"What the FUCK?"
Emma was home early. It could have been worse, sure: but she'd arrived to find husband Steve, a business accountant, with his trousers and pants pulled down to his knees. He was staring at some young model on a cosplay site. It might not be having an affair, but this felt like a betrayal nonetheless. Neither was it going to produce the client strategy that he was supposedly working on, to cover their growing household bills. And - oh god, she thought, looking more closely - what a cliche! The young girl pictured on the screen - and she was barely in her twenties - was a ludicrous caricature: sheathed in a pencil-skirt and stockings, peering vacantly over her prop spectacles, and suggestively sucking a pen between her bright red lips. Was this what it took to get him off, now?
Emma was fuming. Barely forty, she looked more like thirty, with a gym-toned figure that belied her years. With her fine auburn hair, classical hourglass figure, and a flawless complexion that suggested an exacting skincare routine, she was still very much capable of turning heads in any social setting. And yet, apparently this wasn't enough for him. No wonder he'd been lacklustre in the bedroom of late.
Steve looked up, shamefaced. He didn't even attempt to cover himself - the situation was a little beyond that, now. It would be possible to debate whether he'd been caught red-handed, or white-handed, but technicalities were unlikely to get much of a hearing here, he knew.
"I'm sorry, darling. Look I'm just a guy, it's what we do sometimes. It doesn't mean that - "
"Don't fucking try to normalise this, you wanker. I've been out at work all day - and it's been a properly shit one, thanks for asking - while you've been staring slack-mouthed at other women. With your cock out. I should tell you to pack your bags and move back with your parents for a few days. I'd love to know what reason you'd find to tell them for your arrival."
Sensing too late the upset he'd caused, Steve pulled his trousers back up, and closed his laptop. Emma was a special woman, and if he was honest with himself he knew that he'd pretty much won the jackpot in life's lottery. Before they'd met, her obvious sex appeal had made her both popular and willing, and he always had a vague paranoia that it wouldn't take much for her to fly free again. She certainly wouldn't be short of offers.
"Look, I'm really sorry. I know I'm in the wrong, and you're absolutely right: there's no excuse for it. I promise I'll make it up. Sit down, and I'll go start dinner. And you can think about how I can try to get your trust back. Honestly, I understand why you're so upset."
He exited, and Emma threw herself into the chair, angrily muttering. "You can fetch me a glass of wine, too. And then I don't want to see you for a while."
***
An hour and a half later, Steve had made his best efforts to recover the situation. The table was set with best linen, he'd lit a candle or two, and he'd endeavoured to pull together a special meal with what was at hand. But it was the romantic background music that went a little too far for Emma's liking.
"This isn't a damned seduction, you know. Just to be clear, you won't be getting any action for a while. Not with me, and not - if you know what's good for you - with any internet bimbos. Just give me the plate, and I'm eating in the lounge. You can do what you please. And then you can get whatever stuff you need out of the bedroom, because you'll be on the sofa tonight."
It would take something a little radical for Emma to feel that amends had been made. She needed to come up with something that would teach him a proper lesson, to remind him that she was the important one around here. In between summonsing her disgraced husband for more wine, she hatched plans. And by the time she was ready to vacate the lounge for Steve, she'd finalised them. "We'll talk about this in the morning. I'm going to make sure you remember how lucky you are to have me. And if you don't get with the programme, mister, you can go and find someone else willing to support your jerk-off lifestyle."
She turned on her heel, and exited. Steve threw a pillow onto the couch, and collapsed disconsolately onto it. Damn, he'd really fucked up here.
***
Next morning, normal routines were resumed. Emma dressed for work, Steve shaved and gelled his hair, ready for the occasional videocalls that were still part of working from home; and other than the duvet still draped across the sofa, a casual observer wouldn't have noticed that anything was amiss. Steve was beginning to think that he'd maybe got away with this, and ventured some small talk about Emma's forthcoming day. She cut him short.
"So. I've been giving this some thought. You've a busy day today, because you need to catch up on your wasted time yesterday - and please don't tell me exactly how much time you wasted, because I really don't want to know. But I've got some tasks for you. I'm going to be sending you three emails today. You're to read them straight away, and do as they say. And I'll see you tonight, when I get home. Which, by the way, could be at any point, just so you're aware. Got that?"
Steve's head dropped. "Sure. And look, again, I'm really sorry."
Emma held up a hand. "I don't want to hear it. If we're to get over this, it's going to be on my terms. Or not at all. Right now, your apologies are a bit hollow. I'm heading off. I'll see you later."