The Best Man novel Chapter 17

"It sounds like this is going to be the best wedding of the century", Martin McCarthy, Mellisa's father added chuckling

"It won't be as glamorous as Nathan's wedding though", Mellisa laughed, adding in passing and the sound of Olivia coughing out loud echoed around the room, seeming to have choked on something

"Oh my God, Liv", Sarah and Elizabeth were sitting beside her and they both rubbed their hands up and down her back

"Are you okay?", Elizabeth asked her as she finished gulping down a glass of water, and she nodded her head whilst motioning with a thumbs up

"I'm fine Mom", she forced a smile even though she seemed to struggle catching her breath. Everyone on the table had their eyes fixed on her worriedly.

"I'm fine everyone, relax"

There were sighs of relief before the McCarthy's turned to look at Mellisa, scowling at her for bringing Nathan's wedding up. She quickly realized her wrong and mouthed an apology to Nathan, to which he brushed it off and told her it was okay.

The tension around the room grew less tense soon afterwards before Olivia quickly stood to her feet, excusing herself to go to the bathroom. She looked really troubled, and I was about to stand up to follow after her, but Mellisa grabbed me by the arm before I could push my seat backwards, forcing me to seat back down without causing an obvious scene.

"Don't even think about it", she warned without even looking at me. I removed her hand off me before pulling my seat in again and watched Olivia disappearing from sight. I bought my eyes back to the faces on the table, noticing I wasn't the only one who seemed worried about her. Nathan's mind seemed preoccupied as he stared in the direction Olivia disappeared in while nervously cracking his knuckles.

My father's voice bringing the wedding topic again caused me to look away from him and pay attention to the new conversation at hand

Olivia's POV

He's married

That was all that was going through my mind as I was busy pacing up and down in that closed bathroom thinking, oh my god how could I be so stupid to even be in a situation where I find myself having been engaged in adulterous behavior with a married man?

Is this what imploding feels like?

Like there's this hot ball rolling in the pit of my stomach and I just didn't know how to explain it. My heart is beating so fast, my whole body was sweating. My brain was on fire and there was nothing I could do to actually stop this ragging, pounding feeling that I was feeling in my chest. I was panicking of what I had done with a man who actually belongs to another woman.

"I slept with another woman's man"

I thought while splashing cold water on my face, as if it would actually tone down the burning sensation I was feeling all over my body. I felt so bad and guilty, feeling like I've betrayed the woman I don't even know existed until a few minutes ago.

Everything happened so fast in there, we were just sitting and enjoying the brunch while I was still recovering from the shock of actually discovering that Nathan was actually Anthony, only to later learn he was married

Where was my womanly intuition when all of this happened? To warn and let me know that, No Olivia, this guy is probably a red flag because he could probably be married and has kids?

Why does it seem like everything in my life just goes from terribly wrong and bad to worse?

"Is that so?", I asked, turning to look at him, and he nodded his head, with me nodding back before clearing my throat to ask the real question that's been bugging me the entire afternoon

"Why didn't you tell me you're married, Nathaniel?"

I watched the small smile on his face slowly fade before it was replaced by sadness, mixed with pain as he seemed to take a deep breath

"I was married until three years ago"

"Are you divorced?"

"No", he shook his head and I felt my heart sink deeper into my rip cage, all my suspicions were true. I was just waiting for that moment whereby a stunning woman appears behind him to give him a passionate kiss in front of me before apologizing for being late for the brunch.

I feel so fucking stupid

The sound of him clearing his throat to get my attention made me look up, and we locked eyes before he opened his mouth to speak

"I'm a widower"