Chapter 8: How To Control Madness

Sybil had the maids clean her house from top to bottom, the diner staff has the food cooked to the highest temperature, and her stunning home to show off. Honestly, she liked her old home better but that was the one right next door to Bonnie's; this time around they needed distance. She had an assortment of meats; chicken, pork and fish outside with the sides and drinks near the pool.

Just an hour until the party started and she was ready to see her classy setup crumble before her eyes. The waitstaff would be walking around with the finest champagne and then she would grab a drink and sip while watching the spectacle. Of course, she had dessert - a 3-layer chocolate cake. Revenge could be anything but not nothing if it wasn't sweet.

Her phone rang, it was Rebekah Mikaelson. They hardly got along but the blonde hothead was anxiously wondering what was her fiancee's relationship to Bonnie. Sybil may have entertained the theory that the two were once lovers but she had no idea, truthfully.

"I got your text about some silly housewarming and you know Marcellus and I live an hour away depending on traffic."

Sybil mouthed a 'thank you' to a caterer who offered her a cracker and answered, "Hello to you Rebekah and it would really mean a lot to me if you came out to see us. I have plenty of food and drinks."

"Non-alcoholic right?" The blonde asked, twisting the bottom of her hair, "Just forget it, argh."

"Yes, of course, my staff will be serving dry glasses as well, is there something you want to disclose?"

"I am 12 weeks," Rebekah gave a weary sigh and crossed her arms, "We didn't want to tell anyone which is why I've hardly left the house since I've started showing."

The newlywed eyes sparked in delight of the new information she learned and said positively, "This time of year is one of blessings just stop by for a little while, I'll even reserve the closest bathroom solely for you."

"I don't know, he just wants a laidback Saturday-"

"Did you not say you wanted to know who on the block had a relationship with him?"

"Yes, but we're past that," Rebekah stated, unsurely, "I think we're past it, I mean we're getting married and having a child. Whoever the former woman was doesn't matter,"

Sybil stopped her eyes from rolling to the back of her head. The blonde's newfound overcoming of her insecurity was great for personal growth, but it didn't factor into her devious plans for tonight. She was sacrificing her home's peace for revenge after all. The dark-haired former model made her final point, "Well if you officially announce it now, you can gauge the crowd's reaction of joy and find that one Bitter Betty."

The blonde couldn't believe her ears; Sybil had a craving for attention that matched Katherine's. She replied, "Duly noted. But you would give up all the attention on you and your nice home so I can announce my pregnancy? Maybe you have changed."

"I have and I don't mind at all. I'll see you soon, soon-to-be Misses Gerard," Sybil closed and hung up.

No one does manipulation better than moi, she thought cockily to herself.

Katherine stood in front of her mirror, fluffing her diva curls. Thank God for extensions, she prayed. Her red lipstick was neatly applied along with her dramatic dark eyeshadow. Not one for kitten heels, she wore tall black Giuseppe Zanotti wedges. Everything was in place making her look drop-dead gorgeous but her dress. The only piece she was missing was her dress.

"Misses Mikaelson, we have your dress," One of her maids, Gia, alerted walking in with another maid, holding a dress. The woman with her name was Cristiana, she was from Poland and had broken English. They seemed to be keeping her adultery under wraps and worked as though the ex-model was a faithful wife.

Katherine stood impatiently asked curtly, "Well, don't stand there, help me would you?"

The two women came to her aid in an instant, helping her step into the black cocktail dress. The dress was bound to make any common woman gawk in amazement, the sort of response Katherine ached. The material fit too snugly around her usually slim figure. When they began to zip it up, there was a struggle. Katherine let out a pretentious laugh and said, "Don't worry, just keep zipping. I'll just have to suck it in." She was really working up a sweat for the two, but they finally got the material to close. The wife breathed in and out slowly.

"Are you okay, Miss Katherine? I can go fetch you a glass of water if you need," The older maid offered.

"I'm fine, I've been so stressed lately. I can't believe I lost my 115. Go get my scale from the washroom would you?" Cristiana nodded, getting her feet moving at her boss's request.

