My Mother in Law

A Mission

I feel depressed. That's all I feel. Oh and angry. A whole lotta angry at the man I call my husband. I'm fine not talking to him but what aggravates me the most is that he acts a just as angry as I am. He's the one at fault! I sigh deeply as I rewind the tape of what happened in my room about a week ago.

My friends' eyes zero on me. Everyone's features spell shock. The first one to speak is Adri, typical. "You're married?" In her features I know read more than shock, I read betrayal. "And you didn't tell us?"

Zach looks reproachful now realizing the damage he's caused. I glare at him as I offer her a feeble answer. "It's complicated. It's only been three weeks."

"And you didn't feel the need to tell us at all?" Ashton speaks and I now feel like the worst person on the planet. These people deserved to know. They were with me from the start, they were family to me. I guess I was just afraid of their reaction, afraid they would judge me for the worst. So instead of putting it out on the open, I fled and hid, hoping it would all be over before it had officially begun.
"I was going to." I had barely muttered the words when Gale spoke in a harsh, strained voice "When? When you're pregnant?"

"Guys please. Come on." It turned to them "This wasn't easy on me either."

"I'm sorry about that." Gale pointed at my cheek before turning around to head out, Zoe, Adriana and Ashton following suit.

"Wait! Guys please don't leave like this. We never leave someone out." I reminded them of our college days motto.

"That's what I thought--" Gale was interrupted by Zachary who, I'm sure by now, had gathered that he was the perpetrator "Get out." His voice was still that low and dangerous tone.

The two men glared hard at each other for about thirty second before Gale through the door open and they all left without a word. I went after them but by the time I reached the reception, I was there to witness the door close, behind it disappearing the four figures that I had considered close family. The first thought that bounced to mind was 'This is Zachary's fault!'

Now as I lay quietly on this foreign bed, I also recall the recently miserable aspects of my life for the past week. Zoe, Ash, Gale and Adri won't speak to me, and I can't exactly blame them. As my secretary, Gale answers me in monosyllable when I ask him about business-related information. Ashton is in the tech office and when we meet in the hallways or so, he just adverts his eyes and ignores my presence. I still believe it's Zachary's fault and believe me when I say I haven't been letting him off lightly.

As if on cue, the door to his attached bathroom swings open and he walks out. On his bed I shuffle from my staring-at-the-roof stance so that my back is now facing him. Yes, I'm in his room since his housekeeper is here for the weekend. Not feeling guilty one little bit, I take his bed while he sleeps on the uncomfortable leather couch.

I pull the duvet tighter around me as if it will protect me from all evil. I feel something hit the side of my hip. "Put this stuff on."

I turn around, sit up and unwrap the product. It's an ointment meant  to 'remove any visible bruise and restore the original, smooth texture of your skin in no time'. It was made to be applied after the swelling recedes.

"Not gonna happen." I sound like a brat but I could care less.

He groans comes then stands in front of me. "You are going to put it on or I'll do it for you." His tone  is deadly serious.

"Why do you care?" I ask incredulously.

He crouches down then explains "Don't flatter yourself, I don't. But I have a housekeeper who is going to start assuming stuff when she sees you sporting that ugly bruise on your face."