The Director’s Chair

Sonya pretended she was about to brave a storm when her husband John had found out that she cheated on him. She called her lover and told him in a scared tone; she anticipated John to revenge, “He might kill me, he might do anything crazy.”

But John, when he dashed into the room, was fine and cool. He relaxed at the red leather couch and merely asked, “Why?” Then he added a sad look to his green eyes and harshened his tone a bit. “Why did you cheat on me?”

Sonya heaved a sigh of relief that John took the matter almost easy. So, she cooled herself down and had a seat next to John and said shyly, “Darling, what I did was wrong, but you can’t deny you’ve neglected me.”

John closed his eyes the same way he always did when he was about delivering a sounding statement, “Yes, I did.” He paused for a long second, “I did neglect you because ten years with the same woman in bed is unbearable, is boring and horrible.”

“And you went out womanizing! Yes, Man is like this, and you’re not an exception. Every man is proud of the abundance of his sperm and the thought he can father countless children if he gets enough women.”

“Womanizing! Sperm! What are you talking about!” John protested and took a photo from his wallet, “You know I’m not of that type. I only had a relationship with this lady.”

Sonya picked the photo, stared at it, and raised her brows, “ she’s ugly!”

“Yes, you’re beautiful, and I wanted to have some change.”

“And what the next?” Sonya asked, looking at John in the eyes.”

“The next that we must deforce, so we both have a new opportunity in life.”

Sonya looked at the wall and stared at their kids’ photos, “And what about our kids?”

“You may take care of them, and I pay the expenses.”

“It sounds good.” Sony agreed and brought a bottle of champagne.

“What are you doing?”

“Celebrating the happy end we did reach.”

Sonya opened the bottle in a celebration style - loud pop followed by a stream of champagne. And she poured two glasses.

“Stop,” Patrick, the film director, screamed. “We have spent a long time shooting this scene, and your performance just went from bad to worse. You’ve no feeling of the situation at all. You sound like you’re in love rather than a couple who are bored of each other and going to end their marriage.”

“Maybe we’re not the right couple to play this role,” Sonya told Patrick. “In reality, John is my lover and fiancé and the role….”

“The role, the role!” Patrick interrupted Sonya. “It’s the role you guys are going to play in reality in ten years of your marriage. You will get bored of each other. You’ll get enough of each other.”

“No, we are different.” Both Sonya and John objected.

Patrick stood up nervously that the director’s chair fell. “A monogamous relationship is not realistic. No, not all. No, it is an impossible relationship in the modern world.”

Sonya was surprised to see Patrick behaving this way, “excuse me, Patrick, if I say you don’t make sense. You’ve been married for more than ten years, and everyone knows you’re in love with your wife.”

“I used to be, but not after I found out last week that my wife was cheating on me.”

John’s face turned white. He put his jacket on and told Sonya that they would better leave.

“No, coward. You can’t run away like this.” Patrick screamed angrily.

“How you dare to talk with John this way?” Sonya objected and picked up her handbag to leave the place.

“Wait, Sonya. Just wait, don’t go,” Patrick ordered. “You must know something first! Yes, you must know that my wife cheated on me with your lover John. Yes, with your lover John.”

“It’s your fault,” John shouted. “You’ve neglected your wife for a long time. You were more interested in that ‘director’s chair’ than your wife. The chair that just fell on the ground. The chair of an iconic design with your name embroidered on it which you use it to be a celebrity while your wife in the shadow.”

Sonya looked lost, not absorbing what was going on. And the moment Patrick pulled John’s head forward and broke his nose; she left the studio without even saying goodbye.