Black Swan's

The Affair (One Hundred Thirty)

            Scout closed his presentation today with a satisfied face that looked sparkling. He seems to have gained all his confidence because he is very confident in the design he offers to Aciel. The man had not interjected or scrunched his forehead as he had done two days ago. This time Aciel Lutherford looked more satisfied when he saw the results of his stunning design. Even according to him the design this time is the best among the previous designs.

        After returning home from Sian's house, he immediately took his drawing paper and continued drawing until three. He did not stop at all to scratch the pencil onto his drawing paper while imagining Olivia's face dancing inside his head. Now that he knows, the source of all his power is Olivia. So whatever way he has to get Olivia into his grasp, even if it has to hurt Sian though.

            Scout smiled faintly towards Sian who looked less focused this afternoon. Somehow, Scout realized that Sian frowned many times and shook his head in a strange motion.

            “Yesterday we have spoken to mr. Adam is the architect who will handle the factory. And so far he likes whatever your idea is. So in his absence today, I guess mr. Adam will still approve of the new design you submitted today, mr. Voyage.” said Aciel broke the silence between the three of them. “Although you completely changed it from your previous design, I personally prefer your design today.”

            “Thanks mr. Lutherford, I received a lot of input from mr. Markle during my visit to her house last night.”

            “So you guys are getting more familiar now? It was good.” deham Aciel while glancing at Sian who did not pay too much attention to his words. Since yesterday he saw Sian constantly daydreaming and not focusing on his work. Every time he asked the reason, the man twitched more and fled from his interrogation. Obviously Sian was facing something difficult right now. But according to her conjecture, it wasn't about Olivia and Scout. Or maybe not yet. At the moment Sian did not know the truth was happening. But soon the man will find out.

            “Can we close the meeting today?”

            “Oh course. Sorry because I think I'm a little out of focus today.”

            “You can go home after this, Sian. I don't want to see a fucked up job because you have a problem.” said Aciel calmly, trying not to look like an evil boss who would be impressed like cornering Sian in front of Scout.

            “Are you going straight back to Miami, mr. Voyage?” tanya Aciel turned to Scout who was cleaning up his sketch papers.

            “I rented an apartment in Vegas. I'll stay here as long as this project goes on.”

            Aciel was quite surprised by the new news. Scout will stay here until the project is complete. The construction of the plant can be completed in more than five months. And if the man was here, he was worried that it would be a great quarrel between Sian and Scout.

            “I don't think you need to force yourself to stay away from your family. I do not demand you to always supervise the process of working my factory.” said Aciel still calm. Occasionally Aciel glanced at Sian who looked so agitated in his chair. The man wanted to hurry out, but he had to wait for him who was still chatting with Scout.

            “You can leave this room, Sian. Rest at home.”

            After giving a sideways gesture, Sian immediately stepped out of Aciel's room and closed the door quietly.

            Meanwhile, Aciel resumed his conversation with the pending Scout. This opportunity could be used by Aciel to extract Scout's personal information that he had never known before.

            “You don't have to worry about that, mr. Lutherford. I'm a free man who's single. No family at all in Miami.”

            “For that reason you are free to go anywhere?”

            “That's. To be honest I want to have a sweet family like yours.”

            Aciel. It's catchy. He never thought his family looked so amazing out there that someone like Scout who might have never thought of having a family at first, suddenly had a thought of having a wife and children. “Why do you want to have a family like mine?”

            “Your family looks great. I'm so looking forward to the times when I've bent my knees on one woman. I will give my whole soul and body to that woman until I no longer have any reason to glance at another woman.”

            “You need a long process for it.” comment Aciel lightly. The man has no idea what he missed to get Eden so far. And if the man does want it, then playing with Olivia is the way the man should go. But of course he never agrees if his best friend's life is disturbed by a cunning man like Scout. He did not hesitate to take out his power if at any time it was necessary to help the Sian family.

            “I've often heard that Vegas women are awesome, so I want to try my luck here.”

            Unknowingly Aciel clenched his hand behind the table. It's not that he's stupid for not being able to catch Scout's point. The man has turned into a madman and wants to snatch Olivia from Sian after tasting Olivia's body for the night.

            “Only if you are lucky, mr. Voyages. Vegas women sometimes are not as easy as it looks.”

            “But I'm optimistic enough to get it. Thanks for your response today. Nice doing business with you.”

