章 2: The homewrecker

It was still early, but Sabrina could already hear a phone ringing. When she opened her eyes, she had to squint a little because her vision was a bit blurry, but the darkness in the room sure indicated that it was still night outside.

Locating the source of the sound, she noticed Brad's phone was the one creating the noise. She nudged Brad to wake up, "Brad, your phone. Answer it."

"Yeah!" Brad answered her sleepily, slowly moving his hand and grabbing the phone on the side of the bed. "What's up?" he answered after looking at the screen.

He immediately stood up from the bed when he heard what the person on the other line said. She, on the other hand, kept her eyes closed, trying to get back to sleep.

She was used to this kind of situation. Brad was a politician, so calls came at all times of the day or night when his publicist, advisor, assistant, or someone else wanted his attention.

After he hanged up the phone, she heard the television in their room started buzzing. Brad scanned the stations until he found a news channel. Then, she figured it must be something to do with his campaign. He was running again for a second term.

Brad was the youngest Mayor of this city at the age of thirty, as far as she knew. Many people liked the way he had run the municipality with his current term. Applying what he learned at his early age and making a name for himself brought him to his current position.

"Brad, what's going on?" Sabrina finally asked, her curiosity getting the best of her. She leaned in slightly on her elbows, trying to focus her eyes on the screen.

"I have no idea yet. Owen called and told me to check the news. There was a source that said that there would be some breaking story," he explained as he sat at the edge of the bed, waiting for the news.

Owen was his assistant, so the possibility that this could be nothing was very slim. Propaganda against him by his rivals was already spreading across the city.

Brad did not come from a wealthy family, but he did work his way up. Something she had admired about him. He served his constituents with passion and devotion. His political career was practically his life.

Several respectable and attractive men lined up to win her affection, but Brad found a way to win her heart. Brad was a very charismatic man who was both handsome and intelligent. He had dark hair and manly features, courtesy of his Italian heritage that could draw any woman to his side. He could easily pass as a tv actor if he wanted to.

"Come back to bed." She went to his side and hugged him from behind.

"In a minute, baby." He turned his head and kissed her on her lips before returning his attention to the screen.

Looking at him in the dim light, she knew why she wanted to be with this man. It was not because of his look, but because of what he was fighting for, his cause. She believed that Brad was a good man with a great purpose.

There was only one flaw in him as far as she was concerned. Despite this, she could not use it against him. She had learned to love him despite that shortcoming. She was willing to overlook it because she loved him. She was also sure that he loved her. That was enough for her.

Then, she heard it, coming from the sound on the television. She shifted her view from his face to the bright light coming in front of her.

A news anchor was telling a story about a high, ranking Politician, recently discovered having an affair with a famous actress. She immediately stood up, already having a premonition of what was about to happen even before she saw what was in the news.

"Brad, how did they found out?" she asked him as a chill went through her body. She searched her mind for anything that would indicate the source of the news. They were both very cautious not to be spotted together alone, even when they meet like this.

Several scenarios ran to both of their minds. Different possibilities could both ruin their relationship and their careers. They were suddenly afraid of what would happen to them now that the news about them was out in the open.

"I have no idea how they learned about us, but you know I have a lot of enemies and rivals. One of them must be behind this," Brad said, dropping the remote on the bed as he began to pace the room.

She still could not believe it. Her face, together with Brad, was now flashing on the screen with the headline.

AN AFFAIR: A MARRIED POLITICIAN AND A FAMOUS YOUNG ACTRESS.

"What are we going to do now?" She walked towards him and hugged him from behind.

"I don't know yet, but we have to contain this before it got any worse." He picked up the remote and turned the television off.

He turned around and faced her. Kissed her, assuring her that they would get through this together. They just had to do something quickly before things got worse because it could easily ruin both of them. His mind was quickly assessing their current situation.

Brad started calling his publicist and advisers, trying to figure out how to handle the problem. He made several calls to his public affair staffs to control the spread of the news any further.

"What about us?" It was a question she was dreading even before this happened. Having a secret affair with a married man was not something she had planned, but she had taken the risk with him because she loved him.

