Without Her
1222 Words
The woman froze, she stared blankly at the pool of blood. "Oh no, my baby. Oh no. No! No!" Shavonne began to cry hysterically, she knelt down, sobbing and shaking violently.
"What happened, mom?"
"Benjamin?"
Mrs. Lawrence turned her head in panic. The woman shook her head. "No, Shavonne just fell and she's in pain, she's crying excessively."
Benjamin glanced at Shavonne briefly then chuckled. "It's very disturbing, be quiet, I'm tired and want to rest."
Shavonne looked at her husband with a face of disbelief. But the woman was still sobbing, staring at the pool of blood.
***
Benjamin ruffled his hair roughly, the man did not seem in a good mood at the moment. Not long after he moved, slamming the flower vase on his desk.
"What's wrong honey?" Mrs. Lawrence ran hastily into her son's office. "Are you hurt?"
"If only mom hadn't done that!" Benjamin shouted loudly, he pulled his hair in frustration. The man stepped out, looking at the scenery in every corner of the house.
In the past, every time he came home from work, Shavonne always greeted him with a smile, asking if he was tired, if he was hungry, if he wanted a massage. But what was Benjamin's answer? Only bad words like go away or stay away. Why did Benjamin do that?
The man walked unsteadily, he looked at Shavonne's room. The two of them did not sleep in the same room but Benjamin occasionally came to take care of some things. The room was still as neat as the last time. Every time Benjamin came, Shavonne would smile widely until her eyes narrowed, inviting her husband to come in with a sweet voice. Then what was Benjamin's answer? Only stupid sentences like why is your voice so disgusting? Or, be quiet, your voice makes me want to throw up. Once again Benjamin thought, why did he do that?
Benjamin hit his face hard. The man walked downstairs. At that moment, he remembered when in the morning, Shavonne smiled broadly carrying a bowl of hot soup. The woman always cooked every day for the entire family. Shavonne would approach Benjamin, offering breakfast for her husband. But what was the man's answer? Benjamin just answered like I'm not interested or seeing your face will only make me nauseous.
It was only recently that Benjamin realized Shavonne was very beautiful. The woman always smiled even when Benjamin threw away the lunch given by his wife in front of Shavonne directly. She would even still smile when everyone made fun of her because Benjamin didn't like her.
Benjamin felt something was wrong, but what was wrong? He hated Shavonne, a spoiled woman who must have been raised like a princess. But why did it feel so strange after Shavonne left? The woman had only lived here for half a year, but why did her presence leave such a lasting impression?
The diligent Shavonne, the humble Shavonne, the patient Shavonne. The woman was perfect, but why didn't Benjamin realize it? He only believed his mother's words that said the woman was very spoiled, lazy, and wasteful. But why didn't Benjamin try to check it himself?
It had only been a week since Shavonne left but why did it feel like so long? This emptiness, how to overcome it? Benjamin once again shouted in frustration, the man took out his phone, rushed to call his secretary. "Find Shavonne and bring her back to my house."
"But—" Before the secretary could finish her sentence, Benjamin had already hung up the phone.
"What's wrong Benjamin? Why do you want to bring that snake woman back?" Mrs. Lawrence asked in panic.
Benjamin frowned, the man angrily retorted, "Mom keeps spouting nonsense! Saying that Shevonne is lazy, spoiled, and so on. But she's not like that! Why did you do that? To make me regret it to death like now?"
"Why are you blaming mom? She's just that kind of woman! She's just acting in front of you!" Mrs. Lawrence exclaimed angrily. "She even cheated on you! Then why do you still want her back? She's probably a b***h by now!"
Benjamin roughly ruffled his hair, the man sighed heavily. "Forget it."
One month passed, there was no news about Shavonne. Benjamin was under severe stress, the man could not sleep well at night. His weight dropped drastically and dark circles were never absent under his eyes. The man looked very scary.
Two months passed, Benjamin was getting worse. He stopped working at the office, just locked himself in his room in frustration. Especially after a dream suddenly came to him last night. It was not a dream, but rather a memory. A memory where Benjamin r***d Shavonne when he was drunk.
The woman had never cheated and the child in the womb was Benjamin's own. When Shavonne said it desperately, what did Benjamin do? Kicked the woman, hit her, pushed her hard.
The man sobbed in his room. The feeling of regret never went away. It felt very painful. Why could he do something like that to such a fragile figure? Shavonne's body was very petite and the woman got sick easily. But the woman never complained. Even once when she was sick, Shavonne still braved the snowstorm to deliver lunch to her husband. But what was Benjamin's response? Throwing the food away, as he usually did.
Benjamin screamed again, crying loudly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry Shavonne. I'm sorry."
"Benjamin? What's wrong Benjamin?" Mrs. Lawrence entered Benjamin's room in panic. The woman was about to grab her son's hand before being pushed away by the man. "What's wrong honey? Forget about Shavonne that little b***h, she doesn't deserve you!"
"You killed my child!"
"What?"
"You killed my child! That day, when Shavonne was under the stairs, she almost cried. She had a miscarriage, right?" Benjamin glared, his red eyes looked even more terrifying. "She was pregnant with my child! How could you make her miscarry? What did you do that made you do that?"
"No honey, it must be a misunderstanding. Didn't you never touch Shavonne? I punished her because I saw her cheating!" Mrs. Lawrence answered in panic.
Benjamin shook his head several times. "Who did she have an affair with? Where did she have an affair? And how do you prove that the child in Shavonne's belly is not mine?"
"Then why do you think the child is yours now?"
"Because I remember it! I did do it with Shavonne, it was her first time and I r***d her!" Benjamin shouted angrily. "She never cheated! Shavonne is too sincere to do such things!"
"Honey, you might have been tricked by that woman! She is clearly a very bad person!"
"I don't know." Finally Benjamin shouted angrily. "Murderers are not allowed to answer."
Three months passed. Benjamin was really dying. The man was treated in a mental hospital. Shadows related to that night kept coming into his dreams. His condition was so bad that the man had to be referred to the hospital once a week.
"So, what do you want now?" asked Benjamin's personal doctor.
"I want Shavonne," the man answered without any expression at all.
The doctor shook his head. "Besides, something you want to do."
"If I can't see Shavonne, then just let me die."
- Writer