            Aciel stared at Scout's helping hand for a few seconds before he reached out to shake it. May this business relationship not turn into a terrible civil war, Aciel thought grimly.

-00-

            “Goodnight, dad.”

            Olivia turned off the sleep mixture next to her and kissed Sian softly on the forehead before immersing herself in the blanket. It felt like today he had missed the most emotionally draining difficult things of all time. When he returned home ushered by Eden, it turned out that Sian had also come home and would enter their home.

While frowning his forehead in wonder, Sian looked towards him, then towards Eden who seemed to be in a hurry for having an appointment with Laila. But what made Olivia hold her breath nervously was when Sian noticed her stomach intensely for a while. They were actually just standing opposite each other on the terrace for three minutes before Sian walked over and gave him a soft peck on his cheek. Really, he was almost dead when he was stared so intensely by Sian. He thought Sian had found out and the man tried to observe the shape of his stomach that had not yet protruded behind the loose shirt he was wearing.

            “Olive..”.

            “Hmm...” while still turning her back on Sian, Olivia muttered softly and waited for her husband to say something to her. The drowsiness that had once crept into his eyes, became lost instantly as Sian with an unexpected movement had hugged his body tightly and placed his palm over his still flat stomach."

            “Are you tormented by my circumstances?”

            “No.” reply Olivia tensed. A gentle swab on her stomach made Olivia's entire abdominal muscles stiffen and ache. The swab aroused Olivia's nervousness, so that now she felt tremendous pain due to her stiffening abdominal muscles.

            “You've compromised too much since we got married. Sometimes I feel guilty for you.”

            “Do not think like that.” deny Olivia fast. Want it to feel he broke away from the crib of Sian and his elusan which increasingly makes his stomach pain. She once read a pregnancy book, if a woman is too tense, it can trigger contractions in her uterine muscles as well. And now he feels like his uterine muscle symptoms are contracting because slowly his lower abdomen is like being squeezed strongly by something invisible. But he must not let Sian be suspicious of his condition. He had to make Sian immediately end this conversation and let him relax for a while.

            “Sleep, it's night.”

            “Olive, do you want to have another baby?”

            Olivia was increasingly unable to relieve the tension that had spread throughout her body. Question Sian, it triggers tension that is getting worse until unknowingly Olivia has moaned because her stomach is getting sicker.

            “I don't think it's a bad idea.” reply Olivia raucous. He really wanted to cry now because of the pain he was in.

            On the other hand Sian felt that his wife was hiding something. Realizing the strangeness of his wife, Sian immediately got up and turned on the sleeping lamp next to him to check the situation of Olivia who was just silent stiff next to him.

            “Olive, what's wrong with you.”

            “Aa I'm okay.”

            “You sure?”

            Olivia nodded stiffly while trying to hide her face from Sian. He was afraid that the man would notice the expression of his pain and also the tears that had welled up in his eyes because he was so tormented with painful squeezes in his lower abdomen.

            “Olive, why wet?”

            Sian felt his feet touch something wet near his wife's feet. He then turned on his night light and quickly revealed the white blanket that had buried Olivia's tiny body completely.

            “Blood!” pekik Sian was shocked. As fast as lightning he flipped his wife's face and found the beautiful face looking pale like a corpse. Without waiting for anything else, Sian immediately moved quickly by lifting Olivia's body towards the car.

            “Aa I'm okay.” said Olivia raucous. But Sian did not care at all and immediately put Olivia into the car without a word. He is currently scared. The memory of him taking Eden to the hospital made Sian really anxious at the condition of his wife. Moreover, Olivia looks very similar to Eden who at that time also bleed a lot because of bleeding in her womb,

            Womb.... Sian immediately recalled the testpack he found in Olivia's closet drawer. Rigidly, Sian glanced at Olivia for a moment who was currently enduring the pain in the passenger seat. The woman's face was pale and covered in a lot of sweat on her forehead. Sian then gulped his saliva roughly. His wife was hiding something from him. If Olivia was okay, she would not suddenly have any bleeding. And if Olivia wasn't pregnant, she couldn't possibly hide two testpacks with positive results in her closet drawer. Sian felt really afraid to imagine all the things that were currently in the middle

it's running into his brain. That prejudice... He hoped that everything never happened. He hopes that Olivia is only experiencing menstrual cycle disorders, and not having a miscarriage due to pregnancy.

