My wife was out to run a few errands. It was my day off, so I was home alone, relaxing.
Things had been tense between us. I used to think marriage was like a long, steady walk. One where you just have to adjust to each other's pace over time. But lately, it felt like we were not walking on the same path anymore.
We used to be in sync. But now everything, she did grates on me.
Like the way she used to hum to herself while cooking, or when she asked me how my day was. It was like everything little was designed to get under my skin.
All I wanted was peace.
Silence.
I didn't know when things started to get like this, but somewhere along the way, I began to feel trapped.
Suffocated.
I even started to snap at her for the smallest things. At first, I told myself that I was just tired. From stress from work late.
The other night was worse. She asked if I wanted to help her cook for dinner. Innocent enough, right? I could hear the edge, the expectation behind it.
And...it just set me off.
I felt the anger bubbling and before I knew it, I was barking at her, "Can't you just leave me alone for five minutes? Why do you always have to be in my face?"
Her face fell. I couldn't stop it. I didn't even want to. It was like I wanted her to feel the suffocating pressure that was weighing me down. Maybe it was unfair, but I was so tired of pretending that everything was fine when it wasn't.
She stood there, her mouth slightly open, wanting to say something. But nothing came out. That hurt look in her eyes. I should've felt guilty, but I didn't.
I just felt...relieved.
As I was remembering that night, I heard the doorbell going off. I walked to the door. I answered the door and all of a sudden I felt a pair of arms hugging me. I then heard the peppy voice I knew very well.
"HI BABY!"
It was Alisha. My wife's best friend.
Alisha was always around. I knew her for as long as I knew my wife. It didn't feel wrong, not at first. I guess that's how it sneaks up on you. It starts slowly, like a whisper, before it turns into something you can't control.
I didn't know when things changed. When the late-night talks became something more. When I started looking forward to hearing from her, more than I looked forward to seeing my wife.
But it happened.
And once it did, there was no stopping it.
"Hey! What are you doing here?" I asked Alisha. "I thought you were with Diya, shopping."
Diya pulled back from the hug, smirking and said, "I ditched her. I told her I had an emergency at work. She bought the lie. And here I am."
She then kissed me hungrily.
One thing led to another, and we ended up in my room, mine and Diya's room. We were kissing, pulling off each other's clothes. We both stumbled on the bed, her beneath me. I pulled my mouth away and started kissing her neck.
I was sucking on her skin when she asked, "So when are you divorcing Diya?"
I stilled for a moment. I didn't know how to answer that question. That was because I didn't think this through. I was just enjoying it.
I didn't have an answer to that question.
So I deflected.
By keeping her busy with something else.
We didn't know for how long we were going for when I felt a sharp pain at the back of my head.
And then I heard...
"YOU FUCKING SON OF A BITCH!"
***
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