Richard's Decision

Charlotte

The late afternoon sun was beginning to set as Marta, Vanessa, and I gathered in the sitting room for tea. The atmosphere in the mansion had been tense since Vanessa’s arrival, but Marta seemed determined to maintain appearances, serving tea with the grace of a perfect hostess. Vanessa, on the other hand, was more confident than ever, as if she knew exactly how much power she held over the situation.

As I held my teacup, I felt my stomach turn. Vanessa kept throwing condescending glances my way, a malicious smile playing on her lips. Marta, sitting beside her, appeared calm, almost content with the situation. It was as if I were invisible, a figure irrelevant to the game I had never agreed to play.

“So, Charlotte,” Vanessa began, her voice sweet as poison, “how are the babies? Marta told me you've been very well taken care of here.”

I forced a smile, trying to hide the discomfort her words caused. “Everything is going well, thank you,” I replied, keeping my tone as neutral as possible.

Vanessa nodded, but her gaze told me she wasn’t really interested in my answer. She was playing a game, one I barely understood, but I knew I was losing. Marta watched everything closely, an authoritative figure who approved of Vanessa’s every move.

At that moment, we heard the sound of a car approaching the mansion. My heart raced, and for a moment, the room fell silent. We knew who was arriving. Richard.

Marta was the first to rise, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of anticipation and pleasure. “Ah, Richard is back,” she said, as if announcing the arrival of a king. Vanessa smiled, a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, as she adjusted her hair, clearly preparing for what was to come.

When Richard entered the room, everything seemed to happen in slow motion. He was dressed in his usual elegance, but there was something in his posture, something in the way he scanned the room, that was different. I watched him carefully, trying to decipher his thoughts, but before I could react, he was already moving toward Vanessa.

And then, right in front of me and Marta, he leaned in and kissed Vanessa. Not a quick kiss, but a long, passionate one, as if I weren’t there, as if my existence was irrelevant at that moment. Vanessa responded with equal intensity, her hands sliding around Richard's neck as she reveled in the moment.

I felt nauseous, as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. I gripped my teacup tightly, trying to control the anger and pain threatening to overflow. Marta, however, seemed almost satisfied, as if what was happening was perfectly natural, as if Vanessa had every right to be there, occupying the place that should rightfully have been mine.

When the kiss finally ended, Richard pulled back slightly but didn’t look at me. His eyes were fixed on Vanessa, as if she were the only person in the world that mattered. “Vanessa,” he said softly, “I’m glad you came.”

She smiled, a smile full of triumph, and cast a sideways glance at me, just to see my reaction. I kept my expression firm, but inside, I was crumbling. Whatever was left of my pride, of my dignity, was being crushed before me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

“Richard,” Marta began, her tone slightly cautious, “I think we need to talk.”

Richard finally turned to her, the smile on his lips fading. “Yes, Mother. We have a lot to discuss.”

Vanessa, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, stepped back slightly but still held Richard’s hand, as if to make it clear that she wasn’t going anywhere. Marta, on the other hand, seemed to be bracing herself for a battle of wills.

“Richard, dear,” Marta began, her voice firm but not without affection, “I understand that you and Vanessa have a long history, but we need to stay focused. With everything that’s happening, we can’t afford distractions.”

Richard looked at his mother, and for a moment, silence hung heavy in the room. Finally, he sighed and let go of Vanessa’s hand, though his expression showed that he wasn’t entirely convinced. “Mother, I understand your concerns, but Vanessa is important to me. She has always been by my side.”

Vanessa smiled, satisfied, while I felt more isolated than ever. Richard was clearly torn, but what did that mean for me? For us?

“Richard,” Marta insisted, “we need to think about the future of the family. The twins… Charlotte… all of this needs to be our priority right now.”

Richard’s expression hardened slightly, but he nodded. “I know, Mother. And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to ensure everything goes well. But I can’t just ignore my feelings for Vanessa.”

Marta frowned, clearly uncomfortable with Richard’s resistance. “I understand, Richard. But for now, we need to be practical. Vanessa, I’m sure, will understand the need to keep up appearances.”

Vanessa, who had been content to let Marta and Richard discuss up to this point, finally intervened. “I understand, Marta,” she said, her voice soft but with a hint of defiance. “But I’m not going to stand on the sidelines and watch everything from afar. Richard and I have something special, and I won’t let anything, or anyone, interfere with that.”

Vanessa’s words felt like a knife to my heart. She was asserting herself, making it clear that I was the obstacle, that I was the person who needed to be removed so she could have what she wanted.

Richard, visibly torn, looked from Vanessa to Marta before finally resting his eyes on me. “Charlotte,” he began, his voice low, almost apathetic. “I know this is hard, but we need to find a solution that works for everyone.”

What did he mean by that? What solution could possibly exist for such an impossible situation? I remained silent, not knowing what to say, as the weight of everything that was happening crushed me.

Marta, sensing my distress, intervened again. “Richard, we can’t force Charlotte to accept this situation. We need to be sensitive to what she’s going through.”

For a brief moment, I felt a flicker of support from Marta, but it quickly disappeared when I realized her true goal was to keep Richard focused on what she considered important.

Richard sighed, running a hand through his hair, clearly exasperated. “I know, Mother. But I can’t just ignore my feelings.”

Vanessa, seeing an opportunity, stepped closer to Richard, holding his hand again. “Richard, dear, we’ll figure this out together. I know we can find a way.”

Their closeness, the way Vanessa behaved as if she had already won, made me nauseous. But before anyone could say anything more, Richard stepped back from both of them, clearly needing a moment to think.

“Mother, Vanessa,” he said, his voice tired, “I need some time to think. This is all… complicated. Let’s give ourselves some space to reflect.”

Vanessa looked at him, surprised, but said nothing. Marta, on the other hand, nodded, clearly relieved not to have to deal with more conflicts at that moment.

Richard left the room, leaving a trail of tension in the air. Vanessa and Marta exchanged glances, and I sat there, trying to process what had just happened.

That night made it clear that the battle was far from over. Vanessa wasn’t going to give up easily, and Richard was more confused than ever. And I… I was trapped in the middle of it all, not knowing how to escape this situation, not knowing how to protect my heart from being crushed even more.

That night, as I lay alone in my bed, feeling the weight of everything that had happened, I knew something would have to change. But how, or when, was still beyond my reach.