Gia smiled and offered kind words of encouragement, "Don't worry, we'll cook the most health contentious meals and get your weight back down, Misses."

Katherine nodded and thanked her other helper who set the scale right in front of her bare feet with the shiniest polish. She eagerly pounced on the scale and looked down to read the number - 132. In her head, she was panicking but years as a model, she knew how to keep her doll face on which consisted of the two following things: a wave and bright smile as she walked the lively runways.

"Did you want a new scale? I know we have some in the closet."

"No," Katherine protested, "Elijah and I haven't had sex in a little over a week. I could just be stressed."

"But, the other night when I was leaving, you two seemed giddy."

"He was the giddy one, I was left alone, sticky, and unsatisfied," Katherine stated through her teeth, annoyed with her husband falling asleep during a hand job.

"Ugh, my husband does the same thing," Cristiana said, feeling her employer's frustration.

"Men, I tell you," Katherine agreed, stepping off the scale and turned towards them and straightened out, birthing a new attitude, "Ladies, once you plan out my green diet for next week you are done for the day."

They nodded and complimented her before stepping out. Purging was disgusting and so not her style,plus she wanted to keep her teeth. There was a reason why most models never smiled with their mouth wide, limiting her food intake was the woman's method of dropping unnecessary weight. It was superficial but all of her clothes wouldn't fit her new, healthy weight, she wasn't built to be a regular sized woman. She saw her phone ding and picked it up reading a text.

Caroline: I think we should all walk in together, the four of us. It'd serve the bitch good if we did.

Smirking, she agreed and forwarded the message to Bonnie and Elena, she would later take credit for the idea. Her husband had run to the jeweler and she wasn't going to Sybil's home alone. The strain from Monday couldn't be brought back up if she attended there husbandless. This way, with the women tagging together it didn't look as dire.

Elena grabbed her hoop earrings from the third row of her closet. Her hair was in a neat bun, so she needed the accessories to make up for the lack of hair sitting on her shoulders. There were 15 minutes until the party and Bonnie and Damon would be at her house in no time. These were the type of events that reawakened her week. She walked downstairs carefully not wanting to slip in her tan Givenchy heels. Her husband stood with his hand out.

"What are you, expecting a high five?" Elena asked sarcastically, ignoring his extended hand.

"I was just being a gentleman," He said, looking around their empty living room, "We really have the house to ourselves."

Suggestiveness filled the air and she wanted to sterilize it.

"And just for that slick comment, you have to pick Jackson up from my mother's tomorrow after 2. I think she's taking him to church."

Before Stefan could protest, their doorbell rang, prompting him to go answer it. Bonnie and Damon stood on the other side, with a bottle of Scotch.m "I think we should do some pre-drinking before heading off to see the Wicked Witch," Damon said, stepping right past his brother. Bonnie just sighed following right behind him, clearly her face showed this was not her idea.

"You can just set that on the dining room table," Elena told her brother-in-law while putting in her hoops. Damon wasted no time and grabbed four glasses from the cabinet.

"You two look great," Bonnie complimented, holding her gold clutch at her side.

"Thank you, I guess," Elena said, successfully getting her golden hoops in her ear.

Stefan wrapped his arm around his wife and exclaimed with a big smile, "Don't we, always?"

Damon yelled out that he poured them all a glass and the three of them came trailing in the dining room. In another life, the raven-haired man was the perfect bartender. One that popular with the ladies and men depending on how badly he wanted tips that night. Collectively, they all drunk at once. Bonnie held her chest, cursing at the strength of the dark liquor. Elena coughed and cleared her throat. Stefan took small sips because he could feel his wife's eyes on him and Damon drunk it with no problems at all.

The former Playboy held up a picture he snagged from the living room, which featured the four of them on a beach.

"Miami was nice," he grinned.

"Please, you smelled of nasty cigar smoke," Bonnie reminded, suddenly remembering her husband leisure smoking the week they were there.

"Viva baby! I was living in the moment," Damon exclaimed.

"I was hoping we'd run into Pitbull there," Stefan said, jokingly.

"I remember you Damon getting Stefan to help you chase that guy who slapped Bonnie's ass just to find out he was gay," Elena uttered, almost laughing at the moment.

