The next morning, Rafael woke up with a migraine.
He squinted his eyes as rays of sunlight from the window threatened to blind his eyes. He noticed the foreign scent that wrapped the bed beneath him first. A bed that felt nothing like his own.
He sat up with wonder and took a swift look at his surroundings. Rafael noticed a mop of brown hair on the pillow beside him and his eyes widened when he realised he was bare-chested.
“What is going on?” He wrecked his head for answers of how he got there but came up short.
Just then, Clarence turned around, still fast asleep and bare to her underwear. Rafael was shocked at the sight of his late wife’s sister who soundlessly slept beside him.
He jolted off the bed and sought for his clothes. Rafael found his clothes littered on the floor and reeking of alcohol. He quickly wore it, just in time for Clarence to wake up with a smile on her face.
“Where are you going? Come, come, it’s still too early.” She muttered from the bed, sat up and rubbed her eyes awake.
“What did you do?” His tone was cold and the anger was palpable in his face.
Clarence took a long look at him and smiled. “Don’t give me that look.” She cooed, “Did you forget how you made love to me some hours ago? You practically begged me to give it to you.”
Rafael froze at her words. “You liar.” He spat venom, “Tell me how I got here or I swear you will spend the rest of your life locked up in a prison cell.”
Clarence could tell he was not joking. The man before her could make her disappear if he so pleased. However, she refused to let all her hard work go down the drain.
“Do you think I wanted this?” She got up from the bed in her undergarments, unashamed as she spoke. “You called me last night. You sent me a text to meet you at the club.” She said with a pointed look.
Rafael felt his resolve waver. Did he do that? It felt like he was hit on the head with a hammer and couldn’t recall the events of the previous night. He went to the club and had a few glasses of drink. He didn’t remember anything else.
He hated drinking because of how useless he felt afterwards. He couldn’t even ascertain what he did and did not do because he was that much of a lightweight. When Clarence saw he was buying into her words, she continued.
“You were so drunk and I had to take you to my hotel room.” Rafael stiffened, refusing to believe the implications of her words. “I had intended to drop you here and pick a room of my own but you wouldn’t let me leave. You held me and forced me to the bed.”
“I tried to leave but you overpowered me and forced me to the bed.”
Rafael felt an overpowering feeling of self-disgust. His lips shook as he asked the question that rang in his head and mind, “Did… Did I r-rape you?”
Clarence looked into his eyes, her heart calculating as she said, “It shouldn’t be if I ended up liking it.” She said after some time and Rafael felt even more disgusted with himself.
“I-I” He could barely make out words to excuse himself. Not only had he cheated on his wife but he forced himself on his late wife’s sister and didn’t have the decency to remember a detail of the night.
He was the biggest scum on the earth!
Clarence made her way around him with a sober look on her face. “You don’t have to look so distraught. I already told you, it was easily the best night of my life.” Her eyes glowed as she reached for him. “Besides, it was my fault. If I hadn’t been so beautiful, you wouldn’t have-”
Rafael cut off her advances with a step away from her. “I am very sorry.” He said, unable to meet her eyes. “I take responsibility for my misbehaviour-”
“No,” Clarence interrupted, “I refuse to accept an apology for the beautiful night we shared.” She reached out to him once again. “I already told you I enjoyed it. Don’t mar the memory.”
Rafael stepped away from her. “I apologise.”
Before she could muster words to counteract his own, he picked up his phone on top of the drawers and left the room, feeling worse and hungover. Rafael tried to dial his driver but soon realised he had driven himself.
He swore when his phone battery went off and he did the walk of shame out of the hotel. Thankfully, he found a cab, boarded back to his house, and had one of his employees pay.
Unknown to him, his mother made an early stop in the house and was trying to get Luis to go with her. The young boy remained adamant and latched on June’s thigh.
“What is this?” Beatrice gasped, feeling frustrated at the sight before her. “You chose this woman over your mama? You disappoint me, Luis!”
“Do not speak to my son in that manner,” June said. “This is his home and your son did not inform me of this development.”
Beatrice wore an ugly look as she scolded June. “Such an uncouth and shameless woman! How dare you talk to an elder in such a manner? Did you forget your place or should I show you where you belong?”
“Do not take my silence for a fool, woman! Leave this family while you can and don’t cause a rift between me and my grandchild!” She shouted and June winced in pain at her tone.
Before she could say a word, Evelyn stepped into the sitting room with her stick in hand. Having watched their interaction in silence for the longest time, she couldn’t sit still and watch her daughter who had spent the entire night crying in her arms be scolded again.
“What do you have against my daughter?” Evelyn said with an equal frown on her face. “If your grandchild has refused to leave, you should accept it and move forward.”
“Is it a bug or a human speaking?” Beatrice retorted with blazing eyes. “How dare you show up here and sprout nonsense?!”
“You should be ashamed of yourself. A failure who could not secure her own company and a witless woman. Have you forgotten your position or do I need to remind you of your failures?”
“You should be happy that my son is housing you in his home! You beggars know nothing but leech off people like a parasite! Why can’t you leave my family alone?! Are we the cause of your misfortunes?!”
“MOTHER,” Rafael yelled as soon as he walked in and heard her words.
Beatrice turned with a furious look on her face. “What?!” She yelled back, at the peak of her anger. “Do not side with these mongrels and ask them to leave immediately!”
June scoffed at the sight of Rafael looking so unkempt. He didn’t have the decency to clean up before showing up in front of her. How did she get it all wrong with him?
The sight of him brought unshed tears but she suppressed it with every fibre of her being. She refused to let him see her weak from his discretions. She knew her worth and would not let a man’s choices define her.
“Please step aside for a minute,” Rafael said to his mother who couldn’t believe her ears.
“Are you choosing these people over me again?” She asked in an incredulous tone. “Do not insult me, Rafael! If I leave this house, do not come crawling back to me because I won’t listen then!” She warned.
Rafael felt lost. “You just need to take Luis. I will handle things here.”
Luis was stunned by his father’s words. He quickly refused. “I want to stay with my mother! I don’t want to leave!” His words shattered the remains of June’s heart.
She couldn’t imagine her life without the little one who was a ray of sunshine in her very dark life. She remembered the divorce papers sitting on her bed, signed with her name.
It was all coming to an end. Life as she knew it to be.
A frost covered Rafael’s face at his son’s protest. A heart-wrenching feeling encumbered him as he walked to his son, squatted to his height and whispered something in his ears.
The men shared an understanding look after their exchange. Luis stepped away from June and walked towards his grandmother, to the surprise of onlookers.
Beatrice smiled, happy to have her way. She turned to Rafael with parting words. “I hope you take out the trash before leaving. My grandson will not be allowed back until you have sorted this mess.”
With that, she stormed out of the house with Luis in tow. Soon enough, Evelyn stepped out of the sitting room, leaving June and Rafael in the living room alone.