and paler with every passing second. Christian had sex with his wife last night. That's why he didn't come back to his room last night. Why did he have to do this to me? She thought to herself.
Olivia sat at the table, her face drained of color and her eyes welling up with tears. She couldn't believe Xavier slept with his wife. It explained why he never returned to their room. The pain in her heart was unbearable as she wondered, "Why did he have to hurt me like this?"
Who am I in his eyes? He has even gone off to marry someone else without giving me much thought. Watching him walk hand in hand with a woman who is not me, I can't help but wonder how he sees me now. In his eyes, am I just another woman he used and discarded? Did I mean nothing to him in the end? He brushed me off when I asked for an explanation, claiming he owed me nothing. But the truth is, I feel humiliated and embarrassed at the thought of everyone in this town knowing that he chose someone else over me. And to add insult to injury, this woman smirks at me, a silent reminder that they shared a bed last night. My heart is heavy with betrayal and hurt, and all I can do is watch as my love slips further and further away from me.
As the tears threatened to spill over, Olivia glanced around the table, at least for Xavier to show he acknowledged her, but the man was only stealing glances at his wife. It seemed as though she was an outsider, a lone figure amidst a group of strangers. And perhaps she was, for she had never truly felt like she belonged. Her heart felt heavy with longing and loneliness, like a solitary bird searching for its flock. But at that moment, she couldn't help but wonder if it was all her own doing.
Fury boiled within Olivia's chest as she fought back the tears that threatened to spill over. Who the fuck was this Cathleen woman? What is it about her that is so special that she captured Xavier's heart? She couldn't help but wonder why she should even care, knowing that Xavier had never truly been hers to begin with. The sharp sting of betrayal lingered in the air, a reminder of the pain that consumed her at the sight of him with another woman.