AUTHORS POV
SYDNEY STOOD TRANSFIXED TO THE spot on hearing what Gavin had said. She stared at Gavin whose back was turned to her with angst and pain.
Gavin continued, unaware of the fact that Sydney was behind him. ” I can’t talk about that now; when the time comes, we’ll figure it out. Avery… Avery, listen, I have to go now.”
He slid the phone into his pants pocket and sighed. When he turned around, he met the mortified gaze of Sydney.
His brows furrowed as he asked, ” Syd… What are you doing here?”
She stared up at him with anguish. What made her heart ache more was that she couldn’t make out a single emotion in his eyes. In a calm tone, she inquired. ” You want to tell the kids?”
” Yes Sydney, I’m going to let them know-”
She cut in, angry tears brewing in her eyes, ” And you didn’t feel the need to tell me.”
His lips curled into a sneer, ” So you’d beat me to it. What would you say? Well, let me guess. Your Daddy doesn’t love you. Daddy doesn’t give a damn about any of you. All he cares about is himself and everything related to ‘himself’. Huh, Sydney? Or is there any piece of your damned mentality I left out?”
” No, I guess you’ve said it all.” She said sardonically.
” Great, I shouldn’t have expected less from you. Maybe… Just maybe if you had listened to me or trusted me enough to tell me you weren’t satisfied with the love I showed you, things would have played out differently.
” Love? What love are you talking about Gavin? If you call lust or being a self-absorbed bastard who cares about nothing but himself love then you a very delusional man.”
Gavin’s sucked his teeth and clenched his fist, trying his best not to raise his hand at her. Her words send daggers to his heart. He tried to speak calmly but words began flying out of his mouth. ” Fine!” He barked and she flinched. ” Fine okay? I don’t just understand why you wouldn’t get out of my f**king life if you feel this way about me.”
He ran his fist through his hair and cursed loudly. His shaking fingers pointed at her, and he said frustratingly, ” You are not a wife. Do you want to know what you are?”
Sydney nodded in refusal, tears were streaming down her cheeks. He could hit her as much as he wanted because his words were far more painful.
” You are a shameful excuse of a woman. You are so pained and full of yourself, you refuse to see the people that truly care about you…”
Gavin continued ranting on and on about how she was a silly excuse of a woman. Sydney felt a pull and reached into her into her purse and pulled out a cigarette.
Gavin paused when she lit it up and put it in her mouth. He asked rhetorically, “What the f**k is that thing in your mouth?”
She shot him a look, ” You can go on to the party without me, I’ll be waiting in the car.” She began to walk away. He shouted at her to come back but she ignored him.
When she slid into the passenger seat, she stared ahead with tears trailing down her cheek.
A part of her believed Sofia’s words for a second. But no, she trusted Avery more than anyone even though Gavin shattered her heart into unredeemable pieces, Avery never would.
She shook her head. Avery would never betray her.
______________
Sydney pulled up in the parking space of Beverly Hills Country Club. Manicured emerald greens stretched across the sun-kissed landscape, punctuated by crystal-blue pools and cabanas. Majestic palm trees swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves rustling softly. The air was alive with the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the distant chirping of birds. Elegant estates and manicured hedges lined the periphery, exuding opulence and refinement. The soft glow of sunset casts a warm ambiance, inviting relaxation and luxury.
Sydney released a breath, donned a cap with a ” Life sucks” logo stitched on it. She got out of the car and straightened the sides of her tennis skirt.
She called Theresa a day ago and asked her if there was any chance of coming since she didn’t have any membership. Theresa said her husband, Hank, knew the president of the club, and he’d talk him into letting her stay.
” Your membership card?” The pointed nose doorman with a blonde goatee requested.
Sydney handed him the guest pass, and he scrutinized it before looking at her with a tight-lipped smile. ” You are Mrs. Reed?”