"Okay, how was I supposed to see his skin-tight V-neck in that dark ass club?" Damon asked seriously, earning a glare from his small wife.

Stefan tilted his glass, "Good times."

Bonnie turned towards Elena and told her it was time to go. The men looked in confusion. They slowly walked behind them causing Bonnie to turn around, annoyed. "We're going with the girls, now will you let us before Katherine chews us out for being late?"

"Fine," Damon said walking over to his wife pulling her into a hug. "Don't murder anyone," he murmured in her ear.

"I made a promise to God," She said with a smile.

Damon gawked at her once more, she was wearing a deep v-neck red dress. He leaned over, his tongue darting in her ear at every word.

"And I'll make a promise to you that fabric will not make it up to our stairs later tonight."

Bonnie fought the blush in her face and pushed him away, "I'll see you at the party, act accordingly."

Damon winked at her and retreated back to the kitchen. He saw his brother at the sink holding another full glass. Oh, just your typical Stefan brooding for the umpteenth time today, he thought to himself. He walked over to him, slapping his younger brother on the back. "You ok, there?"

"Yep," Stefan responded, "Just fine."

"Wanna put the drink down? You're sort of shaking over there, baby bro."

Stefan did himself one better and poured it down the drain like he was intending to. The younger man handed the bottle back to Damon. "You can keep that, it does no good in my home anyway."

"You're being awfully dramatic and cryptic," Damon gauged his brother's uneasiness and said, "Fine if you say so."

He changed his placement in the kitchen and crossed his arms.

"So, why are you lying to Bonnie about the apartment?"

Damon untwisted the Scotch and drank from it. He was going to need several drinks for this. His damned brother just wouldn't let the white lie go.

"I'm being Billie Jean'd."

"Meaning this woman wants money?" Stefan asked.

"I know the kid isn't mine, thank God but I need a DNA test which is something she refuses. So, I'm waiting it out until the bastard is born."

Stefan walked in a circle, his brother had a secret not-baby.

"You've had dealings with this woman?"

"Yes, but-"

Damon could not finish his sentence with his brother's fist in his face. He held his nose, which was now in pain and winced loudly in agony. Stefan shook his hand and stood up straight. His brother deserved that response and maybe more violence inflicted. In a strained voice, Damon whined, "Damn it, Stefan there was a but, you didn't have to hit me that fucking hard!"

"I've been clubbed this week, suck it up."

"I can't go to the party now that this," The older man pointed at his money-making face, "Is ruined."

"Bonnie doesn't deserve half the shit you give her, I can't believe you stepped out on her and fuck up this badly," Stefan said.

"I did my best! I really did, but being the perfect husband isn't in the stars for all of us."

Stefan threw hands up and asked loudly, "And what the hell is that supposed to mean? We're all struggling, Damon, but you think so small and only of your needs!"

"You can be mad at me all you want but let's not forget your relationship to Ivy. One that you had my wife life to yours about! You're much as a dog as I am."

"That's different and you know it," Stefan argued, "Elena and I are getting divorced, we're separated."

"Yeah," Damon brushed off, "Keep telling yourself that and excusing your adultery so you can condemn mine!"

"I hope she leaves you with nothing," Stefan spat viciously before walking off.

"Yeah, and same for you, brother. In a year from now, we'll be sharing a trailer together!" Damon exclaimed and then holding his nose again.

Bonnie, Elena, Katherine, and Caroline were one of the first guests to attend the party. Their husbands being left at home didn't go unnoticed by the people who were there who whispered as they saw the quartet. Caroline rolled her eyes and uttered to her friends, "Bye, I am going to find the nearest alcoholic beverage and will come back a new woman." They nodded giving their approval without contest.

"Maybe they think we left our husbands at home because we've decided to come out as a string of lesbian lovers," Katherine quipped.

Bonnie stood with her hands crossed and turned around to face the two cousins. "We've been here 10 minutes already and no Sybil, is she going to pop out from one of these vases or something?"

Elena shrugged, "I think she's outside, let's go see."

