Love Passion & Sex (A Series Of Short Stories)

Wrongfully Accused: Chapter Two

Jared

Staring up at the ceiling while caressing my wife's shoulder as she sleeps soundly right beside me while feeling shitty about myself, broken and angry with the world and I had been taking it out on the one person that had stayed by my side all these years. My wife, Mariee. I hated that I had been treating her so cruelly as if it were her fault that someone's daughter had ruined my career. All Mariee tried to do was understand me and help me feel better and I didn't want to accept any of it. I had already lost my job, I couldn't lose my wife too.

Seeing her pack her things scared me. We had broken up many times before but this time it felt too real. Too real because we were married, I knew how it would end. She'd leave, I'd call her over and over, begging for her to come back home, telling her that I'd never do it again when we both knew that was a lie. I let my anger get the very best of me. But I'll be damned if I let it take away what made me who I am. Who made me who I am. I couldn't picture a life without Mariee. Not back then and certainly not now. That's why I married her in secret. I'm just still shocked she said yes to an asshole like me. She deserved better for putting up with me all these years. Tilting my head to the side, looking over the suitcase and clothes on the floor. Hating the way I overreacted towards her. I could have hurt her. The thought of it makes my heart hurt. Slowly I moved her off of me, putting her onto the bed and got up. I got dressed into my light blue pajama pants, bent at the waist and gave my wife a tender kiss on her cheek. Mariee groaned softly but didn't wake up. I smiled slightly and pushed off our bed then started cleaning up.

I picked up her clothes and put it back where it belonged, threw away her suitcase outside in the trash. I didn't want to see it again. I'd get her another if she needed it for a vacation. I cleaned up the kitchen and did the dishes. Then the living room and did the laundry. I couldn't sleep thinking that she was going to leave me.

The sun was coming up, shining through the windows. I had coffee brewing in the kitchen filling the air with its scent. Mariee loved coffee in the morning, but most of all she loved it when I made it for her. She thought it didn't taste the same when she made it from when I made it for her. I don't remember her brewing coffee in the morning over the last couple of weeks.

I stood in the kitchen, leaning against the kitchen island with my arms crossed while twirling my wedding band around my finger as I tried to come up with a plan B and C for finding work. Mariee stood in front of me wearing one of my white t-shirts that looked too big on her small frame. She stared at me with those big sad amber eyes while threading her fingers through my hair at the back of my head. I pressed my forehead onto hers and shut my eyes.

"What am I going to do?" I asked, thinking out loud.

"We are going to take it one day at a time. I know you didn't touch that girl, Jared. But that doesn't mean you won't have more job opportunities." She claimed hopefully.

Our house landline rang loudly. Who the fuck could be calling at 6 in the morning? I stayed put, Mariee walked over to the landline and answered it with a soft 'Hello'. Did she really think that anyone would hire me to work? I was falsely accused for molesting that girl, people viewed me as a child predator. I could never work around kids again.

I was arrested in the middle of my lesson, spent the night in a cell while my wife was sitting out in the lobby crying her eyes out. The cops wanted her to go home, tried to force her out of the station and in doing so, Mariee ended up getting a bruised on her face and arms. She refused to leave that night. I haven't done anything to the cop that did put his hands on her but when he finds himself near me, he will regret ever touching my wife.

"It was Rick. He wanted to know if he could come over." She warned me.

"I don't want him in our house, Mariee." I snapped while I tamed back my anger.