The sky was a dark, brooding gray, and the rain fell in sheets, lashing against the windows with relentless force. The howling wind rattled the panes of glass and shook the trees outside. Inside her study, Cathleen sat at her desk, surrounded by books and papers scattered haphazardly around her. She had just finished putting away some notes when she heard her phone begin to ring. A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she reached for it, glancing at the caller ID before answering.
Cathleen: Hello, father.
A warm smile spread across the person's face as they heard Cathleen's voice on the other end of the line. The man's heart swelled at being addressed as "Father," a title the man had long longed for since the moment he laid eyes on the precious gem on the other side of the line. It was hard to believe that the usually distant and cold Cathleen was now speaking to him with such affection and familiarity. But the joy could not be contained, and he felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes.
Old Mr. Knight: Hello, my sweet child.
Cathleen: You're not supposed to be awake; aren't you supposed to be sleeping by this time?
Old Mr. Knight: I was, but for some reason, I get the sense that you and your husband had been living separately.
Cathleen: No, father, that is not the case at all. Xavier and I had been living together since the day we tied the knot. We are just starting to get to know each other.
Old Mr. Knight: If that is the case, I will be coming tomorrow for breakfast.
With a quick click, the man on the other end of the line abruptly ended the call. Cathleen was left speechless and unsure of what to do next, as she had no clue where Xavier was staying or how to get there in the middle of the night. The darkness seemed to swallow her whole as she stood there, alone and lost. She considered sending Xavier a text message, but she realized that it was likely that he would see the message the following day. A sinking feeling formed in her stomach as she realized she would have to call him instead, hoping that he would pick up despite the late hour.
The piercing ring of the phone cut through the stillness of the room, startling Olivia out of her thoughts. She glanced at the caller ID and saw that it was saved as "Wife," which meant that it was Xavier's wife calling. With a sigh, she chose not to bother telling Xavier that his phone was ringing. The man wasn't in a deep sleep at the time, and as he sat up in bed, his hand reached over to the nightstand and grabbed the phone. When he saw who was calling, he left the room to answer Cathleen's call. His face grew tense as he listened to the voice on the other end. The man came back inside the room and changed his clothes in a hurry, just after his wife called. Left alone, Olivia couldn't help but wonder about their relationship and what exactly was going on between them. Questions swirled in her mind, but she knew better than to pry into Xavier's marriage. So with a heavy heart, she sat there and waited for Xavier to return, unsure of where she fit into this chaotic situation.
Sleep was a distant dream for the woman as she lay in bed, restless and anxious. Xavier had just received a call from his wife, and the man abruptly left without a word. Now she couldn't shake the feeling of uncertainty and wondered if he would ever return to their shared bed. Unable to find peace, she began pacing back and forth, her heart heavy with unspoken fears and unanswered questions. The room was filled with an eerie stillness, broken only by the soft click of her heels against the floorboards. Outside, the moon cast long shadows across the silent streets, adding to the weight of her thoughts. Sleep seemed like an impossible feat at that moment, as she waited and hoped for Xavier's return.
As the sky darkened and the moon steadily rose, Olivia heard the distant rumble of a car pulling into the driveway. She hurried to bed, pulling the covers up to her chin and closing her eyes as if in sleep. The muffled voices and footsteps inside the house grew louder, accompanied by the sound of a heavy suitcase being dragged across the floor. Her heart raced with anticipation for Xavier to come back to bed, but minutes ticked by and he still did not appear. Was he really coming? Or had something happened to delay him? Anxiety gnawed at her stomach as she waited, wondering what could be keeping him from coming back to bed. Doubts crept in-would he even show up at all?
Xavier chose to use a different room, distancing himself from Olivia and their forbidden tryst. But to Olivia, it felt as though Xavier had spent the night with his wife while she lay alone, consumed by thoughts of him. Did sleep ever come? How could she possibly find any rest knowing that he most likely spent the entire night lying on top of his wife, holding her close? The woman's breathing was erratic, rising and falling within seconds. Olivia found herself struggling to breathe as the thoughts of Xavier sleeping with another woman crept into her mind.
Overwhelmed with jealousy and longing. She had naively been under the impression that she didn't need to be concerned about the wife because, given that Xavier hadn't been seen with his wife, she must be hideous, making it easy for her to assume the role of the devoted mistress in public. But now that Cathleen was present, Xavier had chosen to spend the night with her instead. Olivia didn't know where she stood with the man anymore-did she even have any standing at all in his eyes? These thoughts swirled through her mind, tormenting her as she lay alone in the dark room, listening to the distant sounds of Cathleen talking to Xavier, even though she couldn't hear what they were talking about.