With that risk, she was always on edge. Afraid that her secret forbidden affair with Brad would become public, which in turn, would end their relationship. For a year, they had gotten away with it, but now, the question lingered in the air whether they could continue this.

She knew she had no right to demand anything from him. He was honest from the start that he was married. He also made it clear that he could not divorce his wife yet. Not until he already established a higher position with Congress, or even with the Senate.

A better post in the government would give him the power to help more people, implement changes that could improve the country. A dream that driven him into his current position and kept him fighting for changes.

"Let me figure this out. This crisis is just another test in our relationship." Brad kept assuring her.

"I'm afraid that I will lose you. I love you, Brad." She went to the other side of the bed, unsure of what to do next. She was fighting the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. It was not the time to break down. She needed a clear head to find a solution to their dilemma.

"I love you so much, Sabrina. You know that, right?" He moved towards her and sat beside her on the bed. Placing his arms around her shoulders, he pulled her into an embrace. He truly loved her, and he wanted to protect her too. Now that the news was out, she would be easy prey to all the people vying after his position.

When they met, the two of them instantly clicked. It was as if both Brad and Sabrina belonged to be together. She was part of a campaign ad that was supporting him in his previous election. As they continued to work closely together, they developed their relationship from a working one to a full-blown love affair.

Brad's marriage with Johanna was purely for political and business purposes only. They did not love each other, but they needed the alliance at the time. She married him to further her father's business while he needed her family's ties for his political career.

When Brad met Sabrina, he knew that she was the missing part of his life. He needed her on his side for as long as she would let him. Brad wanted to be with her, but there was so much at stake at that moment. If only the circumstances were different, he would divorce his wife and marry her in an instant.

She trusted him with her whole heart. She believed that he would find a way for them to be back together again. She understood that this was not the time to begin to doubt his intentions. They just had to get past this trial in their relationship.

She also started calling her manager. She could already picture out what Jessica had to say about this. Jessica had warned her several times about her relationship with Brad. Jessica never approved of him because he was a married man.

"Jessica." Before she could go any further, her manager started yelling on the phone.

"I told you this would happen, but you did not believe me. Now, this scandal is plastered all over the news," Jessica shouted over the line.

"Stop it. Nothing more we can do about it. Help me figure out what we can do to save my career from this." She begged her.

"As of now, all we can do is to let the issue die down before we can make a move with your career. I need you to stay put and let me figure out what to do." Jessica ended the call without waiting for her response.

Now, she waited for whatever the plan would be, trapped in a hotel room, unable to go out because the whole place was swarming with news reporters by now.

"Brad. Promise me that you won't leave me?" Sabrina begged him, afraid of losing him after this.

"I still need to figure this out, but remember this. I love you. No matter what happened, I will find a way for us to be together again someday, for good this time." Brad promised her. He was also thinking of a way to protect her. Since their relationship was made public, many of his rivals would find a way to exploit this situation, and she might end up in the crossfire or even a target.

Somehow, she felt secure with his words. She was sure that Brad was also thinking of his career, but he would keep his words. With that, she was willing to wait and take a back seat. She was ok to be last in his priorities for now.

"Ok. I love you, Brad," Sabrina continued to hug him, frightened to let him go.

"For now, I need you to be strong for us," he said. "I love you, Sabrina."

Then, a knock came on the door. Robert was Brad's publicist. Robert was the first to arrive, but Sabrina's manager was not far behind him. Moments later, more people came to help contain the situation.

They talked about what would be best for the time being. After much debate, Sabrina came up with a conclusion. Everybody, except for Brad and her manager, agreed to the temporary fix she came up with for the meantime.

She should move out first, out of sight of the public eyes. On the other hand, Brad would apologize publicly for his indiscretion. Although Brad and Jessica vehemently disagreed with this setup, Sabrina stood by her decision. While they wait, they would observe the reaction of the masses. Let the news about them died down before making another move.

She was willing to be the villain in the story to save Brad's reputation. She would be the mistress in the public eyes, the homewrecker. That was how much she loved Brad.