The three walked out to see their blonde friend chatting up the old lady of the neighborhood. She seemed to be on her second drink. There were other patrons but not the woman herself, Sybil. They were starting to think she was missing. Well, the food was nice enough, it didn't stop the Salvatore wives from snacking on it. Katherine gawked at them as they did so.

"Are you two really eating something that Sybil is in charge of?" The Mikaelson wife asked, with a raised eyebrow.

With a mouth full of chicken salad Elena answered, "Yes, why not? She's not in charge, the cooks are."

"Also," Bonnie added, "She wouldn't risk poisoning everyone else just to punish us."

"Whatever," Katherine pouted, "Eating her food just makes you Sybil-sympathizers."

Soon, two of the husbands walked in or out depending on how one looked at it. it was Klaus and Elijah. They greeted the ladies and talked amicably. The auburn-haired Brit wasn't pleased to see his wife being around the beverages. He excused himself nicely and went to Caroline.

"Have you seen the lovely couple?" Bonnie asked Elijah, he replied that he hadn't. The man as very eager to finish the deal with Cade and was disappointed with his lack of presence tonight. He noticed his wife looked awfully detached tonight. She couldn't see her enemy so that led to her using other senses to scope her out

"Wait, so none of you have seen Sybil or her husband?" They nodded no. "That's strange, let me go back inside to see if I can find them."

"Elijah's nobility will make her come out, just watch," Katherine said, smiling.

"Yeah let's hope," Bonnie spoke in a deflated tone, watching a woman put cookies in her purse and quickly leaving out the backyard door.

"I am going to regret saying this, but I'm worried about Stefan and Damon. It's been an hour and they still haven't stopped by."

"That's weird too, I'll text Damon," Bonnie stated, and Elena nodded opting to do the same with her husband.

"They're here," Elijah announced from the screen door.

"Oh, goody," Katherine said with a smile extending her hand out for her husband to grab. They needed a united front right now. But her jaw dropped when she saw the company Sybil kept, an English pregnant woman. Elijah left her side to hug the woman and congratulate her.

"Niklaus!" He called out, "Get your butt in here! Come see why Rebekah has been holding off her visit from us."

"Sorry, we got held up," Sybil said, "This one's feet were way too hurt and swollen for driving, we just wanted to take the burden off of her."

The guests began crowding around Rebekah looking at her bump and wondering who the baby father was. Klaus finally walked in the living room gently pushing out his way so he can see his enchanted sister. Rebekah had tears of joy in her eyes as she saw her brother's approving smile and hugged him tightly. "You've been ignoring my calls for this," he grumbled once they broke ou the hug. The three siblings laughed. On the other side of them were the wives.

Caroline and Katherine were holding back several eye rolls as their husbands slobbered over the baby bump as it were a piece of steak. This wouldn't be the first or last time the men were engrossed in their blood family's latest spectacle. Even after matrimony to other parties, their ridiculous family code just wouldn't die. Elena felt a sad indifference once being that happy, early pregnant person almost a year ago. Bonnie just looked sick, like her entire faced flush and she retreated to bathroom instantly. Elena looked at some of the guests and excused her friend, "They say pregnancy evokes all sorts of feelings." Quickly she followed after Bonnie. If someone was to get emotional out the four, she just assumed she'd be the last person to do so. Caroline and Katherine looked at one another and chose to follow Elena as well. Sybil bit her lip to sustain her laughter. Just like dominoes, she thought.

Bonnie vomitted in the toilet and flushed subsequently. She couldn't help her sobs escaping her. The woman was hysterical, she couldn't take another heartache. Elena knocked on the door and yelled, "Bonnie, open up we have to talk about what's going on with you." All she heard were sniffles on the other end.

"I am just so tired," She spoke honestly and her words felt empty and complete."

Katherine and Caroline came up the stairs, treading lightly. Elena shushed them, she didn't want Bonnie to feel pressured.

"I'm here for you, whatever you need, we're all here if you need us. Just open the door."

Bonnie held herself and rocked slightly and shakily said, "Okay, the door's open."

The three of them walked in falling to their knees, coming to Bonnie aid. She looked so unlike herself, it was scary. Her green eyes were dimmed, her hair was frizzy and all over the place, and she was barefooted.

