If he weren't so aware, Conrad would have thought he was having a heart attack. He sat in his office at Grayson Global resting his hand on his chest. He could feel the erratic rhythm of his heartbeat. He felt the shortness of breath. He felt like he was dying, but he knew he wasn't that lucky.
For years he had fought a one sided battle, desperate to win her over. He never succeeded, a frustration that lead to his affair with Lydia. And yet today his wife had gone out of her way to celebrate their anniversary, a day that he couldn't even remember.
Had she been wearing a new dress? He would have remembered something as stunning as the vision of her in the dress. He had gotten a call from the country club notifying him of the new golf clubs that were supposed to be a surprise. He found the cuff links on the dashboard of the car, their birthstones lying next to one another. And that letter.
He ran his hand over the stained paper, following the trail of her cursive. Inside he found the letter that broke his heart. He kept picturing the flash of panic in her eyes when he grabbed the envelope. Why did he have to mock her? He knew that he should have given it back to her without even looking at it. And yet, had he done so he would have never been awakened to the reality of their situation.
His secretary notified him that Lydia was on the line. He made another excuse, which didn't fool his secretary so it wouldn't fool Lydia. He didn't care. He had never felt anything for Lydia that compared to Victoria. The simple fact was that Lydia was eager and although he knew it was wrong, she was a pawn in his battle with Victoria. He knew it would destroy her when she found out and yet he was unprepared for the damage it caused. He had never thought of Victoria as old, and had always known that Lydia could never compare to Victoria in terms of beauty. And yet he saw it written on his wife's face that she thought Conrad was seeking a younger mate. He would have laughed at such a ridiculous notion if Victoria hadn't been serious.
His phone beeped incessantly, and he knew before he looked at it that it was Lydia. He had often wished for Victoria to be more emotionally available, but Lydia's constant need for attention and approval made him grateful for Victoria. It drove him crazy, but she truly had class. Lydia, on the other hand had money but no class. His point was proven all over again when he checked his phone, finding naked pictures sent from Lydia. Instead of turning him on, the pictures were revolting to him. Why had he ever gotten involved with her?
Once he had started comparing the two, he couldn't stop. He couldn't help but remember how different the two women were in bed. Lydia was wild, loud and acted like she had something to prove.
Victoria, on the other hand, acted like the entire thing was a secret she was sharing with him and him alone. She was quiet, but moaned directly into his ear. After finishing, she wrapped her arms around him and held him in an embrace for a moment while her breathing steadied. He had forgotten how such small details could mean so much to him. He knew he needed to end things with Lydia. Even more, he needed to fix things with his marriage.
He left the office, wondering how he could ever make it up to Victoria. Would she ever overlook him forgetting their anniversary?
