The Cheat

It only takes one short moment for everything to go wrong. Laila thought that over a while as she scrolled absentmindedly through her horoscope.  The rest went on and on about things like ‘that no matter how bad the situation was she had to stay calm and give support to the truly innocent ones. ‘Rubbish’ She thought and shoved her horoscope book into her shoulder bag. Her sea blue eyes, rimmed with shadows, scanned the rows of shops. She jingled the beautifully crafted silver bracelet on her wrist. Her thoughts were focused on finding the shop that sold the one charm her mother was desperate to get. It was supposedly a small silver teddy bear that held a heart in its arms. Laila smiled, skipped a little to hurry her speed, thinking about the expression on her mother’s face when she saw it.

Sophie rested on a marble bench. Her fingers repeatedly tapped against it and her eyes darted to every face making sure it was no-one she knew. Most would not recognise her though as the usual laidback outfit she wore was replaced by tight jeans and a tight top that showed off her curves. Her black hair swept down her back in long perfect curls. She curled her thin, manicured fingers finding herself more stressed than ever. Her stomach was filled with tiny butterflies that got more agitated by the minute. She had only gone to end the affair. It was her main focus and she thought enough was enough. It had been seven months of cheating on her husband, Kirk. Seven months. It wasn’t fair on Kirk and her daughter, Laila anymore. It was time to end it.

Laila entered a small store labelled: Gold & Platinum Studio Ltd. A lady in a plain white suit smiled at her and beckoned her inside. Laila nodded and gazed around the many pieces. She trailed over to a sparkling, glass case full of bracelet charms. She gazed inside and searched for the one she wanted. Sure enough sitting in the middle was the teddy bear. Laila squealed in delight and instructed the lady working there on which one she wanted.

Her soft palms trickled with sweat as Sophie became more and more nervous. She didn’t want there to be a scene when she broke up with him. She wanted quiet. No fuss. Sophie laughed at her nervousness and slowly straightened down her –starting to go frizzy - hair. Her gaze adverted to the mass of people and he came strolling towards her. The man she had been cheating with. The one she had fallen in love with because she felt free with him. He strolled towards her with such confidence and charm Sophie felt herself melting like butter on a frying pan. The butterflies in her stomach now felt like a stampede of elephants. His hair was short and his chin was covered in stubble. He was wearing a clean suit and looked as handsome as ever. Sophie gulped and stumbled towards him. His dazzling smile widened as he saw her and slowly he produced something from his pocket. It was a small necklace with a crimson ruby heart at the bottom. Sophie froze overcome with emotion. Her mind split into two, one wanting her to leave him, the other wanting her to stay with him forever. One side eventually won and it was the one that made her kiss him.

Half an hour after Laila entered the store she emerged happy and relieved that she got the charm. She was carrying it in her palm careful not to drop it. She rounded a corner about to head home when she saw a couple kissing. She felt happy for them and smiled until they pulled away. A face so similar to one she knew rested her head on the man’s shoulder. One, two, three. Laila gasped as in those three seconds she realised who that person was. The charm fell to the floor and the sound disappeared from everywhere. The drop was loud and clear to her but the world only froze when Sophie’s eyes connected to her daughters. The seconds ticked by again until the tears starting streaming down Laila’s face. Sophie went to run towards her daughter but Laila only recoiled away as if she’d been stung. Laila shook her head and turned and sprinted away leaving the charm on the floor. Sophie raced forward and felt her own skin dripping with tears. Her heart slowed down so much it nearly stopped. A small chill rushed through Sophie as her gaze fell to the floor and she saw the tiny teddy bear charm.

The pounding of footsteps echoed past the shoppers as Laila dodged past them hiding her tears. Her breathing was ragged and harsh but she knew she couldn’t stop. Stopping will make her think about everything. She had realised that her mother wasn’t perfect. She realised that her mother was a cheat. She stumbled onwards and vowed to make her mother pay. How could she do this to her father? How could she do this to her?

Sophie slowly bent down to pick up the charm. Her bony fingers curled around the teddy bear and her sobs became worse. She staggered up, clutched the charm tighter and hoped that Laila wasn’t going to be angry. Her crying became worse and worse until it was a waterfall of tears. The sobs raked her body and she felt arms clutch her for support. She sourly pushed the away and glared at her boyfriend through the flow of tears. He got the message and in seconds he was gone. Sophie wiped her tears away and wished she’d never kept that secret. She knew it would come out eventually but not this way. Somewhere inside of her she knew this would happen though. Secrets always find a way to reveal themselves in the end.