An Affair
Basically, women are creatures of emotions. They really enjoy playing with their feelings. Beings who love to reminisce and bring up the past, and don’t forget, they can sometimes be vengeful.
Just like Anna Maria. All those traits are present in her. On one side, she could be a vindictive person. But when her good side prevails, she forgives and tries to forget whatever happened to her.
Like right now, for example. After getting into an argument with Kaivan yesterday that led to tears, this morning she still kindly prepared breakfast. Yes, even though that guy still ignored her.
However, it’s not Anne’s name if she gives up. This afternoon, she’s even still busy in the kitchen. Seriously cooking a meal for herself and Kaivan to have for dinner.
Anne even smiled contentedly when all the dishes she prepared were neatly laid out on the table. While waiting for Kaivan to come out of his room, she chose to freshen up.
At precisely 7:30 PM, Kaivan’s footsteps were heard leaving his room. Anne, who had returned to the dining room, watched how her husband walked, focused on buttoning up his leather jacket. He looked like someone getting ready to go out.
“You’re going out?” Anne deliberately asked, still chewing her food.
Kaivan heard the question and turned. Nodding slowly, he responded, “Yes, my friends invited me to a party at one of the nightclubs.”
Anne raised an eyebrow. Pausing her meal momentarily, she responded, “Aren’t you going to have dinner first?” She was still hoping that the guy in front of her would at least try the food she had painstakingly prepared. She was really curious if this time he would give it a taste.
“No.” Kaivan nodded confidently. Just from his expression, it was clear that he had no interest in the meal Anne had set on the table. “I’m in a hurry. I’ll eat your cooking another time,” he said and then left the room, adding, “I’m leaving now.”
Anne could only take a deep breath. Once again, she convinced herself to be patient. But on the other hand, she felt challenged to make him appreciate her more. Or at least acknowledge her presence in this world.
Meanwhile, when Kaivan arrived at the event venue, he was immediately welcomed by Veronica and her friends. They all mingled, celebrating the party with the guests who had arrived earlier.
“Veronica, don’t push me to drink too much. I’m driving myself tonight.”
“It’s nothing, Darling,” Veronica responded. She kept encouraging Kaivan to finish the whiskey in her hand. “After all, isn’t that why we’re here? To have fun?”
“Yeah…” Kaivan nodded. “But if I get drunk, I won’t be able to go home.”
Veronica just laughed. In reality, she did want to get him so drunk that he’d pass out. Once that happened, she could easily take Kaivan to her apartment.
And as she expected, after consuming more than eight glasses of whiskey, Kaivan appeared unsteady. His gaze was becoming blurry. Without hesitation, Veronica supported his body and quickly led him away from the party venue. She intended to take her lover to where her car was parked.
However, luck didn’t seem to favor Veronica tonight. Just as she was about to get Kaivan into her car, someone from behind called out.
“Veronica…”
The blonde woman reflexively turned around. Her eyes then fell on a strong-built man who was none other than Hans Ulrich. He smiled and confidently approached, even attempting to take control of Kaivan, who had been standing beside Veronica.
“Is Kaivan drunk?” Hans asked. “Let me take him back to the hotel.”
“No,” Veronica refused. “Kaivan’s going with me. I’ll take him home-”
“To your apartment?” Hans guessed.
“To-”
“Yeah, I’m sure you want to take him to your apartment, right?” Once again, Hans interrupted, as if he could read Veronica’s thoughts. “Never act recklessly by taking Kaivan to your place. You must remember, the man next to you is now a married man. What you do could ruin his career.”
“But, Hans…”
Hans shook his head. “Do you want Kaivan’s reputation to be destroyed because of your actions?”
Veronica fell silent, unsure how to respond.
“So, it’s better if I take Kaivan home. You can see him at the office tomorrow.”
Veronica nodded resignedly, letting Hans take over Kaivan. Hans helped Kaivan into the car and drove him back to his residence.
****
Anne could distinctly hear the sound of the door being slammed shut. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, it was already 2 AM. She quickly got up, tiptoed over, and peeked through the door to see what was happening.
Her eyes widened when she saw Kaivan stumbling into the room. His face was even flushed. It was clear he was heavily intoxicated.
Worried, Anne approached and reached out to support Kaivan. She helped him into the bedroom, guiding him to lie down.
“Goodness, you’re really drunk,” Anne commented.
With what little consciousness he had left, Kaivan tried to respond. He struggled to open his eyes. “Not really. I can still see clearly what you’re wearing right now.”
Anne smirked teasingly. “Oh, really?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “You’re wearing a pink satin nightgown, right?”
The scent of alcohol hit Anne’s nose when Kaivan spoke. Not only that, as she helped him change his clothes, she could smell a distinct feminine perfume on his clothes and skin.
“You’ve been having fun, it seems. Making trouble for me,” Anne grumbled, helping him change while she muttered. “You know what? When you’re drunk like this, it reminds me of something from a while ago when we first met.”
