Love Prevails

Enough Is Enough

The weekend had finally arrived. Camilla wasn't particularly looking forward to the weekend. It was their seven-year wedding anniversary. They had originally made plans to go away for the weekend and leave the children with her aunt and uncle. In light of the constant abuse, Camilla had cancelled the trip but let the children still go away for the weekend.

On Friday afternoon, Uncle Toby picked the children up at school with Camilla and then dropped her home. Steven was still at work despite saying he would get off earlier. The children were so excited about their weekend away.

On arriving home, Steven pulled up in the car. Uncle Toby left with the children. "Kids going away for the weekend?" he asked.

"Yes, even though our plans are cancelled, they were looking forward to going, so I let them go," she responded. Camilla was too exhausted to fight.

"Okay," he responded, "what's for dinner?"

"I'm making steak and salads," she replied, opening a bottle of red wine and pouring herself a glass.

Camilla wasn't much of a drinker, but from time to time, she would indulge in a glass or two, especially now that the kids had gone away for the weekend.

Steven looked at the open bottle on the counter and helped himself to a glass, and gulped it down quickly.

While Camilla was finishing off the evening meal, Steven had gone into the bathroom to shower and change. After exiting the bathroom in fresh, clean clothing, Steven sat down and ate his food while sipping on his second glass of wine.

As soon as he had finished, he said, "I'll be back later."

Not caring that his wife was all alone, he picked up the keys, looked at a message that came on his phone, responded to the text and walked out the door to the car and drove off.

Looking at the empty doorway, Camilla just stared at the car as Steven drove down the road. A weekend where they were supposed to try and figure out their own relationship was really going awry.

Camilla picked up her phone and sent Michelle a message. "Hey, what are you up to?" Camilla asked.

"Nothing much," Michelle responded.

"Do you feel like going out for a few drinks, I can hail a cab to the bar and meet you there?" Camilla asked.

Michelle had forgotten that her friend was free of her children for the weekend.

"Sure! Where would you like to go?" she asked.

They discussed where they were going and where they would meet.

Camilla quickly took a shower, put on her makeup, and then looked at her clothing in the cupboard as to what she would put on. Settling on a long length, shimmering black, spaghetti-strapped dress with a slit on the side. The front of the dress accentuated her cleavage, and the back was low-line. She looked stunning. She took a selfie, posted it to her status, and ordered a cab driver to pick her up.

Arriving at the club, Camilla exited the car, gave the driver his money, and walked to the entrance where Michelle was waiting for her. Michelle was in shock. She hadn't seen her friend look this gorgeous in a long, long time. "Girl, you look stunning," Michelle exclaimed.

"Why, thank you," Camilla laughed, "Let's go in." The best friends walked confidently up to the bar and ordered a drink each. Looking around, they found a table in the far corner and went to sit.

While enjoying their drink, they noticed a dashing couple walking in. Camilla's eyes grew wide.

Michelle followed her gaze and said to her, "That's it! Either you approach them, or I will!"

"No, Michelle, I want to observe for a while," Camilla said calmly.

Shocked by her friend's words, Michelle said, "I don't understand!"

Camilla calmly said, "Look at the other side."

Behind them, walking in, was Bradford Hemmingway and Tamara's brother, James. "I will bet Uncle Toby spoke to James without saying anything to their father," Camilla explained.

Bradford and James had been friends since high school days. They had also been at university and were alumni brothers as well.

Steven was unaware of the fact that his wife's cousin, Tamara's brother, and his friend had walked in behind them. Tamara, wearing a short, red mini-dress and a pair of stiletto heels, went with Steven to the bar. With her arm wrapped around his waist, she said, "Darling, please get me a scotch on the rocks."

"Sure," he said, placing a kiss on her lips. Everyone was shocked at their public display of affection.

As Tamara turned to look for a table, she noticed Camilla and Michelle. Shocked to see her cousin in the bar, she quickly turned, trying to hide her face and whispered to Steven, "Your wife and her friend are here!"

Shocked at what he had just heard, he turned his head to look quickly as if to confirm the facts.

Hurriedly, they gulped down their drink, and Steven said, "Come, let's go somewhere else, I don't know if they saw us," he suggested.

As they tried to make a quick exit, they were stopped by two very burly, masculine men. As they looked up to see who it was, Tamara became very squeamish and hid behind Steven.

"No missy, come out and face us directly," James growled in a low voice. Tamara faced her brother, not able to say anything. Tamara just stood looking at him.

"So you're here with Steven, have you no self-respect!" his voice was angry but controlled and low, "and you Steven, you're a married man and, to say the least, you with your wife's cousin! What's worse is that this is your wedding anniversary weekend. You should be with your wife, not flaunting your mistress all over town. You two disgust me."

"I, we," Steven started.

"Shut up, both of you, just shut up!" He yelled.

By this time, the commotion was getting louder. At that point, Camilla and Michelle stood up and walked towards them. Taking her half-filled glass of red wine, Camilla looked at her husband and her cousin. She never said a word, but what she did next shocked everyone. Lifting her glass, she threw the wine all over her cousin's short, red mini-dress, then took her friend's glass and threw the wine onto her husband's satin, white shirt that she had bought him the year before.

"You!" Tamara screamed angrily at her cousin, "you!"

"Yes, Tamara, it's me!" Camilla said in a deathly quiet voice. Everyone froze at the sound of Camilla's voice. Just then, a male hand lifted, and he was about to slap her in her face.

Steven had been so humiliated that he boiled with anger inside. It was his hand that was about to hit her. Just as his hand almost connected with Camilla, another hand caught his, and the voice challenged, "dare you hit a woman! And your wife at that!"

The voice belonged to Bradford Hemmingway. "No man hits a woman in front of me, I don't care who you are!" With that, he took Camilla and Michelle and said, "Come, I'm taking you both somewhere else."

"Where do you think you're going!" Steven shouted at his wife.

"I'm going out with James and Bradford then to Michelle's. Do what you like!" she retorted and walked away.

Just then, Tamara's brother said to them both, "You disgust me. Just wait till my parents hear about this!" he said in a harsh voice, "your game is over!" With that, he walked towards Camilla and Michelle.

Tamara looked at Steven and burst into tears. Holding her in his arms, he said, "we'll think of something. Let's go, I'll take you home."

The scene at the bar ended with a sour taste in both his and Tamara's mouths.