HIS BETRAYAL
Thea's POV:
The bed was cold.
I reached out instinctively, my fingers grazing empty sheets, the faint scent of Sebastian's cologne lingering in the air. My eyes fluttered open, and for a brief, disoriented second, I thought I had woken up too early. The room was still dim, and I felt tired. I can never get enough sleep.
Then I turned my head.
The clock read 9:23am.
My heart throbbed.
I shot up, my legs tangling in the sheets as I stumbled out of bed. The alarm, why hadn't I heard it? Had I been that exhausted?
S**t!
Today is Finn's birthday.
I rushed into the bathroom, my hands trembling as I turned on the shower. The hot water scalded my skin, but I barely felt it. I scrubbed quickly, rinsing away the exhaustion clinging to me like a second skin.
After that, I hurried to pick a short floral gown I had prepared for today. I wasn't there for last year's birthday portrait. I need to be there for this.
By the time I made it downstairs, my hair was still damp, but I looked a little presentable, the dark circles already covered by makeup.
And then I stopped.
The kitchen was alive with laughter.
Balloons hung from the ceiling, tied with neat ribbons. A "Happy Birthday, Finn!" banner stretched across the dining area. The table was covered with frosting, sprinkles and half decorated cupcakes. And in the middle of it all...
Finn.
His eyes sparkled as he stood on a stool, reaching to place a blue candle on a big cake. Sebastian stood beside him, steadying his waist. The nanny, Claire, was laughing at something Finn had said, her hands covered in flour.
They looked... happy.
Without me.
What happens when the people you love start building a world that no longer needs you in it?
A hollow ache spread through my chest, but I forced a smile and stepped forward.
I'm just being paranoid. I assured myself.
"Happy birthday, my love" I whispered, gathering Finn in my arms before kissing his chubby cheek.
He smells like home.
He giggled, his tiny arms wrapping around my neck. "Mommy! You slept too long!"
"I know, baby. I'm so sorry" I murmured, tucking a curl behind his ear. "Mommy was just really tired."
Sebastian didn't look at me.
I glanced at him, waiting for his usual sarcastic remark about me always working late, but he was focused on Finn, handing him another candle.
Claire smiled at me. "We wanted to surprise you. Finn wanted the decorations up before you came down"
Finn beamed. "Do you like it, Mommy?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded. "I love it."
The morning passed in a blur of preparations— setting the table, finalizing the decorations, making sure the cake was perfect. It was fine. I was fine.
Sebastian sat with Finn on his thigh, Claire adjusting the camera settings. I moved to take my place on the other stool, reaching for Finn's hand—
"Mommy, no" Finn said, pulling away.
I blinked. "What?"
He pointed to the camera. "You should do it."
"Huh? It's a family portrait, honey" I said, my eyes darting from Sebastian to Claire and back to Finn, waiting for someone to say something.
His tiny hand motioned for Claire to come closer.
"The three of us look more like a family than with you, Mommy."
I couldn't think instantly.
The words echoed in my head, blurring everything around me. The decorations, the cake, the laughter. Even the warmth of Finn's innocent voice felt distant like I was hearing it through water.
I stood up, tears stinging the corners of my eyes.
He wants this. It's his birthday. I should give him whatever he wants. It's his day.
So, I forced on a smile, a practiced curve of my lips that I hope he believes.
That's what mothers do right? Smile even when they want to break.
"Anything you like, honey" I whispered, my voice barely steady.
Then, I moved. Slowly, carefully. As if, if I'm too fast, the cracks in my chest will finally split open. Claire brushed past me, sliding into the seat I should have filled. Maybe she said something, maybe she murmured a quiet apology, but I couldn't hear it over the sound of my own heart breaking.
I set the camera, my fingers trembling as I pressed the shutter. I didn't check the angles. I didn't adjust the focus. Because I couldn't. I just took the pictures like that.
It broke me.
Finn laughed, revealing his missing front tooth. I remembered slipping five dollars under his pillow, telling him it's from the tooth fairy. Sebastian's arm rested around Claire's shoulder.
And I... I stood there, watching a picture-perfect family that I don't think I was part of.
Or was I?
But I threw it away, didn't I?
I can't do this.
I straightened, swallowing hard.
"I need to go" I blurted out, my voice cracking at the edges. I didn't wait for a response, I don't think I could bear hearing one.
I turned and walked out of the kitchen.
Out of the house.
Out before Finn or Sebastian could see the tears spilling down my face.
I don't know how long I walked. How far.
The cold stung my skin, the wind howling through the streets, but I barely felt it. I just moved, first walking, then running. Running until my chest ached, until the sharp sting in my lungs dulled the sharper sting in my heart. Until my legs trembled beneath me, and I had no choice but to stop.
I pressed a hand against a nearby wall, gasping for air.
I wanted to cry.
God, I needed to cry.
But no tears came.
Maybe I've used them all up. Maybe there's nothing left inside me but this hollow, aching space where something, everything, used to be.
I don't know how long I stood there. Maybe minutes. Maybe hours. Maybe a lifetime.
By the time I turned back home, night had already fallen.
I barely remembered the walk back, the streets a blur beneath my feet. All I knew was that I needed to see him. Finn. My little boy. My little angel.
I needed to tuck him in. To kiss his forehead, to hold his tiny fingers in mine and remind myself that I'm still his mother, even if I've failed him. To kiss Sebastian again and apologize because I've failed as a wife.
Maybe he's right. Maybe I am an absent mother. Always working. Always carrying more than I should. Always trying to hold a family together with hands that are never enough. Maybe motherhood is a losing game. Maybe it has been from the start.
You can't eat your bread and have it, isn't that what they say?
But when I unlocked the door and stepped inside, my world stopped.
Sebastian and Claire sat cuddled on the long sofa, barely dressed, lips locked, far gone in their little bubble to register my presence.
The TV played in the background, casting soft, warm glows on their being. Finn was on a couch, his sitting posture showed he was already asleep.
And the tears I thought I had exhausted came rushing back all at once.
"Sebastian..." I whispered, my voice weak.