“It’s pointless to remind me. I still don’t remember anything. Or maybe we never met before?” Kaivan suggested.
Anne fell silent, deciding to end their conversation. After making sure Kaivan was in his pajamas, she intended to leave. But just as she was about to step away, Kaivan suddenly gripped her wrist tightly, pulling her into his embrace.
“Kai, what are you doing?”
“Shhh…” Kaivan hushed her, not letting her ask too many questions. “I like your perfume tonight,” he said in his raspy voice.
“Kai, I need to go.” Anne tried to break free from his embrace, but he didn’t let go. Instead, he leaned in, pressing his lips against Anne’s soft pink ones.
This surprised Anne, especially when he boldly moved his lips against hers, savoring the various sensations.
“Don’t you want to return my kiss?” Kaivan whispered, wiping his lips, wet from the kiss. “Isn’t this what you often do to me?”
Goodness!
Almost Anne cursed.
“Kai, you’re drunk,” Anne whispered. Don’t ask about the state of her heart right now. Her heartbeat couldn’t even cooperate properly. Especially when Kaivan drew nearer, closing the distance between them.
“I told you, I’m not drunk,” the man firmly said, for the umpteenth time.
Anne even thought that it was all over. But her guess turned out to be wrong. After speaking, Kaivan leaned in again, resuming the kiss, even more demanding than before. He kept trying to tease, compelling Anne to respond to his actions.
“Kaivan, stop!” Anne immediately pulled away, struggling to push her husband’s body. She put in all her effort to break free from his grasp until she finally succeeded. “It’s better for you to rest.” Anne warned.
With an annoyed expression, she walked towards her room. Once on the bed, she closed her eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to dispel the strange sensations. Why was she feeling so nervous? Normally, without any hesitation, Anne would often playfully tease Kaivan until he got irritated. But now, why was it the opposite? Besides, why was Kaivan suddenly acting like this?
Ah, I’m sure that damn man is heavily drunk. There’s no way he would kiss me like that while being conscious. Anne continued to reassure herself, trying to dismiss the incident as a mere coincidence.
****
This was probably the umpteenth morning that Anne busied herself in the kitchen. Somehow, she found herself spending more and more time there. There always seemed to be new dishes she wanted to cook.
As usual, after finishing cooking all the dishes, Anne tasted them. Sitting calmly in the dining room, she waited for Kaivan to come out of his room.
However, nearing 9 AM, he still hadn’t emerged. Worried that something might have happened, Anne decided to check for herself what was going on with her husband.
Slowly but surely, Anne made her way to Kaivan’s room. She knocked, hoping he’d quickly open it. However, after several attempts, she received no response. Curious, she turned the doorknob and opened the door slowly, peeking inside to see if he was still in bed.
To her surprise, Kaivan wasn’t there. His bed was neatly made. Had he gone to work? But when? Why hadn’t Anne noticed at all?
In an attempt to confirm her guess, Anne even asked Meggy directly. Kaivan’s personal assistant happened to be delivering clean clothes to his room.
“Have you seen my husband?”
The assistant immediately looked up. “Mr. Kaivan is in his office, ma’am.”
Anne raised an eyebrow in surprise. It wasn’t usual for him to leave for work so early.
“Is there an important task he’s working on?”
Meggy, who had just finished tidying up the clothes in the walk-in closet, approached. She walked over to Anne, who was sitting on the sofa.
“There’s an important guest coming today. Mister Kaivan wants to personally welcome his business colleague as a sign of respect. From what I’ve seen, he was even in such a hurry he didn’t have time for breakfast.”
Anne nodded in understanding. Finally, she knew why her husband hadn’t been around since morning. After Meggy left, she hurriedly returned to the kitchen. She prepared a special meal to take to Kaivan’s office on the 10th floor.
She was very confident that he would eat the food she cooked this time. Before this, Anne had intentionally contacted Laura, asking her mother-in-law about Kaivan’s favorite dishes. She wanted to know what he liked.
“Are you sure you want to cook for Kaivan?” Laura confirmed. She was unsure if Anne, who used to be a famous model, should go through the trouble of preparing food for her eldest son. After all, Laura knew that Kaivan paid a lot for a personal chef to prepare his meals.
“Of course, I’m sure, Mom,” Anne replied over the phone. “I’m just curious about Kaivan’s favorite dishes. Who knows, I might be able to cook something special for him.”
“Can you cook?” Laura asked once again, confirming.
“Mom, don’t worry. I’m used to it. Cooking is even one of my hobbies. That’s why I want to prove my cooking skills to Kaivan.”
Through the phone, Laura’s laughter could be heard. “Alright, now grab some paper and a pen. I’ll tell you what Kaivan’s favorite dishes are and how to cook them.”
From this conversation, Anne finally learned that the fierce Kaivan had a penchant for Fettuccine. A pasta dish that was an Italian specialty.
