CHAPTER 6- DETRUDE

AUTHORS POV

The junior sales representative of Omnium V&P Marketing Enterprise called Sydney.

"Are you okay Mrs. Reed?" Sofia asked, concern dripping in her tone.

Sydney was sorting out the laundry when she called. "I'm fine, Sofia. Aren't you supposed to be working?" She wondered if Gavin had already informed the press about her miscarriage.

"The SD put Riley in charge; she does the job better than me anyway."

"Sofia, she's equally a newbie under training as you are. I've told you countless times to stop underestimating yourself." Sydney threw Emily's gray hoodie in the laundry basket.

Sofia sighed, no one could win a debate with Sydney. "I didn't call to talk about me, Mrs. Reed... Are you sure you are fine?"

Sydney stood with the laundry basket under her arm. "Is there a reason why I shouldn't be fine?" she hoped Gavin hadn't disclosed the news yet.

"I know you aren't fine Mrs. Reed, even if no one believes you, I do. I know-"

Sydney lost her patience. "Sofia I don't know a damn of what you are talking about!"

Sydney could only hear Sofia's breaths. "You...you don't know?"

"No, Sofia. Take a deep breath and tell me what happened."

Sofia took two. Sydney's heart was racing, it couldn't be about Xavier. " I suggest you see it yourself, it's on the news right now."

Sydney ended the call and went into the living room. She dropped the basket on the couch and asked Alexa to turn on the news.

She nearly stumbled backward when she saw on the right top of the screen the picture of her and Gabriel in the living room; the image was edited in such a way that it looked like they were kissing. Parts of her face were visible, but Gabriel wasn't.

"I'd lose a three billion bet if someone were to tell me Mrs. Reed would have an affair." James Williams replied to a question Geoffrey Bedder had asked.

His co-host looked the least stunned. Elizabeth Freeman dressed in an elegant recherche blouse and red Stiletto with her hair in a neat bun. She had been on a business trip to India with Gavin once, and Sydney saw pictures of her blushing when Gavin spoke to her, on the news. Geoffrey had asked her about it.

"It was just the harsh Indian sun that got me all red." How far-fetched, Geoffrey's eyes had said.

Elizabeth looked like she wanted to spit on Sydney's face. "I had always known something was wrong in their relationship, and I'm not a bit surprised it's because of Sydney's infidelity. Only a fool wouldn't have noticed the sad lines on Gavin's face-"

"Miss Freeman, the issue's on Mrs. Reed's rumored affair." Freeman reminded the Forty-six years old.

"Well, I'm not by the faintest appalled; I'm just shocked she did this on the same day she lost her baby, which made me wonder if the baby was actually Gavin Reed's." Elizabeth sniped.

"Turn off the Television," Sydney instructed. Sydney felt hurt and helpless, she sat on the floor, multiple thoughts wrecking her mind.

How could she have trusted a stranger? He used her, he used her pretty well! Sydney was shaking; the news would go global before dusk, she knew it. Her image would be ruined, and Ethan and Emily's classmates would tease them about it. And Gavin?

Sydney sobbed into her palms, he wouldn't believe her. He would throw her out immediately. She knew their relationship was in the skids and the news disillusioned her hope that Gavin would reconsider divorcing her.

———————

"R-O-A-S-T-E-D, roasted." Emily spelled as Ethan raised the roasted steak to his mouth.

Ethan glared at her, "Would you stop spelling everything I want to eat?"

She grinned at him playfully, she enjoyed toying with him. "O-b-n-o-x-i-o-u-s, obnoxious."

Ethan looked at Sydney who was a million miles away from reality. "Mum, tell Emily to shut up," Ethan whined.

Sydney snapped back to reality. She looked from Emily to Ethan. "Don't talk with food in your mouth." She chided.

Ethan groaned and ate angrily while Emily giggled. Sydney looked at the door; Gavin still had not returned. He never skipped dinner with them except he wasn't in the city. Had he heard the news already? Did he run away from them?

She felt like an elephant was sitting on her chest.

Emily sat up quickly as if she had just remembered something. "Mum, guess what happened in school today."

"Shut up Emily." Ethan's cheeks were bright red.

Sydney looked tired, it made Ethan worry. "What's it, baby?"

"But mum you said-"

Emily cut him off, heartily. "Ethan was crying oceans like Spongebob when Harry Thompson kicked him angrily in the butt after hockey practice."

Ethan raised his chin. "I didn't cry oceans."

"H-y-p-e-r-b-o-l-e, hyperbole." Ethan fumed, while Sydney smiled at them. "So, Kelly-"

Ethan got up. "Mum, I'm going to bed."

"We'll all go together, sit."

Emily narrated the rest of the story, Sydney laughed when Ethan kept complaining she exaggerated it. After dinner, Sydney took them to their room. She read Emily's favorite bedtime story, Goldy Locks and the Three Bears.

Sydney was about to leave the room when Emily whined. "Mommy I'm cold." Her eyes were closed, and a thumb was in her mouth.

Ethan pushed the duvet off and stretched out his hand. "Come but I'm still mad at you."

