Chapter 2 Betrayal in Plain Sight
769 Words
Lydia slept until sunrise, enjoying the best rest she had had in three years, especially on a day so significant. She tidied herself, retrieved a file from her safe, and drove to the law firm.
Across the conference table, she double-checked with the lawyer. "There's nothing wrong with this papers, right?"
She had gone over it countless times, yet anxiety lingered. On this matter, there was no room for error. Only when the lawyer nodded and assured her the agreement was sound did Lydia, hands trembling slightly, pick up the pen and sign her name. After three long years, this moment had finally arrived.
Later, she went out briefly, picking up a few things she needed, and returned home in the afternoon. Shawn had accompanied Willa back from the hotel around noon, and when he saw Lydia was not home, panic set in. He called repeatedly, but Lydia ignored every call, eventually turning off her phone.
When Lydia arrived that evening, Shawn was waiting by the door. "Where have you been?" he asked, his furrowed brow relaxing at the sight of her. "I called, and you didn't pick up." He added, "I was worried about you. Next time, let me know if you're going out, okay?"
Lydia tossed the paperwork onto the counter and looked at him with mild disbelief.
"You're worried about me?" she said. "Seriously?"
Shawn visibly choked on that. His jaw clenched, and after a moment, he dropped his gaze.
"If you're still upset with me and don't want me here," he said quietly, "I can stay somewhere else tonight."
If Lydia hadn't already uncovered the affair, she might've believed the remorseful act.
She stopped in front of him.
"Somewhere else?" she asked. "You mean alone?"
Shawn looked up sharply.
"What do you mean?"
The fact that he was still pretending was almost impressive.
Lydia pulled up a transaction record on her phone and held the screen in front of him.
"The hotel charge hit the account and the notification came straight to me," she said. "You really want to keep doing this?"
With that, she walked away and poured herself a glass of water.
For a split second, Shawn's expression darkened.
Then it disappeared.
Almost instantly, he put on a look of absolute anguish.
"Lyd, just hear me out. This isn't what it looks like. Willa and I aren't... it's not like that. She's been through a lot these past few years. I was only trying to help her."
He stepped closer. "You know how close you two used to be. You're not really going to turn your back on her, are you?"
Lydia didn't even have the energy to laugh anymore. Shawn was still the same as he'd always been, hiding behind excuses so flimsy that no one with an ounce of common sense would believe them.
"So helping her meant sleeping with her?"
When she refused to take the bait, Shawn changed tactics, letting his voice soften into wounded disappointment.
"Lydia, must you be so ruthless? After all, Willa really was trying to help you, wasn't she? I only wanted to help her."
The moment he spoke, regret washed over him. Lydia would not soften. Her temper would ensure she pointed at him, scolded him relentlessly, and perhaps even cried and raged as she always had.
"I didn't mean it that way," Shawn tried to placate her, aware he now needed her. Unexpectedly, Lydia didn't react. She simply toyed with the empty glass in her hand, not even looking at him. She seemed entirely indifferent to his words.
Shawn's unease grew. Words failed him. Even if she had screamed or thrown things, he would have not stopped her. But now, she did nothing.
"Lyd?" he called tentatively. Silence came. His uncertainty deepened. He had never seen her like this.
"Lyd, please say something." He reached for her sleeve. Halfway there, it stopped.
Shawn met Lydia's eyes.
She was simply looking at him.
And for some reason, that made it impossible for him to reach any farther.
At that moment, a knock came at the door. Shawn pursed his lips and went to open it. The instant the door opened, Willa threw herself into his arms. "Shawn..."
Shawn instinctively tried to push her away. Willa stumbled but held on, her voice breaking into sobs. "Shawn, you can reject me, but don't treat the child like this, okay?"
Lydia stood in the living room, hearing every word clearly.
A child?
Lydia looked up.
Standing behind Willa, a little boy who couldn't have been more than three years old reached out and grabbed Shawn's sleeve.
"Daddy."
- Writer
