Exactly two hours after he'd placed the call, Federico heard a soft knock on the door to his home. When he swung the door open, he had to take two steps back.

If he'd thought Mimi had looked terrible the last time he saw her, it was because he hadn't known what she'd look like a few days after.

She had heavy bags under her eyes like she hadn't slept for weeks. The pungent odour of misery clung to her skin desperately as she shivered like a bird left out in the rain. Her normally pasty skin looked chunky and hideous like red meat left to age and rotten.

She was a mess.

"Why haven't you been picking my calls?" Mimi asked. Her voice was so low, he barely heard her.

Since she looked like she would pass out, he ushered her in went to pour a glass of brandy for her. On second thought, he poured an additional glass for himself.

"Here." He gently coaxed the glass into her cold fingers. He admired the way the liquid moved in her throat.

She finished the content in the glass with just two gulps. Colour returned to her cheeks and her eyes became bright again even though it was only alcohol-induced.

They sat in silence, each trying to think of something to say.

She moved closer to rest her feverish head on his chest.

"I missed you," Mimi said. Her weak feminine voice was filled with need and desire.

Before he could succumb to her tone, he remembered Lorena's angry face. He pulled away and folded his arms across his chest.

"Stop. That night was a mistake." Federico said in a firm voice.

"It was just sex. Why do you keep fidgeting?" Mimi asked.

"Because I'm married! I love my wife." Federico said.

"Love? You told me you'll always love me."

"That was a lifetime ago, Mimi. When I was barely a man." Federico shook his head.

"You can love me again. I know you can." Mimi reached out for him.

"Don't touch me. You don't really like me and you know it." Federico slapped her hands away.

"How can you tell?" Mimi asked.

"I'm not stupid. You're just hurt because he left you and you want me to fill up the void. I can't do that. I love my wife." Federico said.

"Why did you ask me to come over? Wasn't it for sex?" She asked.

"No! Look, I was drunk that night...I wasn't in control and I made a terrible mistake. I love Lorena. I called you here to tell you not to text or call me again." Federico said.

"What is so special about Lorena? Even when you touched me, she was all you could think about. Why? I've always liked you, you know. We could be together again. I know you want me." She moved closer to him.

He was so lost in his guilt that he didn't even notice. He also enjoyed hearing that she liked him.

"I love my wife. Like I said, it was a mistake. It's been killing me whenever I look into her eyes and she..." Federico started.

He was abruptly interrupted when Mimi wrapped her boy around his. He immediately went blank when she kissed him.

"Mimi, this has to stop," Federico begged weakly, but he wasn't willing to push her away. Instead, he wrapped his hands around her even though all the voices in his head screamed at him to stop.

"I want you, Freddie. We should never have broken up." Mimi begged.

"But we did. All of this happened years ago. I thought you loved your ex-husband." Federico said.

"All I know is that I'm lonely and I want to feel like a woman again. It doesn't have to mean a thing." She said desperately.

"No. I'm married." He said weakly.

Mimi kissed ins chin and undressed him.
"This would be the last time. I'm moving away next week. I'll delete your number and you'll never hear from me again. Just touch me. Be who he could never be for me. I can be your Lorena." She begged.

Her eyes were filled with tears again—his weakness.

For the second time in less than a week, Federico fell. He found himself making love to a woman who wasn't his wife.

Not long after he'd broken their passionate embrace to lie on his back, he felt Mimi rise from the bed. He watched zip up her dress, wondering how he could explain the mistake he'd just made.

"Thank you, Freddie. You're a kind man." Mimi smiled.

Federico managed to curve his lips into a smile. He watched her leave, feeling his guilt return with full force. He picked up his cleaning tools and began to tidy the house.

Lorena would return soon.

How would he hide his guilt this time?

He couldn't tell her what he'd done. He was a despicable person.

Not only had he cheated on her once, but he'd also done it again.

The first time could be blamed on the alcohol and foolishness but the second time was all on him.

Why hadn't he said no to Mimi?

Why couldn't he ever say no to tears?

***************************************************************

Federico sighed tiredly as he took one last glance at the living room to make sure everything was in the right place. All he could think about on the way to pick up Lorena was how he'd cheated on her again.

When he saw her walking towards him at the airport, he buried his guilt. He hugged her and kissed her fiercely like she'd disappear if he let go.

"Looks like someone missed me." Lorena laughed.

"I did. I hate it when you go away." He sighed.

"I'm sorry, baby. I had some unfinished business to take care of." Lorena smiled.

There was something dark and edgy about her smile that day but it wasn't unusual. Lorena had always had underlying darkness around her.

