Sebastian's Affair

“Laurel will be staying with my mother in the countryside this summer.” Sebastian announced.

“No.” Olivia immediately protested. “Absolutely not.”

Sebastian frowned. “I knew you wouldn’t like it but---"

“I won’t allow it.” Olivia insisted. “Laurel’s the only reason I’m happy, you can’t send her away.”

Sebastian scowled. “Perhaps I did not make myself clear: I’m not asking.”

“Your mother hates Laurel because she is not a son! Laurel would be miserable!” Olivia cried.

Sebastian seized Olivia’s arm. “Laurel is a Gilbert! She needs to learn how to live up to the family name---"

Olivia cut him short. “She’s five! She needs her mother, not that wicked witch, Priscilla.” Olivia did not know where she got the courage to challenge her husband, but she would not back down.

Sebastian pushed her against the wall, then started choking her. “How dare you insult my mother?”

Olivia fought to unwrap his hands from her neck, but Sebastian had an iron grip. “I—I can’t breathe!”

“Good.” He spoke through gritted teeth.

“Daddy.” Laurel called, appearing in the hallway. “You’re hurting mummy.”

Sebastian immediately let go of Olivia, letting her fall to the floor. He walked away without sparing the confused child a glance.

Laurel rushed to her mother’s side, crying. “Mummy, are you okay?”

Olivia nodded, while rubbing her bruised neck. “Come here, baby.” She pulled her daughter into a hug. “Mummy’s fine.”

Olivia spent hours explaining to Laurel that her father was not a monster, he was just angry. She wished Laurel had not witnessed the scene in the first place. Eventually, the little girl was calm enough to go to school.

Olivia decided to visit Sebastian at work, to try to convince him to change his mind about sending their daughter away for the summer. Arguing proved futile, so she would try gentle persuasion.

When Olivia arrived at Gilbert technologies, she was received with a lot of greetings. As the CEO'S wife, she was always the center of attention and everyone regarded her with respect.

Sebastian's new secretary received her. Olivia had not visited Gilbert Technologies in a long time, so the secretary did not know who she was.

"Good day. How can I help you?" The secretary asked.

"I'm here to see my husband." Olivia stated.

The secretary was surprised. She stood to apologize. "I'm sorry, I had no idea---”

"It's alright." Olivia assured the secretary. “It’s a simple mistake.” She tried to walk past the secretary, but the woman stood in her way.

"I'm sorry--- you can't enter...right now." The secretary stuttered.

Olivia raised a suspicious brow. "Why not?"

"Mr Gilbert is...occupied." The secretary replied.

Olivia stubbornly made her way past the secretary and walked towards Sebastian’s office.

The moment she walked in, she met the shock of her life. There he was, Sebastian Gilbert, the man she had loved for ten years, her husband and father of her daughter, thrusting in and out of a blonde woman on his table.

Olivia wanted to speak, to scream and curse at them, but her tongue felt numb in her mouth. She stood there, watching their bodies move in perfect sync, listening to their lustful moans. They were so lost in each other that neither of them noticed her until her purse fell out of her hand. Sebastian jerked his head up and saw Olivia.

"Fuck!" He cursed, quickly moving away from the woman and pulling his pants up.

Olivia knew her husband was many things: toxic, temperamental, abusive, but not unfaithful. He hit her for even implying that he was cheating! She never imagined that she would walk in on him having sex with another woman the very next day!

"How could you?" Olivia asked as tears gathered in her eyes.

Sebastian walked up to her, still buckling his belt. "What are you even doing here?”

"Hello, I’m Caroline." Sebastian's mistress, who was perched on his desk, introduced herself with a cocky smile.

Olivia ignored the woman. "You're having an affair?" She cried. “After all these years? We have a daughter! How can you hurt me like this?"

"I can't talk about this right now. You have to go." Sebastian said.

"What?” Olivia exclaimed, surprised by Sebastian’s audacity. “I caught you cheating and you're kicking me out of your office?"

"Leave so I won't have to call security to escort you out." He threatened.

Olivia's eyes were wide with shock. She knew that her husband had changed, but the Sebastian she had fallen in love with and started a family with, would never treat her so cruelly. She could barely recognize the man in front of her.

"Sebastian---" Her lips trembled as she said his name.

"I said leave!" Sebastian yelled. She knew he meant every word he said.

Olivia raced out of the office with tears streaming down her face. She did not stop running until she was inside an elevator.

Thankfully, she was alone. She fell to the floor and sobbed. She had never felt so heartbroken and disrespected. It felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest.

‘Ding!’ went the elevator.

The door opened and a tall man in a perfectly tailored grey suit walked in. He paused to stare at her, confused. Clearly, he had never seen a grown woman crying on the elevator floor before.

"Are you alright, miss?” He asked.

Olivia nodded.

He offered her his hand and helped her up to her feet. Even with tears in her eyes, Olivia could recognize a handsome man when she saw one, and this one was gorgeous. His hair was black, his eyes blue and he had perfect bone structure.

"Thanks." Olivia muttered, embarrassed that a stranger had seen her so vulnerable.

