Face 3

The party was held at a friends house. The usual gang was there, however Patty had invited a few more friends of hers to enjoy the fireworks from the back yard. Patty and Mark's house was right on the lake and every Fourth of July they held a small party, inviting us all over to enjoy their good fortune and view. Most the guests knew us both as we had attended all the parties save for that one year.

David waved hello to a few guys while I scanned around the backyard looking for Patty. Seeing her, I excused myself from David, who gave me a look and a nod and made my way over to her as she was fussing with the salad.

Giving each other kisses on the cheeks, I settled down with her in helping make sure the food was laid out properly. Always within sight of David, I watched him as he seemed happy, speaking with a few guys, reliving last nights game as they argued about some call. He took a slug of his beer and looked up at me, catching my stare.

"How are things between you two?" Patty asked.

I blushed a little and mumbled, "Pretty good, lately."

I scanned the small gathering and singled out the new strangers.

"Oh! You've invited others here." I was a bit startled.

"Calm down, they're just friends from Mark's work. They aren't so bad; in fact let me introduce you to the girls."

I shook my head, but Patty ignored my objections and grabbed my wrist, dragging me over to three women who stood together sipping their wine.

As we approached, the women looked up, saw Patty and smiled. As their gazes moved to me, I saw the familiar reaction and inwardly groaned.

"Ladies, this is Jessica. Jessica, this is Sue, Patrice, and Lisa."

I smiled, what else could I do, and I felt my face turn red as I said hello.

The girls, no doubt were coached not to dwell on me, tried their best to engage in chit-chat. I blandly answered their questions and soon, I began to warm up to them. They were very excited about the fireworks. Lisa and Patrice had brought their kids to see them.

"They're around here somewhere, raising hell as usual!" Lisa laughed.

"It's mommy's time," Patrice said as she downed her wine. "They're in a contained yard. Let the daddies watch them for once!"

Lisa turned to me.

"You and..."

"David," I filled in.

"You and David have any kids?"

"No," I said. "We had planned on having some, but..."

The women were silent.

Patrice looked at her empty glass and excused herself for a refill.

"You want one yourself?" she asked.

I think I looked like I needed one, but I said, "No, thank you Patrice, I don't drink anymore."

She forced a smile and excused herself.

Just then, a little girl around five came running up to Lisa.

"Mommy! Freddy won't share!" she grabbed the leg of Lisa and reached upward to be lifted up.

Lisa stooped and pulled the little girl into her arms.

"Sandy, this is my new friend Jessica, say hello."

Sandy turned to face me and her face dropped. All of a sudden little Sandy started crying in fear. Despite Lisa's best attempts, she had to excuse herself and get Sandy away to calm her down.

The noise of the crying had drawn everybody's attention, leaving me the center of all their stares. Blushing I waited a moment and then tried to slowly walk back into the house. I tried to not look at anyone, but out of the corner of my eyes I saw them, looking at me with revulsion, and morbid curiosity. By the time I had made it to the sliding glass door, I was running, and tears streaked down my face.

I locked myself into the bathroom and sobbed. Some moments later, I heard a soft knock.

"Honey, open up, it's me David."

I tried to compose myself.

"I'm...okay," my voice cracked.

He knocked again and tried the door.

"Jess, open up. Please."

I took a breath and unlocked the door.

David came in and quickly closed it behind him. I saw him shoo away Patty who had been with him outside the door.

Without saying a word, he saw my look and he stepped forward and held me. I melted into his arms and cried. Soon I became aware of his shortened breathing and I looked up at him with blurred eyes. He was crying too, softly.

"I'm sorry," I said. "It's just that I didn't think there might be new people here."

"I know," David said. "It's still tough on you."

"It's my penance," I said as I sighed.

"It shouldn't have to be," he whispered.

My voice caught in my throat, but I swallowed and managed to compose myself.

"Sometimes I think this is harder than the other choice."

"Jess, come on now. We worked so hard to get past this."

I nodded and held him.

"I know," I said. "It's just that it's not easy to live with a mistake and be reminded every time you see another person."

"Hey, it's hard on me too. "He replied.

I gave him a harsh look.

"I mean," he quickly corrected. "Everyone knows that I did this to you, yet you are still with me. They may see you, but they always think of me."

We turned and looked into the mirror. I saw my rugged handsome husband David, holding me. I try not to look at myself often, but at that moment I took time to study myself.

My hair was perfect, my body had gained five pounds since high school, and at one point I was the envy of everyone. I was hot stuff and somewhere over the years I let that get into my head.

David's hand slowly crept up my back and rounded my body. I felt the first hints of him on the side of my breast. Instantly my nipple hardened. Painfully it stood erect as my eyes traveled down in the mirror to watch his hand. His hardened rough hand took gentle hold of my pert breast. He was always gentle with me now, afraid of his strength. At times I urged him to be rough with me, but he always tried to hold back the beast within.