"You look wonderful," Federico said kissing her cheek

Her trip had put her in a good mood. Federico listened to her talk about the outrageously funny incidences that took place during her visit to Paris. Once they got home, he hurried to the boot where her luggage was stored.

"Let me help you with your bags." Federico offered.

"Alright, dearest." Lorena chuckled.

As they walked into their home, laughing heartily at one of Lorena's jokes, Federico was certain he could put the affair behind him.

"...and I was telling him....." she started saying as she opened the door of their home. She stopped for a minute and looked around the room.

She dropped her bags leaving them in a pile around her feet. It was very unlike her military clean nature. As she stepped away from the bag, she looked at her living room with a dark and dangerous expression in her eyes.

"Did you get any visitor while I was gone?" Lorena asked suddenly.

Her face transformed completely. She cat-walked around the room. The sound of her heels on their wooden floor was horrifying. She touched every piece of furniture—including their framed photographs.

"No. Why? Is something missing?" Federico lied smoothly.

Lorena turned to look at him as she stood by the decanter. Her penetrating eyes drilled a hole into him.

He forced himself to look into her eyes because he knew if he looked away, she'd easily read his guilt.

She held the brandy bottle in her hands, still wearing her dark expression. There wasn't even a hint of a smile on her face.

"You drank a lot while I was gone?" She asked pouring herself a drink.

He laughed and nodded sheepishly, not trusting his voice for one second.

Lorena didn't smile back. Her eyes were cold and calculating.

Federico's heart began to pound in his chest. Lorena was acting strange.

She couldn't know, could she?

He had cleaned everything up.

She drained the brandy in the glass and looked into his eyes. She looked like an image from hell.

"You are lying to me. Someone was here. I can feel it." Lorena said coldly.

His heart started to beat fast in his chest.

Lorena's eyes had no warmth in them. She looked ruthless, rough, and extremely dangerous.

He felt like he was smoking in a gas refill plant when he looked into her eyes. He gulped internally.

"No one was here," Federico said again.

Smashhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Lorena flung her glass at him. It missed him by inches and crashed on the wall just beside him but it was obvious she had missed on purpose.

Her aim had always been perfect.

Too perfect.

If she wanted to hurt him, he would be hurt. Lorena never ever missed.

She advanced slowly, looking more terrifying than a wild cat. The fire in her eyes made him shake visibly. He began to hyperventilate. He didn't dare take a step back. He was afraid she would kill him if he moved.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Her lips were drawn into a thin line.

Federico shook his head, afraid to speak. Lorena scanned his face for five minutes then turned suddenly. She stalked into their bedroom like a woman with a purpose.

Federico didn't follow until he heard the sound of glass breaking. He rushed into their room and was startled when he saw the mess she was making.

"No, no, no. This is all wrong." Lorena muttered.

She threw the contents of drawers to the floor, scattered the bedsheets, swept her hands across the table dragging all her expensive makeup to the ground where it spilled over.

"I can smell it. Someone was here. I can smell her. That bitch was in this bedroom." Lorena stuck her hands under the bed as she searched desperately.

"L-Lorena..." Federico started to say until Lorena stopped cold.

She rose to her feet holding an empty condom wrapper in her hand. She crushed it in her fist, pleased she had finally found what she'd been looking for.

"Who is she?" Lorena asked.

He swallowed spit several times, unable to speak.

"L-Lorena." He tried again.

"The first time happened away from this house. I was willing to keep quiet. Now it's different." Lorena's crispy voice dried the cold sweats on his face.

"I..." Federico started to say.

"You brought that bitch into our house, you had a drink with her. She drank some brandy and then you took her into this room. You fucked another woman in our bed. I can smell her everywhere." Lorena flung the wrapper to the ground.

Federico still couldn't speak. He was too afraid.

She crushed the wrapper beneath her feet with her six-inch heels.

"This wasn't there when I left this house. Who is she? If you lie to me, those would be the last words you ever utter." The anger in her eyes vanished. She looked cool, calm, and collected.

Federico fell at her feet. He wrapped his hands around her ankles and wept bitterly.

"It was a mistake. I'm sorry." He begged.

Lorena kicked his hands away. She wounded him with her sharp heels but he was too scared to feel any pain.

"I have a guess. There aren't many women in your life. Who is it?" She asked.

"I'm sorry. Please. I swear I'll never do it again." He begged.

"You won't have the chance to do it again once I'm through." Lorena left him in the bedroom, picked up her bags and keys, then left.

#MenteMelan💀🖤