Chapter 8 The Invitation

(Sybil’s POV)

I stood outside John’s office the next day, clutching my papers tightly in my hands. I was feeling a bit nervous about filing for divorce, even though I knew that I was doing the right thing. Despite everything that had transpired, I still had feelings for John. I wished I didn’t, but what can you do?

I cheered myself up with the knowledge that Alex was coming back today. I couldn’t wait to see him again. We would have so much to catch up on. I started planning all of the things that we would do upon his return, getting so caught up in my thoughts that I momentarily forgot where I was and what I was doing there.

The sound of John’s office door forcefully being opened brought me back to reality.

Willa stormed out, giving me a dirty look as she brushed past me. I wondered what had just happened.

I went through the door. John was standing in the middle of his office, a very obvious lipstick stain on his face. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, I thought bitterly.

“Well, this is appropriate.” I held the divorce papers out to him. “Here you are with another woman’s lipstick on your face, and here I am with divorce papers.”

He took a tissue from the box on his desk and wiped his face. Then he stared at me. “Alex is coming home today,” he said.

I could tell that he was ignoring the papers in my outstretched hand, so I put them down on his desk. I wouldn’t leave until they were dealt with appropriately, I told myself.

“I know,” I said, wondering why he was talking about Alex.

“Grandma invited all of us over for dinner tonight, to celebrate his return.” John gave me a stern look. “She asked me to tell you. She wants you to be there.”

I hesitated. The last thing I wanted to do was spend an evening with John and his parents. I liked his grandmother, though. She was the only person in that family besides Amelia who treated me with kindness and affection. There was also Alex, of course. I wanted to see him, too.

“I’ll go, but only to please your grandmother,” I said.

“And Alex, I suppose?” John eyed me suspiciously. 

What was that about? Alex and I were just friends! John and Willa, however…

“Of course,” I said, “Alex is a close friend.”

John scoffed at that.

“I’ll be there, but it’s the last time.” I looked him in the eyes, hoping he would finally take this seriously.

“Look, Sybil,” he said, “I don’t want you upsetting Grandma tonight.” He sat down at his desk.

“Why would I do that?” I took a seat across from him. “You know how much I care about her.”

John frowned at me. “You say that, but I can’t help wondering if you mean it. I mean, you claim to care about Amelia, but yesterday’s incident proves otherwise.” 

He let out a sigh. “My grandmother is frail and elderly. You can’t spring something like this on her, especially when it isn’t even true. It could kill her! Do you want my grandmother’s death on your conscience, Sybil?”

I rolled my eyes. His grandmother wasn’t nearly as feeble as he was making her out to be. “Not this again! Why can’t you just accept that our marriage is over?”

“It’s not over until I say it is.” He crossed his arms, leaning back in his chair.

“My lawyer says otherwise,” I replied smugly.

“Your lawyer’s an idiot,” he said.

“I’ll explain everything to your family tonight.” I picked up my papers and tried to hand them to him again.

He didn’t take them. “Explain what? That you’ve lost your mind?” He leaned forward. “First, you want a baby. Then, when I agree to give you what you want, what do you do? You repay me by threatening to leave me for no reason!”

“No reason?” Was he stupid or delusional, or both? 

“You wrongfully accused me of trapping you in this marriage. You threatened me. Then there’s Willa! Do you honestly think you can legally marry her while still being married to me?”

“You’re my wife, Sybil,” he said coldly, “until I say otherwise.”

I could see that it was pointless to try to argue with him. I was tired of the whole situation. There was just one more piece of business to deal with before I could leave his office, though.

Once again I held the papers out to him. “I’d like to go over these with you.”

He didn’t answer me as he stood and walked away from me, looking out the window.

I followed him. “Please, John, I’d really like to get this over with. If you could just -”

I didn’t get a chance to finish my sentence, before John turned around and came towards me, an unreadable expression on his face. Before I had time to react, he had me pinned with my back against the wall. He was holding my hands on top of my head so I couldn’t move them. I was trapped.