Chapter 23 #2
When they got home, she changed into her nightgown, fed Junior, and read aloud again from “The Count of Monte Cristo” with Bill’s head in her lap.
He looked so perfectly content like that, especially when she ran her fingers through his hair.
When she couldn’t stop yawning to read the words, he took the book from her hands and turned out the lights, snuggling into bed next to her.
He was a perfect gentleman, somewhat to her disappointment. She’d been looking forward to his return and all that came with it, but he seemed too tired for anything. Perhaps it was just as well, given how tired she was herself. She curled against him and fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, when she woke to feed Junior, he wrapped his arms around her waist but otherwise left her alone. Was something amiss? It seemed surprising he wasn’t interested in intimacy after several days away.
In the morning, he slept late, unable to rouse himself at his usual hour.
Ann got up and quietly went about making breakfast and tidying.
She took his bag with the clothes from his trip, intending to add them to the laundry pile, when she noticed something odd.
There was a red smudge on the collar of one of his shirts.
On closer inspection, it appeared to be lipstick.
Her heart lurched. Was he deceiving her?
Were his friends telling the truth after all?
Could Mary have been mistaken? And here she’d just started trusting him.
She let herself fall like an idiot, but here was proof that he wasn’t the man he pretended to be.
For someone she’d just allowed inside her battered heart, he sure could break it.
After all she’d been through, she didn’t think she could suffer anything worse than the losses she’d endured, but the thought of Bill betraying her absolutely destroyed her.
Blinking through tears of rage, she shook him awake roughly. “Can you explain why you have lipstick on the collar of your shirt?”
He squinted at her, bleary eyed. “Why does my head ache so much? I didn’t drink last night.”
“I don’t care about your headache,” she yelled at him, hoping it made his head hurt worse. He deserved to hurt for betraying her like this. “I want an explanation for the lipstick on your collar.”
She was trembling as she handed him the offending shirt. This was her worst nightmare, a dishonest, unfaithful husband who didn’t even trouble to hide the evidence of his affairs. How could he do this to her?
He sat up and swayed, gripping his head. “I really don’t feel good,” he said, trying to focus on the shirt. How dare he plead illness at a moment like this! He looked at the red spot, then leaned back and closed his eyes. “I can explain,” he croaked.
“Well?”
“Can you get me a glass of water first? My throat feels like it’s on fire.”
He genuinely sounded as if he was about to lose his voice, so she relented and got the water, though it took everything in her to refrain from throwing it in his face.
“I went out for a drink with Pritchard. I didn’t want to, but he insisted.
To celebrate my marriage, he said. While we were there, he made friends with a woman at the bar.
It turned out she had a friend. The friend got completely sozzled while Pritchard and the other woman flirted.
She passed out, and it took all three of us to get her home safe and sound.
Some lipstick must have gotten on me when she was leaning against me for support. Nothing happened. I swear.”
“And I’m supposed to take your word on this?” If he thought she was ready to fall for one of his tall tales, he had another thing coming.
“No. You can ask Pritchard. I’ll give you his phone number. He can tell you nothing happened. Ann, I’m so sorry. I swear this is all a terrible misunderstanding.” He looked at her with desperate, pleading eyes.
She wanted to believe him so badly, but she was no man’s fool.
“Can you get me some aspirin?” he asked. “It’s in the second drawer from the right in the kitchen. I must be coming down with something.”
Gritting her teeth, she turned and got the bottle for him then shoved it none too gently into his hand.
“Ann, please talk to Pritchard. Let me give you his number right now. Can you hand me a pen and a piece of paper?” He pointed at the top of the bookshelf.
She gave it to him, and moments later, he handed it back to her. “Call right now. Please. I want you to know the truth. I don’t want you thinking the worst of me a second longer than necessary.”
She placed the call. There was no answer.
“Maybe he’s out.” Bill’s voice was getting worse by the minute. “Try again in a little bit. He has to come home sometime.” He pounded his fist into the mattress. “Ann, please. I love you. I would never betray you. You have to believe me.”
“I want to, Bill. But even you have to admit this is highly suspicious.” That was an understatement. It was damning proof, and she could hardly believe he had the gall to look her in the eyes and deny it.
“You have every right to be upset. I’m just begging you not to jump to conclusions. I recognize how bad this looks.”
“Do you? Do you have any idea how powerless I feel right now? I’m married to you. I depend on you for everything. I even resigned from my job at your urging. If it turns out you’re a liar and a cheat, there isn’t a thing I can do about it. I have no recourse. I am completely at your mercy.”
She burst into tears despite her efforts to keep them at bay. It was all too much. She was just starting to settle into her new life and then this had to happen.
“Ann—”
“I wish to God this apartment had a second room. I don’t want to be here with you right now.”
“Ann, I’m so sorry. I’ll… I’ll leave you in peace.”
He turned around so that he was facing the wall, giving her as much privacy as the apartment would afford, and she cried until she couldn’t cry anymore.