Betrayal
– Alright, Ellie, I’m off! – Paul waved, – I’ll send the money to Mum, don’t worry.
The door closed behind her husband, and Ellie sat on the stool, suddenly breaking into tears.
– Mum, what’s wrong? – Her son walked into the kitchen, – What happened?
– Nothing, – Ellie felt ashamed of her weakness, – It’s nothing, son, just in a bit of a mood and missing the kids.
It was the holidays, and the kids, her son William and daughter Christina, were staying with their grandmother.
– No, – said Mike confidently, – you don’t cry so bitterly over a bad mood, and you talk to the kids every day on the phone. I’m not a child anymore, Mum, I get things.
Ellie looked at her sixteen-year-old son, taller than her, and suddenly spoke aloud the fear she dared not admit even to herself:
– I think your dad might leave us soon, – and to the silent question in her son’s eyes, she explained, – He’s having an affair. Nearly six months now…
Mike was unsure how to react. He thought someone might have upset his mum at work or on the street, or maybe she’d had a falling out with one of her friends. But this! And Dad, how could he?! Anger was rising in him, and his mother noticed it immediately:
– Mike, don’t. These things happen between adults, you’ll understand one day. Your dad is good, but you can’t command the heart.
Ellie spoke, yet she didn’t believe her own words. She felt like screaming, stomping, smashing dishes, but here she was persuading her eldest son to forgive and understand his father. But the boy clenched his fists:
– Let him go then, we’ll get by without him! Why do we need a cheat at home?
– Son, you claim you’re grown up, but you’re acting like a child. Everyone makes mistakes, don’t they? Even your dad. He’ll realise it’s just a fling and that we, his family, are what truly matter to him…
– Mum, – the ‘grown-up’ Mike burst into tears, – Why did he do this? I won’t be able to respect him the same way anymore!
– It’ll all work out, son, – Ellie patted his hand, – Just don’t tell the kids.
– You too, – Mike wiped his tears, – Don’t tell them I cried either. It would shake their faith in their strong, almighty older brother.
Ellie checked the time:
– Aren’t you going to be late for practice?
Mike jumped up:
– I’m late! Damn!
Left alone, Ellie pondered. In her talk with her son, she managed to stay rational, but alone, the hurt overwhelmed her, tears threatened to choke her:
– How? How could he betray all we had?
When they met, Paul was quite carefree, always surrounded by girls he jokingly called his “birds.” When she, Ellie, declared she wouldn’t become another one of his “birds,” Paul seriously said:
– Why ‘another’? You’ll be the one and only, for life.
And she believed him, the fool. All these 17 years they spent together, she trusted, thinking how lucky she was! And yet despite three kids, all they’d been through, all the ‘joy and sorrow,’ he still betrayed her.
It began six months ago. Or maybe earlier, she just hadn’t noticed? No, unlikely… Six months ago, they were invited to a wedding, Paul’s favourite nephew, Sam, was getting married. Ellie couldn’t go but insisted Paul should, telling him it was important to be there. He pretended to resist, but really, his sister would be hurt, and there would be questions from the family… Later, Ellie saw photos from the wedding posted online, and in them, a rather bold-looking girl was constantly next to Paul! She already felt a pinch then, even made a sarcastic remark about the girl, but Paul absentmindedly responded:
– What? Who? Oh, that’s the bridesmaid, I guess. I didn’t notice her, really, believe me, Ellie! Are you jealous? – Paul then smiled broadly, – Jealous! But she’s not even my type!
At that time, she believed him, the girl really wasn’t Paul’s type, she knew that well! But a week later, strange calls started, silence on the line. Ellie told Paul:
– Can you imagine, they call and say nothing, just sigh. Looks like Mike’s got some ‘birds’ too!
After this complaint, the calls stopped, but Ellie didn’t connect it to her conversation with Paul until much later – when Paul, a fan of jeans and sweaters, started wearing suits, shirts, and ties, and began using modern perfumes instead of the vintage cologne “O’gen,” a family attachment handed down from his father. Alongside, he started working late a lot… When Ellie asked about it, he replied without hesitation:
– We have an important project, Ellie! I don’t know how long it’ll take, but after that! – Paul dreamily closed his eyes, – We’ll have it all, and we’ll fly anywhere for a holiday and get you that coat you wanted, and maybe a hoverboard or even a quad bike for Mike. Will you hang in there?
