This is a simple story about two people who shared the unexpected. You might have to use your imagination a bit as it is only 3,000 words.
Sharing the Pain.
My husband is working late again, tonight.
I received his text at five this afternoon, one of several he had sent me recently. Some suggested one of us should get a take-out, others told me he was going to be working late which usually meant about seven. This was the fifth time he had texted that he might not be home till sometime after ten. As he was the chief maintenance engineer for a well-known biscuit manufacturer this usually meant a major breakdown in one of the production lines.
My Joe had been a good husband for the twenty years we had been married. We met at my cousin's wedding. He was a friend of the groom and we just hit it off, as they say. A few dances led to an invitation to have dinner with him on the following Saturday and then before I knew it we were engaged and six months later my cousin was my Maid of Honour. I was only twenty-three.
That evening I had just finished my frozen meal when totally unexpectedly, the doorbell rang.
There in front of me stood a man. He was tall and slim wearing a white polo neck shirt and black slacks. It's amazing how I took all that in so quickly. I thought I'd seen him before, there was just something familiar about him.
He was just staring at me with a bewildered look on his face. "Good evening," he eventually said. "Are you Gillian Summers?" he asked.
"Yes," I replied, not sure what to do next.
"Please may I come in?" he asked very politely.
After I closed the door we just looked at each other. "Do you know who I am?" he finally asked me.
I shook my head because although there was something familiar about him I had no idea what his name was.
"I'm Tony Nelson, and right now your husband is fucking my wife in room 216 of the Marriott Hotel."
He said it all in a rush as though he wanted to get it over with. Then he just stared at me as I stared back at him trying to comprehend what he had just told me. Had he just said that my husband was fucking his wife? Nothing of that made any sense to me.
"My god, you are beautiful," he suddenly stated and a moment later he had his arms around me. They were strong arms and they completely surrounded me. Then I felt him tremble and instinctively I put my arms around him because I knew that what he had told me was hurting him just as much as I was.
His arms felt good around me like my husband used to hold me. Then I recalled the look on his face when I opened the door and he saw me. My husband used to look at me like that. Now my husband was fucking his wife.
"How do you know?" I asked, hoping this was the first time.
"I followed her and saw them go into the room. Tonight, was the third time."
The third time, but my husband had texted me several times over the last few months to tell me he was working late. "My husband has been working late a lot more than three times. I'm so sorry," I told him.
"Thank you," he mumbled as we hugged each other in our despair. "You are so beautiful," he whispered in my ear as his hands held me closer. My husband used to tell me I was beautiful. Then I made the mistake of looking up at him as he raised his head off my shoulder. The kiss he gave me was totally unexpected and wonderful.
I held him tighter and accepted his kiss. My husband used to kiss me like this, I admitted to myself. Now my husband is fucking his wife, I reminded myself as his kiss continued.
Then totally unexpectedly I was being lifted up and this man was carrying me up the stairs as I clung to him with my arms around his neck. Then I remembered. Sheila Nelson was the personal manager where my husband worked.
He took me into my bedroom and stood me back on my feet. This time it was me who put my arms around him as I remembered his first words to me. 'Your husband is fucking my wife.' It didn't matter where, as once again I was wrapped in his strong arms. It was as though cataracts had been removed from my eyes and I was able to see everything clearly and in full dazzling colours. All the while my husband had been neglecting me he had been fucking this man's wife. Three times that I now knew about.
"May I," he asked me as he bent down and lifted my dress up. Instinctively I raised my arms as he lifted it over my head. Was this really happening, I asked myself as I stood in front of him in just my pale blue panties and bra. Why not; my husband is fucking his wife.
I watched his eyes as they scanned my body. "You are so beautiful," he told me again, confirming the look I has seen in those eyes. I thought of the time I had seen Sheila, his wife. It was at my husband's Christmas party. She was talking to Joe and I remembered thinking how lovely she looked.