Ace of Hearts | The Sequel

eleven.

Flashback

Omniscient
Houston, TX

A six year old Nadia, four year old Demetrius and a ten year old Noriah sat at the table eating in silence while Stephen paced the living room trying to get in contact with his wife for the past two hours. Marcela was supposed to be home hours ago and instead of informing her husband on where'd she be, she just simply didn't showed.

Stephen knew what his wife was doing. He knew she was sleeping around behind his back but he just didn't know with who.

To him, he felt like he was a good husband. His actions made up for his cheating habits on Marcela before they even got engaged.

She told him she forgave him and trusted him and wanted to marry him but you can always forgive and never forget. He didn't know even after all these years, a wedding, three kids, finally bought their first house even though it was only a two bed home, two grown up jobs - she was still hurting.

She lost a baby before Noriah was born and even though it didn't hurt him as much as it did her, she was still grieving that lost.

The could've, should've, and would've been.

Just as he pressed redial, Marcela walked through the door with a smile on her face as she made eye contact with her children. Demetrius jumped out of his seat and ran to his mother wrapping his arms around her.

"Marcela, where the hell have you been?" Stephen whispered so that she could only hear not trying to alert the kids. She let out a breath and smiled at Demetrius who was still clinging onto her and moved her eyes over to the table where Nadia and Noriah just watched in silence.

"Riah, please take your brother and sister upstairs and help them get ready for bed." Noriah nodded without another and grabbed Nadia's hand along with Demetrius and dragged them upstairs.

"Marcela, don't come up in here wanting to play mommy all of a sudden. Now I'm not about to ask again."

"Well, then don't, Stephen. You already know where I was - at work. Working my ass off to pay these bills." She sighed and set down her bag and jacket on the couch taking off her shoes.

"Bullshit, this is the fifth time this week you come home smelling like another damn man."

"Do not start this. I'm not cheating on you," She protested and he chuckled rolling his eyes.

"Oh, really? So who the hell is in the red car that picks you up for lunch every other day and drops you off every night."

"Are you stalking me at my job now?" Marcela let out a laugh of disbelief and Stephen ran a hand down his face. His eyes diverting to the papers on the living room table.

"Ain't nobody stalking you. But being your husband amd trying to be a good one, I try to pick up my wife for lunch only to find out from her coworkers, somebody else already did."

"Well they need to mind they business. It's only a girlfriend of mine that wants to go out for lunch."

"Oh, so this girlfriend wears cologne now?"

"You're so insecure, Stephen. I gave you three children that you wanted and this is what you do?! You accuse me of sleeping around?!"

"You walk up in here smelling like another man with hickeys on your neck so yes! I do know that your cheating on me!"

Upstairs, Nadia stood at the railing in her blue pajamas with the teddy bear her dad had bought for her from his job watching her parents fight. This was the third time this week she caught them and it scared her.