The Hurtful Weight In My Heart

What?

I could hear my heart racing so fast. I knew my life would end tonight. Before I could process anything, the phone started vibrating. He picked it up, and it was on loudspeaker.

"Enrico, you won’t believe what I saw—your wife."

"Tati, don’t you know what hour this is?"

"Enrico, I—"

"Whatever it is, just keep it to yourself," he said and hung up.

I sighed heavily, and he glanced back at me.

"Whatever you’re playing at, don’t forget who you are, where you are, and who you’re with," he said and left the room.

I laid down, struggling to sleep, but I couldn’t. The memories of how he killed his second wife kept replaying in my mind, and I quickly texted Nora:

Please, you need to come over. I think I’m screwed.

*********************************************

The next morning, Nora visited. Since there was no one at home, I dragged her upstairs to my room and quickly locked the door.

"What’s wrong?" she asked with anticipation.

I paced up and down.

"Can you say something? You’re scaring me, Sof."

I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. I hesitated, then told her about the kiss Derek and I had shared last night.

"I can’t believe you kissed Derek again!" she exclaimed, surprised.

*"He kissed me, and I just…" I trailed off.

"Oh, Sof, this is getting worse…"

She paused and looked at me.

"Don’t tell me you were caught by your husband?" I chuckled nervously.

"And you think I’d be standing here in one piece talking to you?"

"Then tell me what happened, because I know you didn’t text me so late just to say you kissed Derek. I don’t have all day, baby girl," she said, acting impatient.

"Yesterday, Tati called Enrico. She wanted to tell him about me and Derek."

"What, Sofia!? And?"

"Enrico didn’t even give her a chance. Nora, I don’t want to die early. Please, we need something against Tati," I said, my heart racing.

"Calm down. I have some tea on Tati—two cups, actually."

*"Okay, spill…" I said desperately, trying to get my guard up.

"This is huge. Tati and Derek had sex on your wedding night."

"What!?"

*"No!" I blurted out. "Derek wouldn’t do that!"

"Oh, he did. Diego told me."

*"Diego?" I asked, wondering who he was.

"The handsome bodyguard Iris asked to take me to her wardrobe for a change of dress!" Nora explained.

"Oh! Now I remember him."

"I’m kinda hooking up with him." Nora blushed.

*"You’re hooking up with him!?" My eyes widened.

"Don’t judge me! You kissed your ex, who happens to be your brother-in-law!"

"Alright, alright, whatever rows your boat," I said, though my mind was more on the Derek and Tati revelation. "Did Derek really have sex with Tati? And why!?"

"Apparently… hurt sex." Nora shrugged.

Hurt sex? What did that even mean?

"Wait, why would Tati be hurt too?" I asked.

"And that brings us to the second cup of tea," Nora grinned. "Tati and Enrico were childhood sweethearts."

Oh. My. God.

Enrico and Tati had something? Was that why Tati acted so cold towards me? This whole mess kept getting worse!

"And guess what?"

"What?" I asked, trying to figure out why Nora was blushing.

"Diego said he’s going to get me the footage. With that, Tati would back out because she won’t want to tarnish her reputation in front of both Enrico and her fans."

I sighed in relief. At least now I had Tati’s weak point. But at the same time, I needed to settle some scores with Derek.

"I have a plan. Once I get the footage, I’ll send it."

"Alright," I said as we made our way downstairs.

I searched for Derek everywhere in the mansion. I was torn between feeling betrayed and guilty. I needed to hear it from him—that he had slept with Tati—because I was still in doubt.

"You had sex with Tati that night," I said as soon as I found him by the garden. It seemed to be his favorite spot. He was smoking and staring into thin air.

"Who told you that?" he asked, turning to me with a frown.

"Is that the point?" I scoffed, hurt that he had indirectly confirmed my doubt.

"It’s not what you think." He walked towards me, but I stepped back. I felt betrayed, although I had no right to feel that way.

"I was hurt, I got drunk…"

"That doesn’t justify anything." I shook my head.

"Well, what was I supposed to do!? The thought of my brother fucking you that night messed me up!"

"I am married to him! I had to!" I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone that he never touched me.

"And last night too?" he asked calmly.

"I can’t refuse my husband," I answered.

"Your husband." He chuckled humorlessly. "Don’t call him that to me!"

I watched Derek take another drag before putting out his cigar with his shoe.

"You don’t know, do you?" he said, and I looked at him in confusion.

"About Tati and Enrico."

I tried to act unbothered, but the hurt was clear in my eyes.

"He loves her. He always did," Derek told me, and I had to look away because my eyes were getting teary. "She has it worse than I do, because she’s watched the man she loves get married three times."

I didn’t say anything. I was trying to hold myself together—it was all too much to take in.

"She was hurt too. She got drunk too," Derek continued.

"Enrico doesn’t love her." I shook my head, but even I didn’t believe it.

"Who do you think he’s with right now?" Derek scoffed.

I held my chest against the hurtful weight in my heart. My husband was with another woman.

"I love you. I will always love you. That’s something Enrico can’t feel for you," Derek said as he walked to me. "I just need some time to figure things out—how we can be together…"

"Stop!" I blurted out. I was sick and tired of getting hurt every minute.

"Sofie—"

Derek tried to hold me, but I fled in tears.