They stood far apart, in awkward silence. Olivia stole a glance at the stranger and caught him staring back at her, amused.

"Stop staring---" Olivia was interrupted by a loud noise. The elevator shook, making her fall against the stranger’s chest.

Olivia looked up at him to apologize, but the moment their eyes met, the lights went out and the elevator stopped moving.

"No, no, no." Olivia panicked. "Why is this happening to me?"

"Relax." He turned on his phone's flashlight. "The elevator stopped working. It happens."

Olivia moved away from his body. "It's never happened to me before." She said.

The man smirked at her. "There's a first time for everything. If the operators are competent, we should be out of here soon enough."

Olivia tried calling her driver for help, but her phone was not connecting.

"Phones don't work in a bad elevator." The man said, while watching her with a small smile.

"What part of this is amusing?" Olivia asked, annoyed.

"Stop panicking, we'll be alright." He grinned, revealing a dimple on each cheek. "What’s your name?”

He had seen her crying on the floor, a behavior so unbefitting of her status. She would not let him know who she was.

She turned away from him. “I can’t tell you.”

His laughter echoed through the elevator. “You’re hilarious. I’m Desmond.” He introduced. Olivia ignored him.

Several minutes went by without changes and Olivia grew restless.

"Are you alright, miss?" He asked as he watched her pace.

Olivia did not respond, she just kept trying to use her phone.

Desmond caught a glimpse of the picture of a child on Olivia’s lock screen. "Is that your daughter?” He asked and Olivia nodded. “She's beautiful."

"She's also very smart. She's my perfect little angel." Olivia smiled proudly.

"I guess she's got her dad's eyes. Desmond pointed out. Laurel’s eyes were green, just like Sebastian’s, while Olivia’s were blue. "He must be a wonderful man."

Olivia fought back tears when she thought of Sebastian. "He was."

Desmond was immediately apologetic. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. May his soul rest in peace."

Olivia burst into uncontrollable laughter while Desmond watched, confused.

"Sorry---" Olivia said between fits of laughter. "He’s not dead, he’s just not a great husband."

"Is he the reason you’re crying on the floor in a public elevator?" Desmond asked, but Olivia only looked away without saying a word. "I think your little girl would want you to be happy. Besides, you're too pretty to be stuck in a bad marriage."

Olivia raised her head to look at him and caught him staring at her. Slowly, he moved his face towards hers till their noses touched. Olivia felt her heart thumping in her chest. Why was she letting a stranger get this close to her? And why did it excite her so much?

Suddenly, the elevator lights went on, snapping her back to reality. She quickly stepped away from him, avoiding his gaze. She would not let him see how flustered the experience left her.

Soon, the elevator started moving. She felt his palm against hers as he slipped a card into her hand.

“My friend's birthday party is at the Gambinos tomorrow night. If you want to have fun, you should join us.” He said.

“I don’t go to parties.” Olivia retorted.

He took a step towards her, closing the space between them. “If you want to see me again, you should come.”

Olivia raised a brow. “Why would I want to see you again?”

“Because this can’t be the last time we see each other.” The elevator door opened. “See you soon, Blondie.” He smiled, then left.

“See you soon, stranger.” Olivia whispered to herself.

For the rest of the day, Olivia could only think of one thing_ the man in the elevator. His striking blue eyes, dimpled smile and the way his skin felt against hers. She blushed each time she remembered how close they had gotten to kissing.

She thought about the encounter so much, she almost forgot why she was crying in the elevator in the first place.

Olivia woke up to see her daughter’s bags packed. Sebastian! She found him in his study, discussing with his mother.

“Why are Laurel’s bags packed?” Olivia asked as she barged in.

“Something urgent came up so my mother has to travel today.” Sebastian said.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? It’s my daughter we’re talking about here!” Olivia shouted.

“Yelling at your husband is disrespectful.” Priscilla scolded. “Didn’t your mother teach you that before abandoning you?”

Olivia continued speaking to Sebastian, ignoring his mother. “It’s too soon. I haven’t said goodbye to her yet.”

“You have an hour.” Sebastian replied sternly. For a man who had just been caught cheating, he had no remorse.

Olivia scoffed bitterly. “You’re a monster.”

Priscilla sat up. “How dare you talk to my son in that manner?”

“Your son is having an affair!” Olivia shot back at Priscilla.

“What do you expect?” Priscilla laughed mockingly. “It’s been five years since you conceived, he has to try somewhere else! If this lady gives him a son, expect those divorce papers.”

Olivia sighed in defeat, then walked away. She would not give her mother-in-law the satisfaction of watching her cry.

Olivia dressed Laurel while explaining that they would be spending their summer apart. Surprisingly, the little girl did not cry, instead she comforted her mother.

“We’ll spend the next summer together, mummy. Don’t worry.”

Olivia must have kissed her daughter goodbye a hundred times. Olivia could not imagine having to live without her daughter, even temporarily. For years, her daughter was the only one who made her smile.

Olivia remembered that someone else made her smile yesterday. She felt a small metallic card in her pocket. It was the invitation Desmond gave her.

She had a party to attend.