Chapter 3: Agree to Disagree
1102 Words
“Charlotte?!” My heart plummeted, an icy grip clenching my stomach.
“How could you do this to me? You are my sister!” My voice broke, shivers continuously running through my spine as my goosebumps stood tall. My eyes opened wide as she stood before me, her expression a mask of feigned shock that barely concealed the glee dancing in her eyes. I could see it: she was reveling in my devastation, elated that her betrayal had finally come out of the darkness. At that moment, I felt like strangling her as I clenched my fist tightly.
“Babe, it’s not what it looks like. I can explain!” Tommy’s wide-eyed plea was desperate, but I felt no sympathy. Shame had long abandoned him.
With a hurried flick, Charlotte buttoned her blouse and smoothed down her mini skirt, clutching her panties in her hand. It was as if she were now too ashamed to put them back on.
It felt like a nightmare. I wished someone would pinch me awake. It felt like a scene from a twisted play, and I struggled to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.
“Please, Tommy, enlighten me. What’s really going on here?” I implored, my voice trembling. The absurdity of the situation suffocated me. Nothing they could say would ever justify this betrayal.
“Shelly, I don’t know how to say this, but… I’m not happy in this marriage,” he admitted, his words laced with a chilling nonchalance. “I didn’t want to hurt your feelings, but this is what I want.”
“What do you want?” Confusion etched itself across my face. His hesitation spoke volumes, as he glanced away.
“You want my younger sister to sleep in our bed and have s*x on our kitchen island?” My voice cracked as the tears finally streamed down my cheeks.
“No,” he shot back, a mix of defiance and longing in his eyes. “I want to have fun. I want to sleep with whoever I want, wherever and whenever I wish. I want excitement in my life! Loving you alone is boring.”
The words erupted from his mouth without a care for how I felt.
“Look at Charlotte,” he continued to make the situation worse, his tone shifting as he gauged my reaction. “She understands me. And, let’s be honest, she's hot as hell—blonde hair, soft skin, pink lips. I’ve been sleeping with her for months, and I don’t think I could stop.”
“Ugh!” I covered my mouth, the reality crashing down like a wave.
“Months?” I echoed, nausea curling in my stomach.
“My dear Shelly,” Charlotte chimed in, her tone dripping with contentment, “you know I’ve always had a thing for Tommy, even before you married him. Now that we’re work partners…”
“Work partners!?” I interrupted, my disbelief only deepening as I turned to Tommy, who had suddenly become far more interested in the floor.
“Since when does Charlotte work at the S&T Agency?” I spat, disgust pooling in my throat.
“Charlotte is the reason the company is thriving! She lifted it from the gutter. She’s the reason you get to stay at home like the lazy louse you are!” Tommy's words cut deep, a brutal insult wrapped in a veneer of frustration.
“I never asked to be a housewife!” I sobbed, my dignity slipping away as I fought back the hurt. “Nevertheless, before I left the company in your hands, it was thriving!”
Charlotte's brazen claim to the successes I had built gnawed at my heart. I couldn’t fathom her involvement. It felt like a betrayal layered upon betrayal. But in that moment, I felt drained, as if I could walk away from it all without looking back.
“Tommy has been so frustrated with a lack of love,” Charlotte said, her hand resting possessively on his chest. “Not a decent meal on the table. A nagging wife. What did you expect?”
“Shut up, Charlotte! You w***e!” I cried, rage mingling with despair.
“Stop embarrassing yourself! You always play the victim in every situation, and I’m always the villain. It’s pathetic.” Tommy spat, his words hitting me like a knife to my chest.
“Look. I’m not leaving this marriage for another. I just want you to agree to an open marriage. That way, we can all have fun!” His voice dripped with anger as he spoke.
I observed Charlotte’s expression. I could tell she wanted more than just that. She wanted him to herself.
This was not the first time such words had come out of Tommy’s mouth, nor the second time. This argument had morphed from a mere suggestion about a year ago, then it grew into a heavy weight on my shoulders, festering into resentment, distance and silence in our marriage.
“I’ve told you countless times that I will not entertain an unfaithful marriage. It’s ridiculous! An open marriage only benefits unfaithful men! I would never do to you what you are doing to me right now.” The bitterness in my words tasted like poison, the truth stinging both our consciences.
“Shelly, look at yourself,” he sneered, eyes raking over me. “After you gave birth to Bella, you’ve let yourself go. Your hair’s a mess, you’re always tired, and what are you wearing?”
He scrutinized my appearance with evident disdain. Charlotte mirrored his expression, her lips curling in contempt.
“Wait a minute, is that my lingerie she’s wearing?” Charlotte’s voice cut through the air like a dagger. My eyes widened in horror, a wave of shame crawling over my skin.
“Your lingerie?!” I exclaimed, disbelief flooding my senses. “What is it doing in my closet?”
I shifted my gaze between them, and I saw the truth in Tommy’s averted eyes. A truth he was unwilling to confess.
“Tommy took them…” she began, but he quickly silenced her with a hand over her mouth.
“That’s not important right now. I’ll drop Charlotte off, and when I get back, we need to talk.” His tone was filled with determination.
I watched helplessly as he led her away, their hands entwined. A fresh wave of grief struck as she tucked her underwear into his back pocket, casting me a smirk filled with malicious glee, as if my agony was her triumph.
- Writer
