Midnight Tequila | Holy Trinity

Chapter Eight

Cate Blanchett

The city was about to kiss the end of its night. The city lights were full, almost blinding against the glass wall of my condominium. It all happened so fast and I, still on the edge to whether I'd believe that it did happen or not. The view up here, seeing all the lights decorating the whole city was calming, but the state that I was in wasn't calming at all. I couldn't stomach the thought of being betrayed. The whole betrayal itself still felt like a goddamn joke, as if I was being pranked. It felt like I have been slapped by something I wanted, that even if it pained the hell out of me, it still felt okay.  I have had my instinct, but I never got to the point where I questioned Sandra, because I loved her, and I trusted her so much. But what I saw on her porch made everything full of sense. Although, I didn't hear their conversation, but the actions being inculcated in the scene was enough. I shook my head as I emptied the scotch on my glass. It tasted differently now, it felt heavy and stingy as it passed down my throat, but nothing could ever surmount the pain in my heart. People said that heartbreaks were called as such because you could feel your heart breaking to million specks of dust, but why did I feel like it's not just my heart? My whole body, my entirety was crushed and I had seen a flash of my own self holding the shards of my heart on the floor. Damn it. When Andrew ruined our marriage by being unfaithful, the pain was different. But now, being betrayed for the second time around felt like a bomb. Perhaps, I was meant to be betrayed; I was just utterly in love to think that Sandra couldn't do it for me, because after all, she wasn't Andrew. She was different; she didn't abuse me physically, and she was soft, gentle and she loved me. At least, those attributes made me think that she would never do what Andrew did to me, but she still did.

I sighed, an exasperated one as I trudged my way back to the kitchen, when my doorbell rang. I knew it was her and I knew I shouldn't be opening the door. But her multiple attempts and the way she's calling my name from the outside made me walk back towards my front door and I opened it.

"I love you."

It was the first thing she said. And I was right, it was her. She stood there, messy hair, clothes damp as if she just ran under the drizzle. She looked devastated, and she was crying. Her tears kept on falling as we both stood apart, in front of each other.

"I love you,.." she spoke again, this time her voice was more desperate, "I don't wanna lose you." She choked on her own words as she tried to numb her sobs.

"I can't think whether I'll believe you or not."

"Cate..." Sandy held my hands, clutching as if her life had to depend on it, and I watched her as she knelt in front of me, "Give me another chance. Hear me out. Let me explain." She begged.

Looking at her state broke my heart. Despite the fact that she betrayed me and it did shatter me and did wreck me into pieces, my love for her still weighs everything down. I couldn't seem to ignore her pleas and so I have found myself ushering her inside.

"She raped me."

I looked at her in disbelief. What? How could Sarah do that to her? Why? My head was bombarded with all the questions and as I continued to listen, I found myself crying.

This couldn't be.

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Cate went out of her car as soon as she parked outside of Sarah's property. To say that she was furious was an understatement. Her blood boiled and her heart sunk as she heard  Sandy's stories. Her heels clunk on the pavement with every step she took and each step felt so heavy that she had to ball her fists to somehow have some weight to counterbalance everything.

"Catherine, what brings you---"

Sarah, who was standing on her porch wasn't able to finish what she was about to say when Cate handed her a crisp slap. Sarah's face flew on the other side, and without recovering yet from the first slap, Cate gave her another slap on her other cheek.

"What the hell?!" Sarah blurted angrily, spitting as blood gushed out of her gums, her face was so red and Cate's hand had been printed unto her cheeks.

"You are a pig! A fucking pig!" Cate countered back, eyes full of hatred as she pushed Sarah, "This is for making my lover suffer, and for staining her individuality with your grossness!" And before Sarah could even stand up, Cate straddled her and gave her another slap, "And this is for ruining our friendship!" She hissed as she rushed out a spit on Sarah.

Cate sighed as she stood up. She watched Sarah half-lying on the pavement with her face painted with shock and horror. It took a few minutes before Sarah gathered her courage to look up the very angry Cate who was towering over her.

Sarah wiped Cate's spit on her face as she stood up, "Is that what she told you?" She scoffed and laughed. "I pity you, Catherine. I pity you so much because look at how devastated you are. Do you really believe what Sandra had told you? Because as far as I know, we are having an illicit affair. We have done a lot of clandestine meetings. Do you remember how uncomfortable she was when the three of us met? Well, that's because she's guilty." Sarah smiled, "And if I did rape her, why didn't she tell you? She told you that I raped her because you caught us. She's telling you she is sorry because you caught our erotic show." Sarah inched closer that Cate had to back away, but she held Cate's neck, bringing her lips unto the blonde's ear, "I am telling you, she wanted it. She craved for it."

Cate's mouth hung open as she absorbed everything. She was in between to whether she should believe her or not. She shook her head as she watched Sarah waved her a goodbye, before she went inside the house leaving Cate dumbfounded outside.

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