“I don’t want to make this work anymore, Aida. I want a divorce, and that’s final. I’m sorry if that hurts you, I truly am, but I can’t stay with you just to make you happy. And I don’t even think that would make you happy. You’ve been just as unhappy as I have been for years. Why would you want to stay in something that makes you miserable? To save face? It’s not worth it, and I won’t do it. Please respect that.”

Her face morphs from one of pleading and hurt to one of wrath in an instant. Her features harden, eyes going cold. “Fine. Fuck you, Stone.” She rips herself from my hold and storms out of the room.

My head hangs, guilt lining my gut. Hurting her was never what I wanted. To some, it won’t make sense. If you didn’t want to hurt your wife, you shouldn’t have cheated on her… but it isn’t that simple. Nothing is ever black and white.

I pour myself a whiskey on the rocks and make my way to my office. It’s dark as I walk in, the moonlight pouring in through my open bay windows. I drop down into my desk chair, bringing the glass up to my lips, and letting the amber liquid pour down my throat.

Something catches my attention. My gaze coming up to my computer monitor that’s turned off. There’s a red glow in it… what the hell? Spinning in my chair, I look out the window into the night, my heart flying into my throat when I see red tail lights peeling out of the driveway.

Oh, no, no, no…

Swiping my phone off the desk, I press call on Aida’s number. It rings and rings, eventually going to voicemail.

Shit, shit, shit!

******

Cash DeMarco

It’s pouring down rain when I get outside. I’m drenched by the time the Uber driver arrives. I don’t bother waiting inside, because why bother? At least the rain hides the storm brewing inside of me, the emotional storm filling and spilling over my eyes.

As soon as I trudge over the threshold of my house, I rid myself of the sopping wet clothes. A trail is made from the front door to my bedroom, until I’m as naked as the day I was born. The emotions welling inside of me are overwhelmingly large and complicated. I’m running on autopilot as I walk into the bathroom and turn on the shower.