Grant knew something was up, thinking it had to do with work. He supervised Tyson as he brushed his teeth and changed into his pajamas after dinner. He tucked him into bed and read to him. Being tired after the match, the boy slept off almost immediately before Grant even finished reading the second paragraph of the story.
Grant put off the main light in Tyson’s room, leaving only the yellow deemed light by the corner. He let himself out and went to look for Tasha.
On opening her study, he found her sitting on the window seat looking forlorn.
“What’s wrong?” He went to sit beside her. “Have you finished with your call?”
She said nothing and just looked on.
“Sweetie,” he laid a hand on her shoulder. “What’s wrong, are you having trouble with your publisher?”
“Don’t touch me!” She swatted his hand away. “Leave me alone.”
Surprised, he asked, “what is going on Tash? What happened?”
“Freda was here this evening,” Tasha leaned forward, her voice dripping with pain. “She told me, tell me it’s not true.”
“S-she,” Grant stuttered and gulped the air twice, feeling like he’d been punched in the gut. “Freda came here?”
“Oh, my goodness!” Grant stood up, running his hands through his hair. He felt cold all over. Freda had threatened him three days ago that if he didn’t own up after Forty-Eight hours, she would go to Tasha.
“Oh, my God!” Grant thought to himself. He assumed she was just bluffing, that she would never do that. Thinking she would be ashamed of the fact that she was older than him and also his boss in the office. Apparently, she meant it.
He went to sit beside Tasha. Shame burning in his face.
“Tasha, please,” he begged, reaching out to her. But she was having none of it. She pulled her hand away. “You’ve broken my trust, Grant. It’s over between us.”
“It was a mistake,” he knelt in front of her. “I am so sorry. I feel so ashamed right now. It will never happen again, I promise.”
“Of course, Grant,” Tasha leaned back in her seat , a cold smile spreading across her face. “It will never happen again. I have told you that before, I cannot never continue with a man who cheats on me. It doesn’t matter how many times.”
“But what about our wedding?”
“Don’t you ever talk to me about the wedding!” She growled angrily and shot to her feet. “Why didn’t you consider the wedding before sleeping with Freda?”
“I’m sorry,” he looked up into her eyes. “It was just sex. I was just once.”
“It’s over Grant,” she insisted. “Don’t you get it? It’s not about the number of times. It’s about you having sex with another woman when I have never denied you!”
“Oh God, Tasha, please,” he burst into tears of regret. “I am so sorry. Please forgive me.”
“I’m going to sleep in the guestroom tonight,” she started walking to the door, tears welling up in her eyes. “I need you to be gone from my house by the time I wake up in the morning.”
“Please don’t do this to me,” he walked up to her. “We can talk about this. I love you Tasha. I can’t live without you.”
“Oh, really.” She gave him a look that suggested he needed to have his head examined.
“I’m so sorry, Tasha,” he said, his voice cracking. “I never meant for this to happen.”
She said nothing and walked out of the room.
Grant leaned his back against the wall and cried. He didn’t know why he had sex with Freda that night. They were the only ones remaining in the office that evening. They had a drawing that was proving difficult, so she had suggested they both stay back to brainstorm about it.
It was still a shock for him to remember that he actually fucked her twice that night. He knew he was in a fix. He scrambled to his feet and ran after Tasha. But she had already locked the guest room door by the time he got there. He begged and begged her to open the door, but she didn’t budge.
In the room, Tasha sat on the bed crying her eyes out. She couldn’t believe that another man had torn her heart.
“Why are men so wicked?” She thought to herself, tears running down her cheeks. She was already envisioning a beautiful future with Grant; sharing love and creating fresh memories together. But now, that dream had already been truncated by Grant’s betrayal.
“What story am I going to tell people again?”
As she got under the covers, Tasha wondered if she could ever trust any man again. She wondered if she could ever find love in her lifetime.
*****
Grant walked into his office two hours late the following morning. Which was very unusual. He left Tasha’s apartment at 4:22 am with his suitcases and a few personal effects that he had in Tasha’s apartment. He wouldn’t have come to work at all if not for the meeting that had been slated for the afternoon.
As he took his seat and his eyes fell on Tasha’s pictures on his desk, it finally hit him like a ton of bricks; the love he shared with Tasha was finally over because of his irresponsibility.
The realization was so shattering, he sat on his chair dejectedly and smiled ruefully.
“What have I done!” He wailed and banged his desk. He stood up in fury and picked the first thing his hand came into contact with on the desk: a stapler.
He threw it across the wall in front of him. “Bullshit!” The stapler broke into two pieces as it hit the floor. He grabbed another thing, a penholder, and slammed the stainless steel container across the wall in front of him.
Tears of regret ran down his cheeks. He was about to throw another item when he came back to his senses and stopped.
He sat down slowly in his chair with his elbows on his desk and his palms covering his face.
He was in that position for a long time until one of the guys in his team knocked on his door and walked in to remind him of their meeting.