You get off the bus. You walk down the road. You have just finished work. You are looking forward to having something to eat. You know that your husband will have cooked a meal for you. Chances are it will be something... bland. There are no surprises in life anymore.
You love him. No, you think you still love him but life with him has become predictable, tedious.
Deep down you have become resentful... angry. You punish him by restricting and denying him sex. It hurts you but it hurts him more. You have become spiteful.
He does not know why you punish him and you do not enlighten him - he must work it out for himself. If he can. If he so chooses.
You turn right into the close where you live. The close could be anywhere in the country, anywhere in the world. You recall with bitterness that he wanted to live here. He said it would handy for work. He said it would be close to town. He said it was modern and easy to maintain - a characterless bungalow in a characterless close...
A characterless husband.
A characterless existence.
The sky is overcast and you feel the first drops of rain on your face as you approach your home. You think of the evening ahead of you unfolding, no, enfolding - is that a word? Who cares? - of soaps, mundane chit-chat, surfing the net like flicking aimlessly through the pages of a vacuous glossy magazine, maybe a film and then...bed... naked together in bed... teasing him... so near and yet... so far... him erect... frustrated... clumsily pawing at you... you saying I'm not really in the mood... him sighing and turning over. Later, feeling his erection pushed between the crease of your buttocks... and the only thing that has given you the least bit of gratification since being home is denying him his gratification - sad.
You slot your key into the lock and see his figure move behind the frosted glass. He pulls open the door for you... like a... faithful dog welcoming home its master... you almost expect him to jump up and lick your face... your contempt for him shocks you... almost.
He leans forward to kiss you on the lips... he seeks, desires to French kiss you... but you turn away at the last instance and his kiss merely grazes your cheek...
'What's for dinner?'
'I thought maybe you'd like...'
You watch him about to flounder, and are annoyed that he has not bothered to even prepare a meal...
Pathetic...
Useless.
You remove your coat and hang it on the hook.
'Thought what... exactly... that I wouldn't be hungry after a hard day at work... hmmm?'
'I thought perhaps... I thought perhaps... because it has been a long time... that we could make love... and then go out for a curry after... be a treat... be something... different...'
'Get out of my way... I'll get something out of the freezer and cook it... myself!'
He remains in front of you... blocking you... so you go to move round him... and he extends his arm to the wall...
'I said... get out of my way.'
'No... no, I won't... I want... sex... and I want it... now.'
His un-characteristic directness momentarily takes you out of your stride. But you collect yourself.
'In your dreams. In your fucking dreams buster. And didn't I just say get out of my way.'
There's a blur and a shock to the side of your face. You realise that he has slapped you across your left cheek. You taste something metallic upon your tongue - blood?
'What theβ'
He slaps you again and you stumble against the wall. You feel strong, surprisingly strong, fingers grab round your right wrist and pull you into the hallway. You shoot your left arm out and grip hold of the door frame.
'Let go you fucking game playing bitch. I'm going to get what is mine. What I'm legally entitled to. I'm going to fuck you and you can't stop me!'