She hoped he wouldn’t tell her it was her. She hoped no one would, even if it was just for a day but she knew it was impossible. She was weary of being in the limelight all her life, with all the noise. All the boring parties. She thought of Gabriel and finally understood how good it would be sequestered from the world.
” Yes, I am.” She smiled wryly.
He handed her back the card and said, ” Welcome to Beverly Hills Country Club.” He lowered his voice, the stern comportment he’d pulled up a moment ago had disappeared now. ” I’m Terry Moss. No, bloody scandal disinterests me from a pretty face.”
Typical doormen tactics. ” Thank you, Terry, I beg to step in now.”
” Of course ma’am, no holds barred.” He smirked cheekily.
Sydney saw Theresa, alongside the women she’d see during evening tea in Theresa’s, sprawled on the chaise lounges under the pavilion.
” Ah! Chica,” Charlotte’s voice called. Immediately Sydney saw Charlotte, she was engulfed in a hug.
Construction sounds were coming from the old pool house that was being remodeled so Sydney had to raise her voice to speak. ” What a surprise.” She almost forgot how to smile properly.
Charlotte pulled away and air-kissed her. Her red hair was made into a chignon, which suited her perfectly. ” I should say the same. I never knew you attended country clubs.”
” Just trying new prospects.” She noticed the guy Charlotte was dancing with sipping wine while talking with Alfred. Charlotte was a delusional woman. Sydney thought. Sydney knew Charlotte was only with Alfred because of his money and Alfred had no issue with that. He was a lonely man who wanted someone around him.
” Oh, Yoo-hoo!” Veronica called, waving her hand, and gesturing for Sydney to join them.
Sydney turned back to Charlotte equally saw Veronica. ” You have to join them. I’m guessing they are your friends?” Charlotte said with a bit of uneasiness.
” Not exactly.”
” I’m also guessing the first word is redundant. Listen, darling, be careful. Those women could be a little too rabid.”
” All right, I’ll go to them now.”
Sydney walked to the ladies. Everyone except Theresa’s eyes gazed over Sydney’s stunning figure. They all wore a sports bra and mini sports skirt like she did but even they couldn’t deny it looked a million times better on Sydney.
” Join us while we recreate. We’ve only got thirty minutes before it’s the women’s match.” Theresa tapped the empty chaise lounge beside her.
Sydney dipped into it; a sigh escaped her lips before she could stop herself, causing Theresa to laugh. ” How often do you come here?” Sydney asked, relaxing in the comfort of the chair.
” Every Saturday. Sometimes I’d beg Hank to drop Authur off at school just to come here.” She chuckled. ” You came quite early, didn’t you take your kids to school?”
” Gavin dropped them off.”
” How sweet of him.” Theresa smiled and put on her sunshades. Sydney’s smile slipped off her face. She wondered why Gavin insisted on dropping them off. He hasn’t broken the news to Ethan and Emily yet.
She shook her head trying to dispel her thoughts away. He wouldn’t get into her head this time.
Sydney was silent as the women began gossiping about Alfred and Charlotte. Angelica asked Sydney if she’d caught Charlotte and Bruce doing the horizon mumbo. Sydney ignored her which made her blood boil. They continued spitting venom about Charlotte and Sydney wondered what the cause of the beef was.
” I pity Alfred at times for having such a bad taste in women,” Sandra whispered.
” Tell me about it. I heard their relationship died in a ditch.” Angelica predicated.
” I heard she ran off with her first love.” Theresa contorted while sucking a pineapple cocktail through a straw.
” I heard she killed herself!” Veronica chirped in and they all burst into laughter.
Samantha sighed and flicked a tear under her eyelid. ” Different stories yet only one truth. I wonder what actually went down with Mrs. Patel.”
Sydney wondered too. Mrs. Patel had been gone for over four years and still no news of her. She looked in the direction of where Alfred stood talking with Bruce. Her eyes widened slightly. This time he wasn’t talking with Bruce.
He was talking to the man who had saved her life twice. Gabriel.
Gabriel Patel?