            “My wife is bleeding!”

            Sian screamed in panic as soon as he arrived at the Vegas central hospital. Coincidentally as he ran into the loby, Sian passed Nathan who was just about to go home. Nathan's tired face turned into a surprised face when he found his friend was running around in panic while holding his wife who was bleeding.

            “What's up?”

            “Please save Olivia, she's in pain and bleeding.”

            “Quickly take it to the ER, I will check it out soon.”

            In the midst of the panic that was sweeping Sian, Olivia actually cried in silence while staring at the panicked face of her husband who looked chaotic. Soon all his secrets will be revealed. And soon he will face the real household hell.

-00-

            The silence surrounded the emergency room as Olivia opened her eyes and saw Nathan putting an infusion on the back of her hand.

            “You're strong.”

            “I know.” replied Olivia Shrivelled. Her chest was rumbling noisily now, feeling like it was about to break out of its sockets along with Olivia's thoughts regarding the Sian's reaction after this.

            “You will be moved to the treatment room after this.”

            “Wait!” Olivia instantly blocked Nathan's wrist when the man nearly closed the curtain beside her and was about to walk out. “Don't tell anything to Sian.”

            “You must be kidding.” reply Nathan tried to be funny. He was smiling strangely teasing Olivia, but a second later he realized that Olivia was not in joking mode. “You're pregnant, and Sian can't know?”

            “I will say it after being moved to the treatment room.”

            “You sure?” ask Nathan sansi. He did not see the happy look in Olivia's eyes. It was precisely the depressed face that was clearly plastered in front of her with faint visible tears along Olivia's smooth cheeks.

            “Very sure.”

            “Then what should I say to Sian?” ask Nathan stupid. Olivia threw her sharp gaze towards Nathan.

            “Tell me anything you can say other than the topic of my pregnancy.”

            “You're fierce. What's wrong with you, Olive?” Nathan's hand was raised to caress Olivia's hair slowly. The relationship between the two of them was like a pair of brothers and sisters. Since first meeting Olivia, Nathan had great sympathy for Olivia's persistence. And when she sees Olivia finally finding the right man for her, she is thrilled. She repeatedly kissed Olivia's cheeks when she told her she was getting married to a kind man who had given her one eye. It was the happiest news Nathan had ever heard other than the birth of his son. She used to think Olivia would live on her own for the rest of her life without a man glancing at her because she was blind. But thank God Sian is not that kind of man. Sian was more than able to see the hidden goodness behind the disability Olivia had.

            “I have a problem with Sian.”

            “What serious?”

            “Very serious.”

            “He won't let you get pregnant?”

            “Not.”

            “Then what?” nathan asked as he looked at Olivia, who had shown a flat face with an answer that was too cold.

            “I'm not sure you'll believe it if I tell you.”

            “I don't trust you. I believe in God.” added Nathan sucks. “This talk really irritates me.” Nathan eerily with an annoyed face. He ruffles his coarse hair in front of Olivia, then he immediately moves away from Olivia to have the nurse move Olivia to the nursery.

            “Tell me if you're ready.”

            “Thanks.”

            “Sama-sama.”

            After Nathan died, Olivia chose to tilt her body to the right. In the silence that surrounded her, Olivia stared at the white wall in front of her silently, then she closed her eyes in sadness and cried again. After this Sian would definitely hate him. That's what keeps dancing in Olivia's fragile mind. He is not ready to admit it all. He felt pain imagining Sian who would later look at him with a look of disappointment because it had been careless to produce a life in his stomach.

            Unknowingly Olivia clutched her own stomach and growled furiously. He hated that baby! He wanted the baby dead right now! With a feeling of anger, Olivia continued to grip her stomach tightly until her handbooks turned white. He did not care about the pain that increasingly hit his stomach because of the insistence of his own hands were so ambitious to kill the baby.

            “What are you doing, Olive?”

            Olivia was shocked by the sound. Shakingly he removed his hand from his stomach and placed it next to his other hand, which was bending near his head. His back was currently burning hot from the gaze of Sian he could feel even though he was currently turning his back on the man. Then a rough sigh of Sian sounded blowing many times behind him. Without Nathan to explain, Sian would have known. He wasn't a stupid guy yesterday afternoon, who couldn't see the signs of a pregnant woman.

            “Already since when?”

