Betrayal

We sat in silence, not knowing how to address the elephant in the room. He seems oblivious to why I no longer embrace him, why I sleep on the couch. Why I don't eat his meals. I want to scream, shout, kick, yell, but instead I just stay silent. He looked a bit exhausted, as though he really didn't know what he did. The evidence goes against him, but I don't know how to bring it up. What am I going to do next? How far was he willing to go with Rachel? To my own horror, I not only heard everything, but I saw it too. I should've confronted them then. However, I won't let his wide puppy eyes deter me from confronting him.

"Why are you being like this?" His voice echoes in the room. Our children sound asleep in their beds. A sigh escapes from me, as I wonder how I'm going to address his sacrilegious ways. Do I approach him by asking? Then he might deny. I considered keeping up the silent treatment, but he seemed to not realize the gravity of the situation.

"Are you hungry? You usually get like this when you're hungry. It's late though. We can order chipotle tomorrow if you want." He said. I ignored him, putting all my energy into a game on my phone.

"Is tomorrow too late for you? Do you want me to cook something up really quickly?" He asked. Frustrated on what to do, I sighed and gave him an icy cold glare. It's now or never.

"I know what you did last week," I said with arms folded across my chest like a sign of defiance. He seemed to be confused about what I was talking about. I gave him some time to think. It's not something he should forget. His puzzled look soon turned into realization.

"Babe, it was a mistake. It didn't mean anything." His eyes pleaded for forgiveness, but I couldn't forget what I walked in on. A mistake can be buying the wrong shirt color for your friend who likes pink or showing up late for work. Mistakes aren't so intentionally damaging. However, this wasn't a mistake. To me, it's a crime.

"A mistake? Going behind my back was just a mistake? You expect me to believe that?" I scoffed. Only a fool could let go of this.

"I honestly was just a little desperate, kind of drunk too... It'll never happen again! I regret it," He said. I wanted to believe it, but I couldn't. This wasn't the first time he betrayed our family like this. How could I be sure it wasn't the last? Desperation isn't an excuse. It's like he isn't even trying. I have evidence. That shows he was in the right state of mind.

"I read your texts. 'We should meet up again', 'best night of my life', 'don't worry, Claire's at work'? I can't trust you anymore!" My voice wavered as I listed what he wrote behind my back. Instead of admitting he lied, he became defensive.

"Why were you looking through my phone? There needs to be privacy in a relationship!" He yelled. "Privacy? What else was I supposed to do when you started being sneaky?" I shouted.

"You could've asked! I respect your privacy, so why can't you respect mine?" He remarked. "Would you have told me the truth?" Silence filled the room once again. He cast his eyes down, refusing to look at me. Tears threatened to fall down, but I wouldn't allow it. I won't cry angrily this time. I'll hold my ground.

"I can't deal with this anymore. Go back to Rachel's house if you want. why stay here if you were having the best time there?" Fear of him actually listening to me and going back quickly drowned my thoughts. If he does, it'll really be over for us now. My kids would have to adjust, but no kid would be sane after this.

"You were always so busy! And distant! You never had time for us, so I was desperate."

"How is that an excuse? I have to work to put a roof over this house. Where do you think that money is coming from?" I said.

"I know how hard you work. But I was getting lonely, Rachel happened to be around and it just happened."

"Don't even think about dragging Rachel into this!You two are nothing but lying scum! that's what you are! No wonder you seemed so distant on Saturday! You were probably still thinking about her." I surprised my scream because I didn't want to wake the children up. How do I face them? When they realize what their own father did to them. To us.

"You just keep saying you're sorry, but I know you're not. How do I know you won't do this again?" I demanded.

"Because it was a mistake. Please, let's just talk this out." He was almost in tears, desperation filled in his eyes. I couldn't look away. The house we made together, the times we shared, I can't let that go down in the gutter.

My silence seemed to assure him that I was calming down because he began to approach me warily.

"I love you so much, Claire. I can't do this without you. Let's start over." He said softly. At this point, he wrapped his arms around me. I stiffened for a moment, before relaxing in his arms.

"This is your last chance," I murmur. He nods in agreement, kissing my forehead softly.

"It won't happen again."

Time passed by, but we stayed hugging each other. With my temper quenched, curiosity peeked through the curtains. Was it really as good as he made it out to be? Was it worth betraying me?

"Hey, how was it though? Was it good?" I asked, waiting for his response.

"Indescribable. Best My Little Pony rerun ever. Sorry, you were at work and we couldn't wait" he responded.

"Still can't believe you and Rachel watched it without me."