The Stranger

ISABELLA’SPOV

I took Raphael to a nearby chair while I took one for myself, for a minute I got the inkling feeling that what he was about to say had the power to shake my being.

I handed him a glass of water which he gulped down in a flash. 

“ So tell me, what is the problem?”I asked him and he calmed down enough to sigh.

“ The night at that hotel, do you remember?” he asked and I nodded my head.

“ I told you to go to the room because I didn’t want you finding out” he said and I frowned.

“ Find out that you cheated?” I asked and he shook his head.

“ I can swear that I have never cheated and that I am not planning on doing so” he said to me and I frowned.

He sighed.

“ I asked you to go to the room because I needed to get pills” he said ad I frowned.

“ what do mean?” I asked him.

He kept me quiet and anger started to replace the sorrow that I felt I was sharing with him in this moment.

“ You have been rejecting me since our wedding night and you won’t even tell me what is going on? Is this some kind of a joke?” I asked him getting irritated.

I stood up to leave, exhausted at this point.

Rapael grabbed my hand without looking at me and I froze.

“ I know you want kids and a happy family and I was selfish for doing this Isabella” he said my name so ominously and the hairs on my hands and neck stood in fright.

Carefully, he led me back to the chair and got on his knees, in between my legs.

“ Forgive me” he started to say

“ for what?” I asked him, my heart beating fast at this point.

“ What did you do that is so bad? I promise, I can take it. Just tell me” I said, caressing his face but he buried his face in my stomach as he choked on his own sobbing.

“ I promise” I said, trying to find the man that I had married weeks ago.

He ripped himself away from my grip and looked me in the eyes.

“ I can’t give you children” he said and my heart stopped.

“ I can’t get my dick to stand either without taking drugs, that was why I asked you to go to the room and wait for me and I knew you were drunk, so I waited for you to pass out and went to the bar to drink myself to stupor. I couldn’t face it with you, I couldn’t fail and disappoint you after you and I waited till marriage and when you told me that you had such a nice night the next day, it broke my heart that I could only give you wet dreams instead of the actual thing! I am so sorry, please forgive me” he said it in a rush and the world stopped spinning as my eyes widened.

He couldn’t be right, right?

I looked at him, my brain trying to process the most devastating and shocking news.

He couldn’t give me children and yet that was not the most terrifying part of the news, it was that he never came to the room on our wedding night.

I stood up abruptly, my head already spinning.

Raphael stood up alongside me and tried to hug me but my hands were shaking and I needed to get away.

“ wait…wait” I said, closing my eyes and raising my hands to stop him from coming close to me.

The air that was supposed to reach my lungs felt like it was chocking me instead.

“ please, please! Say something” Raphael begged and I struggled to speak as tears left my eyes.

I placed my palm against my lips to stop myself from screaming.

How was I going to tell him that, if he was sure that he went to the bar and never came to the room then that meant that I had slept with a stranger and that I had cheated on him.

I wanted to break down and cry but at the same time, I wanted to disappear.

I silently turned away from Raphael but he came back to hold my wrist but I snatched it away from him.

“ please” I said it so quietly while closing my eyes.

I walked away from him, grabbing the car keys and driving out of the driveway.

I was in a state of shock and I didn’t have enough friends to start dialing up and screaming as confusion and agony overtook me.

I drove till I found myself pulling up to a bar, I didn’t bother to know what sort of bar it was, all I know was that I needed a drink.

I got into the bar and the stares I received rocked me to my bones but I was undeterred. The moment I settled down with a drink and some more in hand, my phone started to vibrate in my pocket.

I looked at the caller and it was Raphael, I ended the call and dropped the phone face down while I took another shot that made my eyes dance and see lights gather around me.

My phone rang again and I didn’t bother to look at the caller before answering the phone.

“ Don’t call me! Raphael! Don’t!” I yelled 

“ Raphael?” I heard the person say and then suddenly appear before me.

Even though I was drunk, I would know my hot boss anywhere.

“ Now,I’m jealous” he said and sat close to me.

I shifted but the more I shifted away from him, the more he followed me.

“ I have a question” he began and I didn’t know what to say.

“Do you really not remember or is this also a game?” he asked and I looked at him confused.

“ We fucked, Isabella. We had what is called…” he shifted closer to me and placed his hand softly against my lips as he brought his lips to my ears “ A one night stand” he whispered and when his hand grazed my collarbone softly, a memory that I had pushed to the back of my mind resurfaced and I moved away, toppling the chair and crashing my glass that still had drinks in them.

He chuckled.

“ I guess you remember” he said

But I was shaking my head because there is no way I just moved from the frying pan to the fire.