After cooking according to Laura’s recipe, Anne quickly plated the food into a lunch box from the storage cabinet. She decorated it meticulously before getting ready to deliver the meal.
With determined steps, Anne carried the lunch box to Kaivan’s office. Finding his secretary absent from her post, Anne decided to open the door herself.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.
However, what Anne discovered was a shock. Right in front of her eyes, she saw Kaivan and Veronica kissing. They were engaged in an intimate embrace, with Veronica even attempting to undo the buttons of Kaivan’s shirt one by one.
For a moment, Anne froze in place. Her piercing gaze remained fixed on the scene before her. Even the young couple didn’t notice when Anne stepped in. She cautiously approached Kaivan’s desk, then forcefully placed the lunch box she had brought onto it.
“Both of you are shameless!”
Hearing Anne’s voice, Kaivan and Veronica, who had been lost in each other, suddenly snapped out of it. They both turned their heads toward the source of the sound.
“Anne…” Kaivan couldn’t hide his surprise.
“I thought you intentionally came down early in the morning because you wanted to meet some important guest, as Meggy mentioned,” Anne sneered. Her tone clearly carried a mixture of annoyance and disgust after witnessing what she had just seen. “Turns out the important guest you were welcoming is this cheap tramp.”
“You damn woman!” Veronica fumed. She felt offended when Anne openly mocked her. “You’re the tramp,” she pointed right at Anne’s face. “Not me!” she continued.
“Disturbing a man who’s clearly married, what do you call that if not being a tramp?” Anne asked. She took slow steps forward, intending to position herself not far from where Kaivan and Veronica were sitting.
“Just so you know, I was closer to Kaivan first. We were even in a serious relationship for a long time before you came and messed everything up!”
Anne laughed. She felt provoked by what she just heard. “Being close is pointless. Being in a long relationship is also pointless if in the end, Kaivan chose to marry me. That means you have no value in his eyes whatsoever.”
“You-”
“What?” Anne interrupted. She was determined not to back down this time. “You don’t like being called a tramp? Then what should I call you?” Besides, I suggest you leave now. Before I take strict action that might make you regret it later.”
Veronica didn’t care. She intentionally turned her body, positioning herself again to cling to Kaivan’s neck. This action triggered emotions in Anne.
With a hateful look, the tall woman approached. Without warning or hesitation, she reached out and pulled Veronica’s hair, which was flowing freely. Anne separated the woman from her husband’s body.
“Anne, damn it! Let go of me!” Veronica screamed loudly. She kept trying to reach Anne’s wrist, which was gripping her hair.
“Stop, Anne!” Kaivan stood up. He reproached his wife for her actions.
But it seemed to be in vain, Anne didn’t care. She seemed deaf to reason. She kept pulling Veronica’s hair forcefully towards the door.
“I swear I’ll do something more than this if you don’t leave right now!”
“Kai, it hurts…” Veronica whispered softly. Still in a position where her hair was being pulled by Anne, she pleaded for help. Kaivan felt pity and walked closer to his wife.
“Anne, let go of Veronica!” Kaivan tried to grab Anne’s wrist to release Veronica’s hair.
“I won’t,” Anne stubbornly refused. She skillfully swatted away her husband’s hand. “Tell your tramp to leave or I’ll drag her out of this room and show everyone what the two of you just did.”
Kaivan grumbled in frustration. He felt trapped in an awkward situation now. Even though he felt sorry for what happened to Veronica, he couldn’t do anything after hearing his wife’s threat. So, all he could do was persuade his date to leave.
“I beg you to comply with her request.”
“Kai!” Veronica protested in disbelief. Her eyes showed her irritation. Instead of defending her, Kaivan was asking her to leave.
Anne then released her grip on Veronica’s hair. She pushed the woman to leave her husband’s office.
“Once again, if I see you bothering Kaivan, I won’t just pull your hair, I’ll separate you from your own life!”
Veronica left, visibly embarrassed and unable to do anything against Anna Maria.
Meanwhile, after seeing Veronica leave the room, Kaivan immediately grabbed Anne’s wrist. He pushed her body against the wall and locked her in.
“I’ve told you many times, don’t interfere with my affairs. Why do you become more irritating with each passing day, huh?”
Anne grimaced. Shortly after, she gave a mocking smile.
“You saw it for yourself, right? How you warned me not to do anything that could embarrass you as a husband. But look at today, who’s the one breaking their own words? Not to mention shamelessly displaying their own foolishness.”
“Anne!” Kaivan clenched his jaw. His hands balled into fists, trying to control his emotions. “You don’t have to correct my behavior.”
“What?” Anne raised her eyebrows. In a matter of seconds, she placed her hand gently on Kaivan’s jaw.
“Don’t get too involved. Even though we’re husband and wife, you’re still nothing to me!”
Anne nodded. In a matter of moments, she pushed Kaivan’s body to release her from his grip.
“Alright… starting from now, I won’t care about whatever you do. It’s up to you how you want to behave. And remember! Never interfere with my affairs either.”