Chapter 5 Avoiding His Touch
661 Words
Brenda tasted it after Sebastian carefully blew on the soup to cool it down and smiled sweetly. "Thanks, Whitney. The soup is really good. When my baby's born, you should be the godmother."
Then her face twisted. "Ouch! My stomach."
She clutched her belly, face contorted in pain. "It hurts so much. My baby..."
Sebastian's heart sank. "Brenda, are you okay?"
Tears filled Brenda's eyes as she looked at Whitney. "Whitney, did you put something in the soup? My stomach is killing me..."
Before Whitney could answer, Sebastian's hand came across her face. "You b***h!"
She hit the ground hard. The soup tipped over, hot and sticky, splashing all over her.
The burning sensation on her arm was immediate. Whitney's left cheek was already swelling, red from the slap. Tears streamed down her face.
"You were pregnant once. How could you be so cruel?" He lifted Brenda, who had gone pale, into his arms. His eyes were cold. "You'd better pray she's okay."
Whitney sat there on the floor for a long time—so long that her tears eventually dried up.
She didn't understand. She'd been the one by Sebastian's side for ten years. Why did he believe Brenda so easily?
It was late when Sebastian finally came back. He was carrying a bag of snacks.
"Try some of these. I brought them for you." He sat on the edge of the bed and glanced at the red mark still visible on her left cheek.
Something like guilt flickered in his eyes. "I'm sorry about today. I didn't mean to hit you. I just panicked..."
Whitney looked at the snacks. They were all things Brenda liked.
She shook her head, tired. "If there's nothing else, I'm going to sleep."
Sebastian sighed and pulled two tickets from his pocket. "Didn't you say you wanted to see this opera? I got us tickets. We'll go tomorrow, okay?"
When she didn't respond, he knew she was really hurt. He placed the tickets in her hand, his voice softer now. "Get some sleep. We'll go together tomorrow."
What he said was always sorry.
No matter what he did, a simple "sorry" was supposed to make it all go away, like nothing ever happened.
Whitney didn't want to go the next day. But Sebastian seemed determined. He insisted on taking her.
They finally sat down in the opera hall, waiting for the show to start. But the first act hadn't even begun when his phone rang.
Brenda's voice came through. "Sebastian, I'm craving those arancini from the east side. And maybe some sour things, too."
"Okay. I'll get them right now," Sebastian said.
He then hung up and realized Whitney was watching him. "Brenda's been dealing with morning sickness. Nothing sounds good to her. Today she finally has an appetite, so I need to..."
"Okay. Go." Her voice was flat, like she was used to it.
Sebastian gave her a grateful look and hurried out.
Whitney watched the entire opera alone.
When the curtain fell, something clicked inside her.
Her phone buzzed. On i********:, Brenda had posted a photo—a table full of snacks, and another shot of Sebastian, head down, massaging her feet.
A few months ago, this would have shattered her. But this time, Whitney just smiled. "Sebastian, I think I'm ready to let you go."
When she got home, Sebastian was just heading out. He saw how soaked she was and grabbed a towel. "I was about to come get you. I just..."
"Don't bother." Whitney stepped back, avoiding his touch. "I want to move Natalie's grave."
Natalie was the name she'd given her daughter.
Sebastian paused. "Why?"
Whitney said, "I dreamed about her last night. She told me she wasn't happy there."
Sebastian didn't question it. "If that's what you want, then do it."
He didn't know this was the last thing she'd do before leaving him.
She was going to take her daughter and leave this place for good.
- Writer
