I Now

"I've been sleeping with Mitch Jacobs for the last six months," Traci Aldred blurted out to her husband, Josh, while the two were watching television in their family room one evening.

Joshua Aldred winced slightly, hearing his wife finally vocalize her cheating.

"I know."

The next sound Joshua heard was his wife projectile expectorating the mouthful of red wine she had just taken. That was going to leave a tough mark to clean off the cream-colored sofa, but at least she missed her white blouse.

"Wait. What? You know? How could you know?" she spluttered, her face turning a shade of crimson almost as dark as the growing stain on the sofa.

"That's the most important thing you have to worry about right now?" Joshua asked calmly.

Her face remained flushed as several questions raced through her now-addled brain.

"Well, it's just that I thought we were really careful, so you wouldn't ever find out and be hurt... because I love you, you know," Traci said in a rush.

Joshua glared at the stupid woman who wouldn't be his wife much longer. She withered under that harsh glare.

"How many people have you told, Traci?" he asked quietly.

She thought for a few seconds. He could almost literally see the proverbial wheels in her head turning.

"Only one person. I told... Lucy Hanson. She's my best friend..."

"And also has the biggest mouth in town," Joshua interrupted. "You of all people should have known not to tell 'Loose-Lips Lucy.'"

"Aarrgghh!" Traci screamed in frustration.

"So if you thought she wouldn't blab around town, why did you tell me your secret?" Joshua asked.

"Because the guilt was killing me. I figured if I told you and we got this sorted out, than I could continue the affair until it ran its course... and then we could..."

This time the woman was interrupted by the sound of her husband laughing insanely.

"Seriously? You expected me to somehow let you continue to fuck another man 'until the affair ran its course,'" he replied, his voice going into a falsetto as he quoted her earlier statement.

A smile creased his handsome face as he chuckled sincerely. Traci looked at him as if she were seeing him for the first time.

"We've been married 12 years, together for 15. In all our discussions in all those years, have I ever given you any indication that I'd share you with another man?"

"Well... no... but you've almost always given me my way when we argue, and I know you love me enough to give this to me," she said with more hope in her voice than was in her spirit.

"Mmm... hahaha... hahaha. That's rich, woman. You're equating an argument over getting a second dog with whether or not I'd let you continue fucking another man. Obviously you've mistaken me for some random cuckold schmuck," Joshua said.

"But this doesn't have to affect our marriage," she said. "It hasn't affected it so far."

"That's only your opinion... and you obviously haven't been paying much attention because you've been so busy with your lover.

"You haven't noticed that I haven't touched your skank ass in the last month... since I found out about you and Mitch. But finding out that the affair has been going on for six months explains your detachment for the five months before that. Even the kids have seen it. We had speculated about whether or not you were involved with someone else."

"The kids know? No. No. No. Oh God," she lamented.

"I told them once I had confirmed it last month. They promised not to say anything until you and I had this conversation first. So unless you talk to them in the next few minutes..."

Anger flashed across Traci's face, but uncharacteristically she held her tongue.

"Mitch Jacobs, huh? Got to tell you, my feelings are hurt. I would have hoped that if you were going to betray me, it would have been with a handsome hunk, not some schlub with a dad-bod, who's got a big wallet. What were you thinking?" Joshua commented.

"This doesn't have to be the end of us, Joshua," Traci said. "It really doesn't mean anything. I know it sounds trite, but it was just a little extra, a little fun."

"Not fun for me, Traci. I've had the papers ready since I found out. You'll be served tomorrow at work.

"Oh, by the way, your parents also know about your cheating. They're expecting you."