Lost in madness

37

Andrew

The chandelier's light glinted off the crystal glasses, casting a deceptive warmth over the company dinner party. I stood there, Andrew Williams, heir apparent to Williams Industries, though I didn't know it yet. My wife, Sally, was by my side, our son Jacob nestled in her arms. The din of corporate small talk buzzed around us, but my mind was elsewhere, lost in a fog of its own making.

For five grueling years, I had toiled like a possessed madman, bending to my father's every whim. Each demand was met, each expectation exceeded, all in the hope of earning his elusive approval. And now, as I absently swirled the scotch in my glass, I found myself wondering if it had all been worth it.

The sharp tap of a spoon against glass cut through my reverie. My father, stood at the podium, his steely gaze sweeping across the room. "Ladies and gentlemen," his voice boomed, "I have an announcement to make tonight."

My heart quickened, though I couldn't say why. Lately, I'd had little faith in my father's intentions towards me. Too many disappointments, and too many shifting goalposts.

"It gives me great pleasure to name my son, Andrew Williams, as the heir to Williams Industries."

The room erupted in applause, but it sounded distant, muffled. I blinked, sure I had misheard. Sally squeezed my arm, her smile radiant. "Go on," she whispered, giving me a gentle push.

Somehow, I managed to plaster a smile on my face. I hugged Sally, kissed Jacob's forehead, and made my way to the stage. Each step felt like I was wading through molasses.

My father's grip was iron as we shook hands for the cameras. He leaned in close, his words for my ears only. "You're drunk. ..Don't make me regret this. Pull yourself together."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

Hours later, after enduring countless congratulations and navigating a sea of sycophantic well-wishers, we were finally on our way home. The sleek company car glided through the night, its interior bathed in the soft glow of passing streetlights. Jacob was fast asleep in Sally's arms, his tiny face peaceful in repose.

The silence stretched between us, taut as a bowstring. Sally was the one to break it.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were having second thoughts. You gave up everything to be here, at least smile."

"I'm happy," I whispered.

"Are you sure? Or you just rather be somewhere else than with your family."

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Don't start with me, Sally. I'm not in the mood."

Her laugh was brittle, sharp enough to cut. "This isn't me starting anything. If I wanted to stir up a storm, I'd start by asking where you were the last two nights."

"You know where I was," I replied, my tone warning.

"Do I? What's her name again? Do you even remember?" Sally's voice dripped with venom. "I thought we were clear all those years ago. I'm not my mother, Andrew. I refuse to live her life. I will not be the long-suffering spouse. Once is okay, twice is tolerable, but three to five times? That's when I say fuck off."

I turned to face her, my voice low and intense. "What do you want from me, Sally? I'm here, aren't I? I'm providing for our family, working myself to the bone to give you and Jacob everything you could want."

"Everything except you," she shot back. "Your body might be here, but your heart? Your mind? They're always somewhere else. With her."

"That's not fair," I protested weakly.

"Fair?" Sally's voice cracked slightly. "What's not fair is watching my husband yearn for another woman year after year. What's not fair is raising our son practically alone because you're always at the office or... wherever you've been these past few nights."

"I never meant to hurt you or Jacob. I love you both, you know that."

Sally's eyes met mine. "Do I? Because sometimes, Andrew, I wonder if you even know what love is."

I turned to face her, my jaw clenched. "Sally, please. Enough."

"I always thought that with time you'd be able to forget her, but each day you seem more miserable than before. She's engaged, Andrew. She's happy. Why can't you do the same?"

A heavy silence fell between us. Then, almost inaudibly, I asked, "Did you know she was pregnant?"

Sally's sharp intake of breath was answered enough.

"Did you both conspire to deceive me?" The bitterness in my voice surprised even me.

"Believe me Andy, not everything is about you. Plus It's not my duty to remind you of your transgressions," Sally replied, her voice trembling with barely contained fury. "Fix yourself, or we are done. I mean it this time."

As the car pulled up to our mansion, I stared out at the rain-drenched night. The life I had built, the legacy I was meant to inherit - it all seemed to be crumbling around me. And the worst part? A small, traitorous part of me felt relieved at the prospect of it all falling apart.