Since then, Paul not only stayed late at work but sometimes disappeared on weekends. Just as they’d plan to go out as a family, he’d get a call and give her a guilty look:
– Ellie, I’m being called to work. Deadlines are tight, you know…
Ellie wanted to find that girl from the wedding photos, claw at her face, yank her hair, but to avoid such a temptation, she didn’t even try to find out her name or whereabouts.
Six months of living like this almost turned Ellie into a nervous wreck. In public and around the kids, she still held it together, but alone, she’d fall apart. Today, after her conversation with her oldest son, Ellie resolved:
– I’ll talk to him. Something has to be done, wouldn’t want Mike to hate his father!
Her husband beat her to it. Paul called and invited her to a restaurant:
– Ellie, we need to talk. Preferably not with the kids around.
Ellie smiled bitterly: he doesn’t want a scene; he knows she’d never allow herself that in public.
At first, she decided to go in her usual clothes, why dress up? Then she thought, maybe she should look as if she’d just come from the garden, to make him feel ashamed! But an hour and a half before leaving, she changed her mind:
– I need to be as beautiful as ever! Let him see what he’s losing!
In the taxi, the driver kept looking at her in the mirror. As she was paying, he suddenly said:
– Such a beauty, and so sad! Cheer up, you’ll see, everything will be alright!
The unexpected compliment lifted her mood a bit, and Ellie entered the restaurant with a smile. Paul was holding a rose, surprising her: if he’s here to say he’s leaving, why the flowers? Or is it a symbol – a flower for the grave of their love? Ellie even smirked at such strange thoughts, so out of character for her.
They dined, talking about trivial things. Inside Ellie, a proverbial spring was coiling, ready to uncoil at any moment. Finally, she couldn’t stand it:
– Paul, you said we needed to talk…
He nodded:
– You’re right. So, Ellie, here’s the thing, – he paused as if gathering courage, – Listen, I was thinking… You wouldn’t mind if we don’t go on holiday, or buy the coat and the quad bike?
The spring was about to explode, but Paul continued:
– Today they paid us almost twice as much, with a bonus. And I thought, Mike’s 16, soon he’ll be off on his own. Let’s use this money to buy him a flat? I looked into it, if we invest in a new build, it should be ready just in time for his 18th. What do you think?
– I get it, Paul, – Ellie started, but then she snapped out of it, – What? A flat? What flat?!
– Didn’t you hear a thing? Plus, lately, you’ve been so scatterbrained. What’s going on, Ellie?
Then Paul got loud. Held back in the restaurant, but once they were outside, he let loose:
– Have you lost your mind?! What mistress, what infidelity?! I explained, important project, working late! You never said a word against it, I even bragged about how understanding my wife was! And this ‘understanding’ one invents all sorts of nonsense!
They walked home, Ellie listening to her indignant husband, beaming with bliss. All his reproaches and curses, sounding like heavenly music now. As they reached the house, Paul calmed down. In front of the entrance, he stopped and said:
– I told you once I found my one and only. Have I ever lied to you in my life?
…Mike’s day had gone badly, his mum’s morning confession had thrown him off. First, he was late for practice and got a scolding from the coach, during training, he got beaten up pretty well since he couldn’t fight back. Plus, he quarreled with a friend over nothing, then wandered around the town late searching for trouble. He wanted someone to pick a fight or have a go at him so he could blow off steam and release his pent-up anger. He couldn’t start a fight himself, his conscience wouldn’t allow it. But not meeting a single thug, he headed home, and there, by the entrance, he saw a kissing pair. He recognized his mum’s coat immediately, and it burned him: blamed Dad for cheating, yet here she is! Clenching his fists, he took a step…
– Oh, son, – Paul smiled slightly embarrassed, – We were just…
…Isn’t it great when everything ends well, right?