David's lips touched my neck and I felt goose bumps travel down my spine. His erection pressed into me and I clung to him like a life-preserver in a sea of sharks.

"Oh David! I want you!" I groaned.

"Here? Now?" he whispered.

"Here. Now."

He turned me around and I grabbed the sink with both hands. Bent over, I felt him pull my dress up over my hips. Instantly my panties were lowered down and momentarily his face pushed into my ass. His tongue darted out and licked my pussy, awakening my clit as I felt it tremble and struggle to stand above its folds.

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed as the feelings overcame me. I was gushing soon enough. The world outside the bathroom was instantly forgotten as David dropped his pants and quickly plunged his hard cock inside me.

He quickly built up speed and we both sensed the climax coming. At that moment I glanced at myself in the mirror a few inches in front of me. What stared back at me was not the face I was used to.

My nose bent savagely to the left and drooped like melted wax. A scar, red when I was tired dragged its trail from my top lip all the way up to my right eye. Well my real eye was gone, replaced by a decent prosthetic. Around the eye the scarring was jagged and ugly. This thing that stared back at me always surprised me, if only for a moment, each time I saw myself in reflection. I looked at it, for it was in reality me, not "the me" that I remembered, and for the millionth time I tried to make peace with it. We had a lifetime ahead of us to share.

"Oh yeah!" David grunted as his cock hit a spot deep inside of me. I arched my back, eager to take more of him in, The feeling of being stuffed was always delicious, though not always worth it.

David kissed the back of my neck, and the monster in the mirror rolled her head in delight. My handsome David wanted me. STILL wanted me. That thought made me tingle as I lost myself to the throes of passion invoked in his carnal passion for me.

"You were awfully loud!" he said as he pulled his pants back on and handed me a towel. I was sitting on the toilet leaking his semen out. My screams of climax were probably heard by all the guests. Their tongues would be wagging tonight!

"I think they all heard us!" I said.

David smiled. It was his turn to blush.

"Probably will make them jealous, I expect." He said.

"Oh?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"About how lucky I am to have a girl like you."

My heart melted as I looked at him. He really did love me. He really did find me sexy. I would walk out of that bathroom with my head held up high. It didn't matter what others thought or saw, only what my man thought and felt about me. I should have known that all along.

"You want to bow out early?" he asked.

"No," I decided. "I'm better now. Let's stay for the fireworks."

David waited until I flushed and had properly tidied myself up.

"You sure?"

I nodded and grabbed a hold of his arm.

We stayed together for the rest of the evening. After Patty checked in with us, we took solitude in sitting on two lawn chairs watching the sun set. No one approached us. I think they didn't know what to say.

The fireworks were nice, but not the highlight of the party. Driving home, David was quiet while he concentrated on the road.

"I forgive you, you know," I whispered.

He was quiet and stared straight ahead, out the front window at the darkness.

"Sometimes, I remember...and then I don't forgive myself," he said.

I reached out and touched his arm.

"It's hard on you as well, I know it." I tried to comfort him.

He was silent. Minutes later he spoke.

"My world collapsed that day when I found you with him. I should have walked away. Calmed down before... we had problems, but..."

A tear rolled down his face.

"What I did to you was wrong. So wrong. My dad taught me better. But I just lost it. Then afterwards...we didn't think you would survive the night. All those weeks in the hospital, I had to stay strong for you, not knowing whether there was a "we" anymore..."

"We're better now," I soothingly said. I rubbed his shoulder.

He nodded and continued to drive. We both were quiet, alone with our own thoughts.

David blamed himself for the beating he did on me, for ruining my life, for destroying my face. But we were still together. No one was interested in me anymore. One look at my face and they all ran from me in horror. That was my penance, to not attract another man into our lives.

I imagined David's penance was staying with me. He never gave me any hint that it was a chore for him. He worked with me in gaining back our trust for one another. He kept me and the marriage together during all the hard times where I just wanted to give up on him, on us, on me, on life.

I saw the looks he gets at these parties and when we are around the few friends that have remained with us. No woman who knows what he did will speak with him. They all stay away from him. Their husbands are polite, but most don't engage with him. He is the wife beater. The monster all of the women are afraid to be alone with.

Most everyone, knowing how my face became this way look at me with pity and sympathy. David is the real monster to them. It's sad and I know hard on him, but not once has he ever complained.

I've watched him from afar when he doesn't know I'm around. Women who don't know him still approach him, eager to flirt and find out more about this rugged and handsome man. I've seen the numbers slipped into his pockets, and watched after they have left, him pulling the numbers out and throwing them away. He's always polite to those girls, never flirting back, yet they still throw themselves at him. He was taken for granted by me once, never again.

Who is the monster, I wondered. The one who made me this way or the one that made him do this to me? It's a vicious cycle, something we seem to be doomed to live out together.

"We are doing better," I said.

It was time for me to be strong for us now.