‘What?! If I wanted to do that I would've given it to him years before I married you. Is that what you want to hear?? There I said it! Happy now?!’
He took a step towards her and raised his hand, then stopped, pointing instead.
‘You've always had a thing for him since you first saw him in my office when we were dating, and at the annual company party after we got married. If I hadn't stepped in you would have made a move tonight.’
‘I do not! I can't believe you'd say that!’ Hayley shouted, obviously irritated by her husband’s paranoia.
‘Then why the tight dress? Why the show off? Why Hayley?’ Jake said taking another step towards her.
‘Is it wrong now for a wife to look the best she can standing beside her husband?’ She then clenched her fist out of frustration and realized that she wasn’t wearing her ring. If he sees that, it’ll be another issue to resolve so she decided to hide her hand behind her back.
‘The best? You wore that to the nightclub last week with your friends! Is that the best dress for everyone to see you wear when you’re NOT with me?! Now that you are, you just had to wear it in front of him!’
Hayley stood there silent, not knowing how to answer him. She didn’t think that it would come as any harm as to wear something sexy. The initial plan was to surprise him during dinner and after his boss leaves, they’ll proceed to the bedroom. The plan has been foiled.
He was still angry at her for everything. Even if the reason didn’t make any sense, it did now, especially to him. The flirting, playing footie under the table, the conversations they had and even that dress! The least she could do now is to have grace by wearing her wedding ring. Jake knows that she’ll never take it off unless she was in the shower, but later she will remember to wear it again. He couldn’t see it as she was hiding her hand behind her back and was looking down on the floor. This he had to know.
‘What's wrong with your hand?’ He asked, deliberately lowering his voice to a near whisper.
‘Nothing…nothing's wrong…’ She answered, nervously.
Without saying a word, he reached behind her back and grabbed her wrist, pulling it in front of her, staring at the empty ring finger. Hayley looked up at him silent, looking for ways to explain the absence of the ring. Jake took a deep, slow breath and asked.
‘Where is it?’
‘It’s on the dressing table…’
‘Why?’ He asked again, still holding on to her hand.
‘It slipped my mind. I was rushing…’
He lets out another breath. ‘Why was it off in the first place?’
‘It was getting in the way while i was preparing dinner.’
‘Or was it getting in the way of your shameful flirting with my boss?’ He throws her hand down and walked over to dresser, looking for a night shirt.
‘Will you please get off that topic, I wasn't flirting!’ Hayley answered rubbing her hand.
‘Bullshit!’ He shouted at her before reaching into the dresser ruffling through clothes.
Hayley could not tolerate his behaviour any longer. It really pissed her off and without thinking, she involuntarily picked up the nearest item which was a hairbrush and threw it at him, but it missed by a few inches. After realizing what she’d just did, she covered her mouth.
‘I...I didn't mean to do that…’
Jake stopped and glared at her for a few seconds. ‘You're very lucky that you are so hot when you get mad, and that your aim is horrid.’ He shoved the doors shut and slowly closed the distance between them. Hayley decided not to step back but his muscular self, forced her back against the wall.
‘So you're just going to stand there accusing me of flirting with your boss when it was your idea to invite him for dinner and have me prepare it!’
‘I never told you he was coming over, and I hadn't spoken to you on the phone since we decided, so that whole excuse of you knowing is out the door. What, did he call and tell you that he was going to come over for a quickie?’ He said angrily placing his hand at the side of her head.
‘I said I heard you on the phone with him. You know what, maybe I should consider being with him. You'd like that a lot, since you’re suggesting it now anyway. Now that you’ve said it, I might just date him then.’
Hearing that, insanity clouded over Jake’s better judgment. He raised his hand and slapped her across the cheek. For that few minutes, there was no sense of guilt or remorse to what he has done to his wife. Hayley fell to the floor with a thud, wincing at the sharp pain delivered to her right cheek. She sat up looking at her husband who was fuming with his fists clenched at his side.
‘I knew it…’
Hayley was shocked and not able to utter a word, she pressed her palm against the red swell. Jake stood above her scowling.
‘Now, do you think I like doing that? Don't ever talk to me like that again and don't ever try to sneak out on me with anyone.’ He warned her.
The pain was nothing compared to what she felt in her heart. Was this the man she married, the one who was so patient and loving all through these three years of marriage? Tears welled up as she slowly rubbed her cheek.
‘You brought this on yourself, Hayley.’
She stood up slowly, mustered all the courage she had and answered, ‘I have never cheated on you Jake and I never will. I have had enough.’ She wiped the tears from her eyes and walked out of the room.
Jake, realizing what he had just done, walked after her. ’Where do you think you’re going?!’
‘Anywhere that's away from you.’ Hayley answered without turning back and walks into the other room.
‘Oh you would just love that wouldn't you? I work my ass off to provide for you and all you want is a way to push me away!’
‘Maybe now you don’t have to provide for me anymore. You can have it all!’ She shouted back before slamming the door shut.
‘Sure! Just walk away from it, it'll go away if you ignore it. Works every time, right?! Fuck, as if I care!’ Jake slammed his fist against the wall and paces in front of the door she shut on him.
‘We’ve done this too many times for me to give a shit!’
Hayley grabbed a pillow and sat on the bed, trying to recall what had just happened. Jake slapped her. She could still feel the stinging sensation upon her cheek. She placed her cheek upon the cool surface of the pillow and wept into it. Why her?