She moved to him, and he closed his arm around her, engulfing her with warmth. Sydney smiled weakly and covered them with the duvet. She had cried so much that the stitch in her chest didn't look like it was going to heal anytime soon.

"Mum," Ethan called softly. Sydney ran a hand through his blonde hair. He was the replica of her but had the temper of his father which scared her sometimes. "Dad didn't join us for dinner."

"He had to stop by the hospital to get my medications."

Ethan saw her drugs in the medicine cabinet. He gave a dismal smile. "Good night mum."

Sydney stayed a little while longer before she left the room. She heard sounds coming from the kitchen and her heart flipped.

"Gavin," She called as she walked downstairs. She immediately regretted wearing his shirt, although he loved it when she put it on, but that was then; what would he think now?

She sighed wistfully when she saw Gavin's blonde curly hair. He was looking into the fridge when she walked into the kitchen, rubbing her elbow nervously.

"You didn't have dinner with us." Her voice was low and filled with angst.

He didn't respond or act like someone was with him; he just continued rummaging through the fridge. Sydney stepped closer, her eyes glowing in the moonlight that escaped through the kitchen window.

"Your food is in the microwave." She was shaking.

He straightened and closed the fridge. She noticed his knuckles were bruised. He turned to look at her, his eyes were bloodshot.

She gasped and moved to him. "You drank?" He hadn't drunk alcohol since his first year in college. He had to be in his right senses to be successful.

His shirt had slid off one side of her shoulder; he stared at it, and his eyes took a darker shade. "A little s*x on the beach hurts no one."

She knew he already knew. "I'm sorry Gavin."

He was too busy imagining when they were alone on a beach in Hawaii to hear what she had said.

She felt choked by his silence. His hunting green eyes met hers. He stepped forward, she wanted to move back but she was transfixed in fear. What would he do? Hit her like her father hits her mother? Throw her away.

She began to cry. "I'm sorry, Gavin." She made prayer hands. "I didn't cheat on you, I can never. I love you, please don't leave me."

He gripped her shoulder; she shuddered, his fingers were as cold as ice. "Who's he, Syd? Is he better than me?" His voice was terrifyingly calm.

She sulked, "Never."

He sniffed her hair. It smelt like white wine...she tasted like wine. "Does he hold you better than I do? Does he kiss you better than you? Look at me when I'm talking to you!"

She looked at him, crying and shaking. He narrowed his eyes at her. "I promise, I didn't cheat on you."

"Oh really?" His breath smelt like rotten garlic. He moved his face to her neck and she gasped softly. "He didn't give you a hickey, what a gentleman."

His grip was like a vice. "I'm guessing you tried matching wits with him and he felt too intimidated to do it properly." He stared at her hotly in the eyes. "You must have told him you wanted to check up on your endearing customers, right?"

Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. She tried getting rid of the thoughts in her head but, "You are manipulating your insecurities into the topic." too slow.

Gavin's body pressed against hers that was leaning on the kitchen island. He looked like a bull after being whipped by a matador.

"My insecurities? You cherished your customers more than your family! Every time I tried getting close to you, you gave some goddamn excuse about having a crisis at work! You..." his voice broke when he saw the pain in her eyes.

"You are hurting me." She said, lowly.

His grip on her loosened; he saw his fingernail marks on her skin. He kissed her there. She sucked a breath. How could she have resisted this Greek divinity for so long? Her legs ached. She didn't want to think of tomorrow.

"Gavin." She gripped the island tiles as he kissed up to her neck. He knew her trigger spot.

He'd almost forgotten how she tasted like. He thought of the night he spent with Avery. How Sydney has driven him to the edge, he had to lose himself in another woman. He could barely feel love while holding her. "You've hurt me."

No, I didn't! You did. She didn't want to think about how he'd hurt her. She raised his head and kissed him. She tasted beer, sweet sweet beer. They devoured each other as if trying to find out who could do it better.

Gavin felt like he was set on fire. He missed this. He missed this so much. He yanked off the shirt with a tug, and she gasped. His eyes filled with excitement when he realized she didn't wear a bra.

She took off his shirt and jumped on him. He held her legs while she wrapped her slender arms around his shoulder.

She broke the kiss to catch her breath. "What if the kids wake up?" she panted.

He took her to their room, not breaking the kiss. He placed her on the bed and stripped them of the clothing they had left.

She wanted to start crying when he put on protection. He didn't wait or ask her if she was ready before he entered her. She felt like she hit rock bottom as he detruded into her.

She was crying, it was a blissful torture. He didn't look like the lovesick boyfriend or affectionate husband who made love to her; he looked different; they were so close yet so distant.

She knew their relationship was in disequilibrium; she just needed to hear three words, and she'd have a little hope. "I love you, Gavin."

It didn't seem to move him. "I know you do."

Sydney stared at the flamy neon ceiling. Dried tears filled her temples. She knew Gavin was awake too. They couldn't say anything to each other. They would normally talk about high school days and debate on how ancient times were better than now.

She felt like a ship sailing calmly on the ocean which was Gavin. But then, a storm came and turned the ocean wild, causing the ship to wreck.

What she couldn't decipher was who that storm was.