Hidden Spring (The Modern Myth of Persephone)

Chapter 1: The Divorce

     I found out my husband was cheating on me three months ago. It was December 14, and I was the one who opened the credit card bill. I knew it was racked up with Christmas presents we bought for each other, but one particular purchase caught my eye. It was from Zales and it was for twelve-hundred dollars. At the time, I was excited that my normally-conservative husband was splurging a bit for a present for me. On Christmas day, that changed.

     I gave him his presents and opened mine after. With each present, I figured he was building up to the grand finale that would be whatever expensive jewelry he got me. However, as I opened my last box, which included a cable box for the TV set, my excitement died down. Maybe he was tricking me? He must've been waiting to surprise me later, maybe in front of family.

     The family came. I dealt with his snippy mother and he dealt with my talkative sister and we had a fun, albeit slightly annoying, Christmas.

     Three weeks passed. There was still no presentation of jewelry. There wasn't even a mention of it. I finally decided to confront him about it mid-January. I waited until he came back from work. I waited all throughout dinner. I thought of all the ways I could say it without sounding accusatory, but I knew it would slip out somehow.

     He cleared off the table, taking my plate on the way. When he turned his back, I closed my eyes and went for it. I should not be afraid to talk to my own husband. "Jared? Can I talk to you for a second?"

     I heard the dishes clink in the sink. I joined him in the kitchen and leaned against the doorway for support. His back was still turned as he scrubbed the dishes. "I'm listening," he said.

     "I was reading through the credit card bill from last month, and I noticed a large purchase on there." I paused, trying to find the right words to say. But the pit in my stomach wouldn't let me skirt around it any longer. "Are you cheating on me?"

     The plate dropped in the sink. His hands gripped the ledge and I could see his eyes close in the window's reflection. I felt as though all the air had been sucked from me. Tears threatened to spring from my eyes, but I waited. I waited for him to say anything.

     "How long have you known?" He whispered. My eyes widened.

     "Out of all things to say, how dare you ask me that! How long has this been going on?" The sobs wracked through my body like a hurricane.

     He waited a while. "Four months." I gasped yet again.

     "Why?" It was the only question that mattered and quite frankly, the only thing I could get out at the moment. I was livid, but I was also sad. I was sad because of two years of marriage gone down the drain. I was sad because after six years of dating, he ruined it for some whore I would probably never meet. Was it worth it? Why did he do it in the first place? If he was having doubts, why didn't he ever talk to me?

     He didn't answer. "Do you not love me anymore? Is that it?" I cried.

     He snapped his head up and his eyes finally met mine, blazing in what looked like fury. I'm not sure why he was angry, though, seeing as he was the one at fault here. "That's not it."

     "Stop giving me short answers. I want an explanation now." I was shaking at this point.

      "We met at work about a year ago. She got assigned to my unit, and we began talking and hanging out together. First, it was only in groups, but then she asked me to drinks one night. We were drunk, and it just sort of happened."

     "Buying your secret girlfriend a $1200 piece of jewelry is not an accident, Jared." I seethed.

     He put his hands up. "You're right. After that night, I avoided her like the plague, but she kept coming back."