3. Surprise

I stood frozen at the door. My feet felt glued to the spot where I stood. I couldn't move an inch, as if carrying the weight of iron shoes, weighing hundreds of kilograms. 

I watched my dad and Tara’s mom making love in the living room, on the couch. 

Yes, they had their backs turned to me. But I was certain it was my father and Aunt Freya. 

Wait! Was this a dream? 

It felt like an unbelievable prank. I brought my hand to my cheek, pinching it several times until I was absolutely sure that I felt real pain.

"Alan! I can't take it anymore. I wanna cum!" she yelled, moaning in sinful joy.

"Wait for me!"

I couldn't believe my eyes seeing my dad with Uncle Vincent's wife in the living room, engaging in intimate activities with no shame. 

So, Aunt Freya's lover is my dad?

“Cheater!” I exclaimed, startling both of them. My dad turned to see me standing in front of the door with a hurtful gaze at them.

"Sasha, wait!" Dad exclaimed in surprise upon seeing me. 

"So, this is what you do when Mom is on a business trip abroad?" I shouted, pointing at the two oblivious creatures. 

The exhausted woman quickly fled to the bathroom after picking up her scattered clothes from the floor. How could she face me now? My friend's mother. My attention turned back to Dad, who was hurriedly putting on his shirt. His face looked extremely panicked. Who wouldn't be?

"Sha, why did you come early? Didn't you say you would come in the afternoon?" Dad asked breathlessly. 

"Why? Is it because if I come in the afternoon, it would give you more time for having fun with that woman?" I retorted sarcastically. 

My eyes stared at the man I called dad for over a decade, someone I respected deeply because he always advised me to live a good and honorable life. 

I had felt guilty towards my parents because of what I had been doing behind their backs, which couldn't be considered good and honorable at all. 

But who would have thought that in reality, Dad was no better than me? Ridiculous.

"Sha, I need to explain everything to you so there won't be any misunderstandings," Dad tried to coax me, still attempting to convince me. 

"What misunderstandings, Dad? It was clear that you were fooling around with Tara's mom!" I yelled. 

My eyes welled up, tears on the brink of falling. But I didn't want to appear weak. I didn't want him to see me cry.

"Disgusting!" I shouted, then ran away from the house with all my strength. 

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. My depravity has been inherited from my father's indecent behavior.

"Sasha!"

I disregarded his call for me to come back and talk. It was pointless! What could he possibly explain to me? Just having some fun because Mom was on a business trip? 

Despicable! 

Absolutely despicable! 

I immediately hailed a taxi and returned to the apartment, feeling disoriented. Who could remain calm after such a shocking discovery? 

Meanwhile, Uncle Vincent was waiting for me inside the apartment with a grim expression. It seemed like he wasn't happy either. Maybe there was a problem at work. 

"Where have you been? I've been waiting here for so long. It feels like almost a whole day," he asked with his hardened masculine face. 

I didn't answer Uncle Vincent's question with words. A shake of my head seemed enough to convey that I was also feeling uneasy. My mind was still unfocused. 

Should I tell Uncle Vincent? 

Should I report it to Mom? 

My heart could only speculate. Did Uncle Vincent already know about this, or was he still unaware? 

If he didn't know, what would happen if I told him? But if I had to say something, I was also unsure. What should I say to Uncle Vincent? 

‘Uncle, your wife is having an affair with my dad!’ It sounded so absurd. I felt like my dwindling self-respect was diminishing even further. 

"You don't want to open your mouth?" Uncle Vincent seemed to be getting angry.

However, who could help ease my current disappointment? I was the one disappointed because my dad was having an affair. I was the one who didn't know what to say to him.

And most importantly, what would I say to Mom when she returns? Should I pretend not to know to spare her sadness? Should I make Mom keep smiling in a fake happy marriage? 

"Have you met another man behind my back?" He said, startling me.

I shook my head. "I just went home. Sorry, I forgot to tell you!" 

"Oh, is there a problem at your home?" 

"No, Uncle! But I will come back later when Mom returns from her trip! It's not nice if Mom isn't at home. My dad's cooking is horrible! It …. smells." 

"What smells?" he asked curiously.

I forced a wry smile. 

The smell of Aunt Freya's perfume. 

The smell of an affair. 

"Are you tired?" he asked me again.

I shook my head. "I will take a quick shower!" 

I didn't say anything else and immediately left him. What right do I have to be this angry? 

I also am committing an unforgivable mistake. But I'm doing all of this because of love, right? Is that also what Papa and Aunt Freya were doing?

After taking a shower, I prepared dinner. Uncle Vincent immediately sat at the table, busy with his laptop. 

I closely observed his handsome face. A mature man who had managed to disappoint all the men who approached me. The man to whom I entrusted my everything. 

"Uncle, I love you!" I unconsciously uttered while gazing into his brown eyes. "Don't leave me, okay!" 

However, Uncle Vincent just stared at me in silence. Not a single word came out of his lips. He simply kissed me gently again. But I felt empty instead. 

Unbeknownst to me, tears streamed down from the corner of my eyes. It was the first time I truly felt the pain of unrequited love.

***

The next day, I was startled by a knock on the door. It was an unfriendly one, urging me to quickly move my lazy ass to open the door as soon as possible. Something that I never expected would happen so soon.

"Sasha! Sasha! Open the door." 

Oh no! Tara’s voice! It must be her!