Deceit. [COMPLETED.]

Chapter 45

"A wasted life."  [PART ONE.]

I closed my door and looked across at the far wall, my eyes were glazed.

This was a message. I knew it was. I was being punished for what I had just tried to do and as I waited for the call to be sent through I told myself that I would never again try to be unfaithful.

The phone rang and I picked it up immediately.

'Hello darling.' I tried to sound upbeat. 'How are you? How are the girls?'

But my wife's voice was tense.

'What the HELL are you doing in Singapore?'

I could hear her laboured breathing.

'Sweetheart what's wrong? I can explain everything. It is not what you think.'

The line went quiet. I asked whether her call was in connection with our girls.

'Who?'

I detected anger rising in her voice.

'Our daughters,' I said soothingly. 'Is it one of the girls? Are our daughters Okay?'

'They're fine.'

Her voice then trailed off as her tone became more distant.

'No. It's John.'

I could hardly hear what she was saying.

'John?'

And then in an instant my wife's voice just exploded.

'Half way round the fucking world you are and you don't even have the decency to call me or tell me what you are doing. How dare you. How fucking dare you Kirk!'

I didn't know what to say. I knew I deserved it but it was her voice that worried me. I had never heard my wife cry.

'Darling what's wrong?'

I could hear it clearer now. She was desperately trying not to show it but it wasn't working.

I tried again.

'Darling. Talk to me. You said it was about John. Is he in trouble?' I asked. 'Is dad there? Do you want me to speak to mum or dad?'

More anger came down the line.

'They are AWAY! How are you going to speak to them when they away. They are in CHESHIRE remember?'

Cheshire? The name rang a bell. She paused trying to give me time to join the dots but I couldn't remember what it all meant. And then yes the penny dropped.

'It's their anniversary.'

I remembered now. We were supposed to have been going with them. They had promised to take us on a camping trip. Our daughters were going to go hiking with them, learn about living in the wild. Only now they wouldn't be able to because their father was half way around the world.

'You'd forgotten hadn't you?' Her voice was laced with venom.

I said that I had. I said that I was sorry.

'I know that doesn't help my darling but I am and I'll make it up to you sweetheart I promise. We'll take the girls away when I get back. We'll take them out of school. We'll go abroad.'

I felt bad. I didn't know what else to say, my wife's next statement only helping to make me feel even worse.

'Why Kirk. Why do you do this to me? You know we had been planning this for months. They are so disappointed.'