Clark- Chapter Seven
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My eyes opened to the dull room that held no life. This wasn’t the plan when I decided to return to the home Cynthia and I shared. She refused to say a word to me while I was simply trying to explain.
I got up from the bed, put on my slippers and robe, and made my way out of the room. Despite her not wanting to speak to me, she no longer had that choice. Cynthia owed me her life, and if she thought it would be that easy to get rid of me, she never truly knew the man she married.
As I made my way down the stairs, the smell of freshly cooked bacon wafted across my nose. It was comforting to know that our maid was still around. The closer I got to the kitchen, the more I could hear music playing, and that was when I realized it wasn’t the maid making breakfast but Cynthia.
When I entered the kitchen, there she stood over the stove in my favorite color, blue.
The royal color graced her skin so perfectly.
Her hair hung down her back, swaying gently as she slowly rocked side to side, letting the melody carry her away.
It had been years since I’d seen her in this light, and honestly, it was like a breath of fresh air to experience it again.
This part of her softened me, and when she gave it up, so did I.
It was as if the moment she let go of the woman I met and matched the man I had become was the moment I let go of love.
“Over thirty years of marriage and I don’t know who you are,” she said as she slowly turned around.
When our eyes connected, something in me changed. Cynthia looked absolutely beautiful. Her face was fresh with no makeup. The tiny wrinkles in the corner of her eyes aged her, but in a good way. Was I feeling something for my wife again?
I cleared my throat. “I’ve always been this way.”
She shook the spatula in her hand as her lips tightened and her eyes closed.
“See, Clark, I knew you would say that, but that’s the thing.
You haven’t always been this way. The day you found out our daughter was pregnant changed you.
It turned you into a monster. Almost as if you saw all this coming. ”
“That is not what changed me, Cyn—”
She closed her eyes tightly while clenching her stomach, still pointing the spatula at me. “Stop calling me that!”
I moved closer to the vulnerable woman I needed. This was the Cynthia who let me get what I wanted, and I wanted her on my side. “Okay, Cynthia.” My voice was calm.
I eased my hand to her, removing the spatula from her grasp while I gently pulled her by her nightgown, bringing her closer until she was in my arms. Her sobs became loud like she had been waiting for this very moment to release them.
My lips pecked at the top of her head, securing warm kisses.
I wanted her to feel comfort in this moment.
I wanted her to feel safe. A woman who felt those very things was a woman who still held trust.
Cynthia was fragile, and I just needed to continue nurturing this for a few more minutes until I had her exactly where I wanted her. Allowing the music to set the mood, I rocked back and forth.
“Whatever it is, sweetheart, we can get through it. You said I changed, then I changed. All I’m asking for is you to continue to honor our marriage and stick this out with—”
Her head lifted slowly as her tears matched its speed and streamed down her face. “How dare you speak about honor!” she shouted. “The man who fucked every devil in a goddamn red dress. Clark, you killed my baby, and I could never forgive you!”
She went to pull away, and I yanked her ass back. “Cynthia, cut the bullshit. You’re walking around like it’s me who has done all the dirty work. You’re not innocent in any of this.”
“Let go of me. I’m not scared of you. I do not love you.
I do not want you. You have destroyed many things, and yes, I’ve played a role, but a tyrant can only last so long before the Grim Reaper comes knocking.
Did you know that Bobby killed himself? He couldn’t bear the weight of all his wrongs, and God knows where Fiona and Naheem are.
Your time is coming. Now, whether God sees fit for me to go with you is up to Him, not you.
In the meantime, Clark, I have decided to sell this loveless-ass house. ”
Selling my house? “You can’t just sell this house. This is my fucking house!” I barked.
She slowly backpaddled as she swung her arms. “No, this is our goddamn house—” she paused,”—just as you find a way around things, so do I. I’ve learned from the best.”
Cynthia disappeared from the kitchen, leaving me standing there.
All the years I’d spent with her, showing her what life was supposed to look like, giving her anything her heart desired, this was what I got in return.
She was upset about Grace, but so was I.
Grace did something she promised me she wouldn’t do, and since the day she told me about June contacting her, everything in my world shifted.
I needed order back in my life, and stalking the prey for another day wasn’t going to work. It was now time to attack.