The Fake Wife

An Empty Pig Bank

Alison

"What do you mean about the money and your sons, Sunny?"

I covered my eyes and sobbed.

"I told you to stop crying like a baby. Answer my question, Sunny. I need to know what's going on here." Pat got up and started pacing. He looked furious, like I have never seen before.

I cleaned my tears and sat up straight. "I signed some papers with my brother-in-law saying I don't have a claim on Jake's business, and Jake told me a few times I wouldn't have the children."

Pat's eyes narrowed. "How much are you entitled to take if he kicks you out, Sunny???"

"I don't remember, and it doesn't matter, because I wouldn't be able to live without them. I don't care about anything else, only my family?"

He shook his head several times. "So, what, you don't get half of his money?"

"YES, I don't!!!!! And my boys and Jake are what matters to me."

I walked to where he was. Pat's face was set in a permanent frown. "Why are you getting so upset about the money? Can't you see that isn't important?"

He marched to his bedroom and slammed the door. I knocked on it a few times and heard things being broken inside. From the other side of the door, I asked loudly. "Please, talk to me. You are scaring me."

After several minutes, the noise stopped, and Pat opened the door. His eyes were red, and he was crying. "You are here crying for no reason. I love you so much and don't ground you like a child or threaten to kick you out of the house. And all of this for what, Sunny? If I only get scraps from you."

"That's not fair Pat. I spend as much time as I can with you."

Pat moved away from me and returned to the small living room. "You left me, Sunny, in that place to rot and never returned to me as promised."

His tears had not stopped, and his body was shaking. "I said nothing before, but as you are here complaining about your good life, I will. I'm seeing everything, Sis. Jake will be angry but will accept the baby and you'll leave me again, just like you did last time."

He circled the small room and opened his arms. "Look around, Sunny! Can't you see the shithole your brother is living in because he came running like a dog after you with no money, thinking something bad had happened to you? And here you were getting married to a rich man and having his babies in a Palace not even remembering about me."

Pat sat on his dirty floor and wept. I did the same for the horrible person I was. God, why can I not remember anything? Why did I not go back for my brother to help him?

He looked at me after he stopped crying. "Was I so bad of a brother, all those years at the orphanage, that you left me there and never returned, Sunny?"

Sitting on the floor, I held onto his arms after walking over to him. "I am really sorry, Pat and I wish I could remember anything to tell you my reasons, but I don't."

He cleaned his tears and walked to the window. "Something happened, Sunny, that I didn't tell you. I am in trouble and if you really love me like you say you do, you will help me. Because you are the only one that can."

I got up from the floor and walked to the window. My hand lay on Pat's shoulder. "What is it, Pat? I would do anything to help you. You know that."

"Something has gone wrong at work, and they blamed me. I am the new kid on the block and the fuckers told the manager it was me. They said the police will come for me, Sunny, if I don't replace the money."