            Olivia closed her eyes heavily, then opened them again with a sad feeling. “What?” answer Olivia raucous.

            “You hid this from me? How long has it been?”

            Olivia could hear the angry shakes of Sian's dangerous tone behind her. And so he did not want to turn around. He was afraid to see Sian's terrible anger.

            “Can you explain to me why you're hiding this from me?”

            Sian threw two testpacks at Olivia who was still turning her back. His rude attitude made Olivia even more afraid to face Sian. But then he began to raise his heart if all this was to be faced. This was a risk he had to accept from all his indiscretions.

            “Sorry.”

            “I don't need your sorry words.”

            As Olivia turned around, Sian's face looked so chaotic and messy. There were blood spots on some sides of his pajamas that had tangled here and there. Then his hair that is usually neatly combed, now looks very messy with the remnants of the panic that is also still printed clearly on Sian's face. The man was worried about her. But then he had to swallow the bitter pill because his wife was hiding something from him.

            “I want to know the truth. Why can you get pregnant, whereas... whereas.” Sian could not continue his sentence. The man actually cried in front of Olivia who now felt so sick to see the sadness printed clearly on Sian's face.

            “I'm sorry, Sian. I didn't mean to betray you.”

            “Then what is this? You went looking for warmth from another man because I couldn't give it to you, so did you!” snapped Sian hard. Olivia was only able to close her eyes tightly. He really could not imagine how the response of doctors and nurses who were standing guard at the front desk. They could hear their quarrels clearly.

            “I can explain. I'm not that generous, Sian.” great-granddaughter Olivia while holding back the sobs that almost spilled.

            “But all of this actually proves how cheap you are, Olive.” hiss Sian is dangerous like a snake. The man was like he was about to spew hot lava like an erupting volcano. Angry, sad, and betrayed, all mixed into one on his chest. He thought his wife was an innocent innocent woman who would never betray him, but he was wrong. He didn't really know his wife very well all this time.

            “Please your voice, Sian. They can hear your screaming voice.” Olivia's thoughts full of pleading.

            “Fuck with them. Quickly explain to me, *****!”

            Olivia felt her tears melt as Sian insulted her so harshly. But he himself could not do anything to save his pride that had been torn because of his carelessness in the past. “It's an accident. I accidentally slept with another man while drunk.”

            “Lying! You must have done it when I went to the office. And you never drink alcohol.”

            “Entertainment!” answer Olivia exasperated. Anger also began to ignite his heart, and now he became even more cynical towards Sian. “I was drunk accidentally in Miami, do you remember? Company party?” lure Olivia with hunting breath. He wants Sian to remember the incident again, then realize the lies he used to deceive the man.

            “That night you disappeared, and I looked everywhere for you until I was tired and fell asleep in the room. You said you fell asleep in the sauna. You lied to me? You turned out to go have fun with other men while I was busy worrying about you.” accuse Sian of wrath.

            Olivia did not know if the ridiculous reason now turned to attack him. He thought this fetus would not grow, so he deliberately made up a story about his stupidity in front of Sian the next morning after he managed to escape from the arms of the disgusting man. If he knew everything would go badly, he would not dare tell Sian a lie. As much as possible he would be frank with Sian and make the man trust him if he was not a bad woman. She is an innocent woman who has been framed by a devious man named Scout Voyage.

            “I was drunk and framed until I was not aware of what I was doing.”

            “And you didn't say honestly to me.” angered Sian with a thunderous voice. “You must have been playing with fire too behind me when I wasn't home? Huh, the basis of ******! You have deceived all of us with your innocent face that is disgusting.”

            “I never want to cheat you.” reply Olivia defend yourself. He could not stand all the insults that Sian kept on showing him because the man was emotional. “I was framed by Sc...” Olivia reflexively stopped her sentence and turned frantic as Sian stared at him sharply.

            “Who? Who set you up?”

            “I don't know. I don't remember.”

            “Huh, lie! If you don't want to tell him, I'll find him myself. I'll ask the man if you were really framed by him or if you did feed your body to him willingly.” said the last Sian before he left Olivia alone with a heartbreaking sobbing.

            In the midst of the silence of the room, Olivia shivered to herself while hugging her body. Tonight he has got a tantrum from Sian. Then tomorrow? He would still get a cynical look from those closest to him. Nathan, Laila, Jessica.

            “I'm sorry, Sian. I'm sorry.”