"I'm in love with a man I can never have, who are having children I can't have, who is living a happy life I can't be a part of," She admitted.

Katherine was the first to hug her, patting her back. "It'll be alright, just breathe."

Caroline was dumbfounded and asked quietly, "Is Rebekah's boyfriend-?"

"Caroline, we don't have room for your judgment and your sleuth skills," Katherine said hastily through her teeth.

"No, because I'm the only one who hasn't stepped out on my husband here," Caroline yelled, standing up.

"What do you mean, 'only one'?" Elena asked looking up at the livid blonde,

"Well there's you, I knew about Katherine's for the past year, and now I am finding out about Bonnie's!"

"I did not cheat on my husband," Elena said, "We're divorcing, leave me out of this narrative."

Caroline scoffed, "Divorcing my ass! I give you two until Christmas to kiss and make up and when that time comes we will all laugh about that silly phase because you're Stefan and Elena - meant to be together."

Elena sat in silence letting a frown form on her face.

The blonde was fighting tears as she pointed at her closest friend, "And you, Katherine, you are just selfish and ungrateful, I bonded with you because of our husbands and their insane devotion to their work and blood family and sometimes I felt that I came last. When I was home alone, I filled my time with baking and cooking for my daughter. You went out and got wasted which resulted in us meeting your plaything who by the way everyone has a roommate!"

"I feel awful about betraying my husband but he is just so damn proper all the time and wants me to act like a doll 24/7. it's like he handpicked me off the runway and didn't expect the nasty attitude that came with it. Yes, Mason may not have much of anything he does give me a good feeling, something other than this cookie cutter life of Suburbia."

Caroline shook her head, "Life isn't over when you get married you could have told him about it, worked through it like couples do for God sakes, or avoided this messy situation altogether by not marrying him at all so you can continue your party lifestyle. That man loves you and doesn't deserve any of this."

Then she turned to Bonnie, who was trembling as she cried softly,

"And I don't even know you, you kept this from us for months. You don't get to wreck someone else's relationship and your own simultaneously, that's a fuckup I just won't abide by," Caroline finalized, tears falling from her face as she walked away finally.

"She's right," Bonnie spoke, breaking the dead silence after their blonde friend.

Katherine stood up and brushed her dress up and clapped her hands once and said, "That's it, I'm just going to have to fight this bitch. She set this very thing up just to stake us out."

"You can't fight her," Elena told her, trying to be reasonable.

"Like hell, I won't," Katherine scoffed, walking out of the bathroom. Sybil had her on the bathroom floor with a one-of-kind dress on. She had to pay. The brunette seamlessly blended in the party once again. Sybil was with a couple, talking as though she was a good neighbor. Katherine made b-line and smiled at her, excusing the woman from the discussion. After the couple walked off, the wife's face went from sweet to sour.

"Bonnie didn't look too good, is she alright?" Sybil asked with a great deal of faux concern.

"Listen here, hoodlum, you got what you wanted. Everyone here has a past just because you can rebrand yourself doesn't mean you can tugging at everyone else's skirt," Katherine spat.

"Bonnie is just the beginning, one that I didn't think I could pull off, honestly. She's the most guarded out of you four. imagine what'll happen when I throw my Halloween party next weekend and the Lockwood boy and your husband bump shoulders," Sybil uttered all with a smile, disguising her talks of vengeance with a polite face to the other unsuspecting guests.

Katherine charged at her, throwing her against the wall. It sparked loud gasps from the partygoers, some who dropped their cups and/or plates. Elijah and Klaus stood from the couch, the one they accompanied their pregnant sister. Elijah came to pry his wife off Sybil hurriedly. He was behind her pulling at her slim waist.

"Katherine, let go," He pleaded with his insistent wife.

Her grip on the woman's neck tightened, "No, she's trying ruin everyone's life."

"Katherine, what are you doing?" Sybil choked out, innocent as ever.

"Katerina, let go. I don't want to manhandle you out of this one."

