WhenTheCold Pounds on the door

小寒 [14] / [20]

He knew that what she was saying was complete nonsense, but there was some truth there. He was often out of the house, and had even missed her birthday this year. Still, that was no excuse for what she did to him.

In fact, neither of them were perfect, and even though he wasn't always 100% there all time, neither was she. All that mattered to her, through the course of their relationship, was what she wanted, and now she was trying to make him feel guilty because she hurt him. He was tired, angry, and his self-control was slipping.

"Why are you here then, huh? If I'm such a selfish bastard, why are you standing here shrieking like a harpy in public? You want to know the truth? I don't give a shit who's listening, we're having this out now!

The truth, my dear, is that you're a manipulative cunt who is trying gaslight me into apologizing to you because I found you riding another man's cock. And I'll go further than that―the reason that YOU can't let me go―is because I let you go first! Now fuck off! We are done."

His voice thundered, and by the time he finished his rant, you could hear a pin drop, and everyone in the restaurant, even the waitstaff, stood frozen, watching this scandalous affair unfold. Violet burst into violent sobs, her face hidden in her hands. For a moment, Alexander felt that familiar impulse towards sympathy, but repressed it; shoving forward instead, the image of her and her lover together in his mind's eye.

These are crocodile tears, he said to himself. The real Violet is who I left behind in that bedroom.

Almost as if to prove his point, Violet's sobs gave way to a violent banshee shriek. She picked up a wine glass full of Pinot Noir from the neighboring table, and with swift malice, dumped its contents onto Sara's dress, causing her to yelp. Her eyes wide in surprise and indignation.

"Have fun with your new whore,"

yelled Violet, and she stormed out.

He just stood there, quite still, still basking in fury.

But he felt a curious sort of freedom. She was a source of love for him, or so he thought, but she was also a sort of burden. Since he knew the psychological scars she'd suffered due to her abuse, he felt he couldn't push her too hard. Even though he knew that she cheated on him several times before this, he couldn't let her go. Like dealing with fragile china, no matter how often she hurt him, he couldn't blame or reproach her. Yes, what he had done for her was act just like a guardian angel, not a boyfriend. Their meeting was doomed from the start.

Their history flashed across his mind. He was taking charge of a child abuse case. The girl's father, in a drunken rage, beat her almost daily. The mother, who just looked on with folded arms, did nothing. This violence had been committed against her from the time she was able to speak. Her school attendance rate was also a mess, but the school authorities didn't care much.