8 Weeks

Chapter Four

Chapter 4 -Shelly

It's crazy how much things can change in an instant.

One moment, I was eagerly awaiting my husband's arrival. I was feeling excited and sexy, and anticipating an evening filled with love and great sex.

Then, with a few words, my whole world came crashing down around me, and my life changed.

I went from being a whole person, to having my heart shattered into a million fragmented pieces.

I was looking into my handsome man's face, my lips still tingling from his kiss,when he started to apologize.

I'd known something was up when he walked in, but I'd never imagined the depths of what was wrong.

"Sorry about what?" I asked tentatively, unsure if I wanted to know the answer.

"Let's go sit down," Cal said, but I shook my head.

"Just say it."

"I don't remember what happened last night, apparently I got really drunk and left the guys in the casino and headed back to the room. The last thing I remember is them razzing me about being a light weight." I smiled at him; he'd always been kind of a light weight. The look on his face caused the smile to fall from mine. "When I woke up this morning, I was naked with a killer hangover, and there was someone else in the room."

"One of the guys?" I asked, suddenly filled with dread.

Cal shook his head slowly, and my arms dropped from around him. I stepped back, the look in his eyes telling me what he was going to say before he said it.

I shook my head in denial.

"It was a woman," he said softly, his voice strained. "I don't know who she was or how I met her, but I'm pretty sure I slept with her."

"No," I replied sharply. "You wouldn't do that."

Cal brought his arms up as if to touch me and I stepped back farther. He dropped his arms sadly and responded, "I know. I wouldn't consciously sleep with someone else; you're the only one for me,Shel, but I was so messed up ..."

A hot ball of tears began to form in my throat and I turned on my heels, walking back toward the bedroom.

I had to get out of there.

I walked into my closet and pulled my backpack down from the shelf. I was stuffing clothes into it whenCal came into the room.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his voice filled with desperation.

"Going to my dad's," I said stiffly.

"Shelly, we need to talk about this."

I stopped what I was doing and glared at him. "What is there to talk about?You cheated on me. On us."

"I know, baby, but I didn't know what I was doing. You have to believe me."

"Is that supposed to make it okay?" I asked, tears falling freely down my cheeks. I had the sudden urge to punch him in the face.

"No, of course not, but you can't just walk out. We need to talk this through."

I zipped my backpack and threw it over my shoulder, then walked purposefully past him and out toward the garage.

"Shelly," Cal called out.

When his hand touched my arm, I yanked it away and said, "Don't touch me."

He held up his hands as if in surrender and said, "Please ... Don't go. Don't do this."

"I didn't do anything, you did. I can't stay," I sobbed. "I can't stand to look at you."

I turned my back on the hurt look on his face and slammed the door on my way out.

I got into my little Ford pickup and peeled out in the driveway in my haste to get as far away from Cal as possible. As I drove on autopilot, the enormity of the situation weighed heavily on my mind.

The only manI'd ever loved, who I'd always trusted implicitly, had just made a mockery of everything I'd thought and felt over the last six years of our relationship.

I was in shock.

I'd always believed that Cal and I would be together forever ... That we'd have children and grow old together.

That he would never hurt me.

Well, he hadn't just hurt me. He'd crushed me. He'd crushed us.

I pulled up to the home I'd grown up in and had barely turned off the car before I was catapulting out of it. I ran up the steps and put my key in the door. I flung it open, sobbing and crying, and looked around frantically.

My dad came out of the kitchen, his face covered in surprise as he looked at me. I was still in my anniversary outfit and must have looked half out of my mind.

I was.

"Shell Bell,what's going on? Are you hurt?"

"Oh, Daddy,"I cried as I rushed into his arms and held on tightly.

He patted my back and murmured that everything would be okay. And although I knew that this was one thing my father wouldn't be able to fix for me, I allowed myself to be soothed by his words.