Katherine slowly unclasped her hand, watching color go back into Sybil's face. Elijah grabbed her hand and whispered, "You've ruined the party, with your stupid loyalty to your friends." She looked afraid as she saw the guests looking at her - judging her harshly. The woman did just what her enemy wanted her to do. But it wasn't too late to redeem herself, after all, this would make herself the true star of the party. Katherine Mikaelson leaned on her husband for support but before she could walk out the door, she fainted.

Needless to say, Damon skipped the party. He had been the only one who hadn't run into Sybil. He shuddered even thinking about her desperation towards him. the woman had instantly taken an inappropriate liking to him despite trying to be cozy with his wife. They had flirted from time to time but he wasn't interested in her, not in the slightest. With a little sleuthing, she found out that the raven-haired man wasn't that into her because he already had a side lover - his secretary.

..

MARCH THIS YEAR

During a house party, Damon snuck back upstairs to grab a sweater for his wife. She one) didn't want to have a party for her birthday two) she was super irritable from a stressful client. He turned around thinking it was his wife and said, "Ugh, Bonnie, I'll find it, just give me a minute, alright?" His eyes flickered in confusion when he saw Sybil clad in her underwear. It was black, lacy, and tearable to say the least. Damon covered his eyes and said, "Woah, what the hell are you doing in my personal bedroom?"

"What do you mean?" She answered coyly, "I just wanted to be alone with you."

Damon's face scrunched in disgust as she inched closer to him, placing her hands on his chest. it was a weak attempt to rev him up. This is what she was doing - seducing him. he wondered how did she even manage to slip from the party without eyes being raised. Momentarily, he stared at her luscious breasts and said, "Well, that was very, stupid of you, my wife's downstairs, go get dressed."

"Your office is only 45 minutes from here and you don't seem to have that attitude there."

"You've been spying on me? You're a fucking lunatic!"

"Damon, let's stop kidding ourselves here," Sybil said, trying to kiss him, "You want me and I want you."

"No, I don't I want to get my wife a jacket because she's freezing," He said, pushing past her.

"You'll be back," Sybil yelled out behind him.

"I never came to you," Damon replied with a careless shrug.

A loud thud came from the connecting bathroom, the door was wide open. Their only witness laid unconscious on the ground, her head bloody from hitting it on the sink. Sybil quietly called Damon in the room, "Get in here, your brother's wife passed out or something."

He came rushing back in, running to the bruised woman' side and cursed. "She's four months pregnant," Damon held her head, using a spare bath towel to cushion the blood flow. The under dressed woman stood in horror, biting her nail. she was pondering of the what-ifs of the situation. "Damn it, it Sybil, don't stand there, call 911 and get dressed. She has to go to the hospital now."

END OF FLASHBACK

He took another hit from the bottle, replaying the moment, the shame and guilt of it all. that's why he felt like he owed his brother so much. Unmistakably, he brought pain and loneliness to Stefan and Elena. She lost the baby the night of the party and they were never going to be the same again. The only people who knew the full story was he, Sybil, and Elena. Elena, of course, told Bonnie about the kiss but not how she saw it. not wanting to pressure the pained woman, Bonnie didn't scour for correct details. tonight, the man wanted not to cause any more suffering. He packed an overnight bag and didn't look back.

He met his wife coincidentally, who was just walking in. She looked exhausted, holding her heels in her hand. All she needed was for Damon to hold her, they could worry about tomorrow the next day. Her whole expression changed when she peeped his luggage.

"Are you leaving?" She asked, adding a layer of toughness to her voice. The woman wanted to add the word 'me' but feared of being too needy. Bonnie wished for companionship like any other human being, but she didn't need her husband or any man but God himself. In his defense, the party was too much and he was never eager to go but she didn't expect this result from him. ho

Damon's azure eyes betrayed him as he said, "Yeah, I just need a break. I won't leave you lonely for too long."

"Well, let me show you out," Bonnie stated, placing her heels down walking towards the door.

"Baby, don't do this," He stroked her face and promised, "I'll be home before next Saturday."

Bonnie didn't dare look at him and finally said, "Enjoy your trip, Damon. Because Lord knows if you'll even have a home to return to when you come back."