The Beginning of the End: Chapter 2

S was the stitches that kept us from completely ripping apart that day. She took me out of the pub, still not sure what had happened. Took me round the corner to the wee nook she’d just been smoking in. I could smell her not quite stale smoke still lingering there.

He… he… he cheated, with – C. How could they do this to me? My husband and my best friend. What had I done to deserve this? I looked at S through my tear-stained eyes. She was wide-eyed in disbelief. Even she couldn’t believe he’d done this to his wife. He was always the nice guy, never talked bad about anyone, never did anything to hurt anyone. How could he be so STUPID?

I felt like I’d been punched in the guts. Winded so badly I couldn’t quite catch a breath. How could he?? How could he do this to me? To us? To our boy?

I didn’t understand. There had been times when I was tempted, but I never actually DID anything. I wouldn’t have been able to live with it, knowing that I’d betrayed him.

The worst part at the time was that it had happened almost a year ago, and everyone in his circle of friends seemed to know about it but me. Every single one of them, and not one had had the decency to tell me.

Not one.