Betrayal rocks Lynn's marriage, but the other woman is not quite what she expected...
The distant receiver clicked down. The vacant buzz flooded my shocked brain. What should I do? I stood at the window, heard his shout goodbye. I couldn’t respond. After a puzzled moment, the door slammed. I watched red tail lights disappear down the drive; a couple of demonic eyes.
I could feel my years of trust cracking like the sagging garden wall. I stared out at the leaning willow with its undermining roots. That was me, knocked sideways. No longer could I believe his tales. Every time he took a call, I would be straining to listen. Every time he went out, I would wonder who with. I dropped the second handset as if it were a snake, cutting off the hiss. He was my best friend, my other half. We couldn’t go on as normal. Not now. I would have to have it out with him...
I watched a white feather fluttering in the breeze outside. That’s how I felt, suspended, helpless. I was waiting, shaking, with his customary G&T when he returned. My stiff smile had been primed with two glasses of sherry. He entered, sheepish, offering guilty flowers, a peck. Small talk was out of the question; I’d stewed too long. Sweating, I went straight for the carotid.
‘I heard your call last night, Jeff.’ The perfume from his neglected flowers caught my throat. I hated this. I’d never thought it would happen to me. Fool…
The distant receiver clicked down. The vacant buzz flooded my shocked brain. What should I do? I stood at the window, heard his shout goodbye. I couldn’t respond. After a puzzled moment, the door slammed. I watched red tail lights disappear down the drive; a couple of demonic eyes.
I could feel my years of trust cracking like the sagging garden wall. I stared out at the leaning willow with its undermining roots. That was me, knocked sideways. No longer could I believe his tales. Every time he took a call, I would be straining to listen. Every time he went out, I would wonder who with. I dropped the second handset as if it were a snake, cutting off the hiss. He was my best friend, my other half. We couldn’t go on as normal. Not now. I would have to have it out with him...
I watched a white feather fluttering in the breeze outside. That’s how I felt, suspended, helpless. I was waiting, shaking, with his customary G&T when he returned. My stiff smile had been primed with two glasses of sherry. He entered, sheepish, offering guilty flowers, a peck. Small talk was out of the question; I’d stewed too long. Sweating, I went straight for the carotid.
‘I heard your call last night, Jeff.’ The perfume from his neglected flowers caught my throat. I hated this. I’d never thought it would happen to me. Fool…