Our Wicked Lies GledĂ© Kabongo (summer reading list .txt) đ
- Author: Gledé Kabongo
Book online «Our Wicked Lies GledĂ© Kabongo (summer reading list .txt) đ». Author GledĂ© Kabongo
âItâs the truth.â
A heavy weight rested on his chest. He couldnât quite name it, but it sent chills all over his body. He wished time could speed up so this awful night would end quickly. But that would make him a coward, running from the muddled chaos of his life. Eliot was no coward. He would face the music.
âWell, youâre consistent. I give you points for that,â Alicia said coolly.
âWhat does that mean?â
âIt means, Eliot, that I can no longer trust a man who is able to look me straight in the eyes and lie to me with no conscience,â she shouted, pointing an accusing finger at him. âThatâs what it means. I asked you before, and you lied. And Iâve just given you another chance, but no. Faith is not some random woman whoâs obsessed with you. Itâs Kat whoâs obsessed with you, and you with her.â
He gulped. Her words were the equivalent of being throat-punched by a raging bull. He slowly backed away from her to put some distance between them. He yanked his tie off completely and let it slide to the floor.
âAre you going to deny it?â she challenged. She got up from the rocking chair and took a few paces toward him. She shot him a venomous glare.
âAre you going to deny that you aborted my son?â he shot back.
She stumbled backward. Her face went pale, as though someone had just danced on her grave. Her mouth fell open, then drew into a tight line.
âSo, weâre comparing sins? Is that where we are now, Eliot?â Uncertainty rang in her voice.
âYou tell me. My perfect, shy, sweet wife, who had my child butchered by Jack Witherspoon, passed it off as a miscarriage, and then watched me mourn his loss. Now whoâs diabolical, Alicia?â
âHow dare you?â she said between uneven breaths. âYou know nothing. I didnât want to come back after it happened. I wanted to die, so I could be with him and tell him how sorry I was. I still miss him, every day.â
She collapsed back into the rocking chair. She appeared frail and helpless, her arms wrapped around her body as if holding it together.
Eliot didnât understand his emotions. He was frothing with grief, fury, pain, and yet, he wanted to cradle her in his arms like he had done during those dark days after their loss. How was it possible to feel compassion for someone he hated so much in that moment?
And yet, part of him wanted her punished. She had denied him his son. She had gone behind his back and consulted a divorce lawyer. Sheâd forced him to confront the harsh reality that his perfect angel was capable of indescribable treachery.
âHow convenient that your guilty conscience was absent before you made the decision, before you walked into Jackâs office and had him rip our child from your womb.â
âStop it! Stop it!â She covered her ears and rocked back and forth.
His words had hit their mark. He wanted her to suffer, to feel his pain, to feel the weight of what she had done and have it haunt her for the rest of her life. She had put it behind her. He would make sure she never forgot.
âAnswer me, Alicia.â He took slow steps toward her, once more. âWhy did you get rid of our son and lie about it? We could afford more children. We could have hired an army of nannies if thatâs what you needed. Lily and Marston were already in their teens. They didnât need constant attention or supervision. You knew how happy it made me that we were having a boy.â
Her entire body shook. She wept loudly and noisily. But he would not rest until he got a satisfactory answer. He walked over to the nightstand, grabbed a box of tissues, and thrust them at her. He waited while she wiped her tears, got her breathing under control, and calmed down.
She clutched the box of tissues on her lap. âI was scared of you. You were turning into a jackass. I saw what happened to Joan after she and Kevin divorced. I couldnât go through that.â
His head flinched back slightly. He swallowed several times. âI scared you? Joan and Kevin? Kevin moved out of state years ago, and Joan remarried. Youâre not making any sense, Alicia.â
She took a long deep breath, as if gathering the courage and strength to speak. Finally, she said, âDuring the time leading up to the pregnancy and even afterward, you treated me like a second-class citizen. I could have your babies, cook your meals, and keep an immaculate home for you, but I was not your equal.
âThe way you dismissed my opinions when I tried to engage in conversation with you and your friends or colleagues was humiliating. And the way you would answer me when I asked you when you would be returning from a business trip was hurtful. âIâll get back when I get backâ you used to say.â
He slipped his hands into his pockets and leaned up against the dresser. He did not like where this was headed. But heâd asked her to explain why she had aborted his son, so he had no choice but to listen to her side of things, no matter how ugly it made him look or feel.
âYou had all the power,â she continued. âThen I panicked when I heard about Joan and Kevin. You and Kevin were close back then. He used his law degree to exert power and control over Joan. Like me, she had no college education to fall back on, or anything. He convinced a judge to cut child support in half and refused to pay alimony for no other reason than to spite Joan. She had three little kids to take care of. His children. He didnât care, though.â
She started weeping again. Guilt and remorse were etched all over her face. She shifted about in the rocking chair
Comments (0)