Forbidden: His Father's Desire

SANDRA'S POV

"So this is what you've been doing?" My voice shakes no matter how hard I try to steady it. "F*cking my best friend behind my back?"

Pamela grabs the blanket fast, pulling it against her chest with trembling hands like covering herself changes anything.

Austin barely reacts. That's the worst part. No panic. No guilt. No rushing to explain himself. He just drags his shirt over his head slowly, calm as hell, like I'm overreacting already and we haven't even started talking yet.

I stare at him, disbelief mixing with humiliation so sharp it almost makes me nauseous. "Say something," I whisper harshly, wiping angrily at my face. "Go on. Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me I didn't just walk in and see exactly what I think I saw."

Pamela shakes her head quickly. "Sandra, please... it's not-"

"Don't." The word slices out of me instantly. "Don't fucking lie to me right now. Not when I'm standing here looking at both of you like this."

Austin exhales slowly through his nose, already irritated. Like this conversation is exhausting for him. And damn, that hurts worse than the cheating.

Because he's supposed to love me. Instead I feel like the unwanted third person in their room. "What are you doing here?" he asks finally.

I blink at him. Once. Then again. "What am I doing here?" A laugh escapes me, broken and sharp. "Are you serious right now? That's your question? Not sorry? Not holy shit, Sandra, I fucked up? Just...... what am I doing here?"

I wipe at my face again before another tear can fall. I'm not crying in front of him. I refuse. Austin looks at me like I'm being difficult. "Babe, you're turning this into something bigger than it is."

My stare locks onto his face. "What?"

"You know how you get when you're upset." His tone stays calm, almost patronizing. "You blow things out of proportion instead of thinking clearly. Just calm down so we can actually talk about this."

For a second I genuinely can't speak. Did he really just say that? I walk in on him naked with my best friend and somehow I'm still the problem. "Out of proportion?" I repeat quietly, staring at him in disbelief before my voice cracks louder. "Austin, I caught you in bed with her!"

"It didn't mean anything." The words hit me harder than I expect. Not because they hurt. Because they make me feel stupid.

My lips part slowly as I stare at him, searching his face desperately for something human. Regret. Shame. Anything.

"It didn't mean anything," I repeat softly. "So what does that make me?" Austin says nothing. And somehow that silence answers everything. Pamela finally speaks again, her voice trembling harder now. "Sandra....... I swear, I never wanted this to happen like this."

A bitter laugh leaves me instantly. "Like this?" I shake my head slowly. "Pamela, you don't accidentally end up naked in bed with your best friend's boyfriend. This wasn't some little mistake. You both made a fucking choice."

Her eyes drop immediately. "God......." My voice cracks softer this time as I step back toward the door. "I trusted both of you."

Austin sighs again, frustrated now. "Can you stop being dramatic and think about this properly for once?"

Something inside me goes completely still. "Think about it properly?" My voice rises before I can stop it. "What exactly do you want me to think about, Austin? Huh? That maybe I interrupted you at a bad time? That maybe seeing my best friend under you somehow has another explanation?"

"You're emotional right now."

"No shit!"

"You're acting crazy."

I stare at him for a long second. Then suddenly the hurt starts disappearing. Not completely. But enough for something colder to take its place. Because this man is never going to admit what he did. "Damn you," I whisper, shaking my head slowly. "Seriously....... damn you."

I turn toward the door. "Sandra, wait-" I stop when Pamela's voice cracks behind me. Against my better judgment, I turn back.

She's clutching the blanket tightly now, tears running down her face. "You don't understand what's been happening."

"What the fuck does that even mean?"

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this," she says shakily. "We didn't plan-"

"If you say 'it just happened,' I swear to God-"

"We care about each other!"

The room falls silent. Austin's head snaps toward her immediately. "Pam."

"What?" she asks desperately, looking between both of us. "It's true!"

Austin's jaw tightens hard enough for me to see it. But he still doesn't deny it. And suddenly I almost feel sorry for her. I look at Pamela carefully, really look at her, and realize she actually thinks he'll choose her.

"He's not going to pick you," I say quietly. Her face falls instantly. "You're convenient right now," I continue, my voice colder than I've ever heard it. "That's all. The second this stops being fun for him, he'll do the exact same thing to you too."

"That's not true," she whispers weakly. I look directly at Austin. "Tell her I'm wrong." He says nothing.

Pamela's expression crumbles. And that's the final confirmation I need. I shake my head slowly and step backward toward the hallway again. "Good luck, Pam," I say quietly. "You're gonna need it." Then I walk out before either of them can stop me this time.