“Really? What pictures? I'll show you. No need to keep acting up.” Emily grabbed her phone and searched for the pictures.
“There, look at it. What else do you have to say? Do you still want to deny it?”
When his eyes fell on the picture, Noah was instantly tongue tied and speechless. He knew it that Grace has done something during that trip but he couldn't lay a hand on it.
During that business trip, a dinner was organised and towards the end, Grace personally served him a glass of wine, saying,
“A toast to our able boss,” and she handed him the glass. Noah looked at her and suspected something sinister. He wanted to reject the glass of wine but his colleagues were already raising their glasses for a toast. It was after he left the place that he realised his instincts didn't fail him earlier. Grace had spiked his drink. He was on his way to his room when he staggered and Grace, who was patiently waiting, helped him and took him to his room. Next, she tried to seduce him but he rejected her the best way his failing strength could enable. When he woke up the following day, he was fine. He thought about what happened the previous night but he wasn't sure if it was real or his imagination. He decided it was best to leave things as they are because raising the issue might give Grace the chance to accuse him of office harassment.
“Oh! You have lost your tongue now, right?” Emily taunted.
“Babe, I…I'm sorry but I didn't do anything with her.”
“I wasn't expecting you to just admit it. Before you travelled, I called you and Grace mistakenly picked it up. She was moaning while you were pounding her! Our son was dying but you were with another woman.”
“What? Babe? How can you accuse me of that? I've never slept with Grace and I will never!”
“I'm not buying that shit when there's proof. What was she doing on top of your body, half naked? Is it part of the business meeting too? Three years, Noah. Three years and it meant nothing to you?”
“No babe. It means a lot to me. I had my drink spiked that day but I promise I didn't have anything with her. Please, you have to listen to me. I'm sorry but…”
“I don't believe that. And will never. I've had enough of these lies. Now, I've got evidence and you still deny it?” Emily probed further.
“Babe, I'm not denying it. All I'm saying is that my drink was spiked and maybe that was when she did this. Babe, you have to believe me. Or, do you choose her words over mine?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Yes?”
“I believe her because the truth is here. Look at how you held her dearly, leaving me all alone with my sick son. I'm not ready to listen to more of your lies,” Emily said and stood up but Noah held her in place, her back touching the cold walls.
“Listen. You won't walk out on me and end this just like that. No! We've been married for three years, three good years and you want to throw it all away because of some lousy story that you heard? Or because you saw some pictures? She must have given you proof and all, but why don't you verify what you've heard? Must you swallow line, hook and sinker? When did you become so impulsive? Even if you have verified it, can't you hold my hands and let us walk through this together? What is wrong with you? Do you think you can wake up one day and throw divorce papers at me? What happened to the forever we wanted? You know how much I love you, do you want to use it against me now? Do you want me to become a shadow of myself? Can't you stay calm, and let us solve this together? In the past few days, you have done a lot to me. You've ignored me in front of our son, or, your son, as you've insisted, walked out on me, accused me, slapped me and even poured chocolate drink on me. Now, you are about to repeat the same routine! Can't you see that Grace must have plotted this to seperate us? Babe, I know it's hard to believe, but I love you and will never cheat on you. I will not sign those divorce papers. When you are calm, we can talk about this again. I need you to trust me please. Babe, I'm willing to sort this out and walk this path with you.” Noah stated, but his wife shook off his hands and left the room in anger.
For the next two days, Emily was a shadow of herself. She neither ate nor drank anything. The first two days, Noah acted like he didn't care. He knew it was only an act and she would put a stop to it when she sees it's not working on him. But he was mistaken for she did that on the third and even the fourth day.
Noah went to work but he returned early and Emily was still lying on the bed, in her room.
“Are you going to starve yourself to death because I said I'm not signing the divorce papers?” he queried.
“Yes. I don't want this marriage any longer. You either release me, or death will do it.”
“Common sweetheart. Think about this carefully. I know it's ridiculous, and I have no way to show you that I didn't do it, please. I'm trying my best to rectify this with Grace because it's a defamation. How do we explain this to our son…”
“He's my son. Not our son. He ceased to be your son the day you chose sleeping with another woman over his health!” Emily corrected instantly. Noah wanted to protest but he let it slide. This wasn't the time for that.
“Fine. What will you tell your son? He's too young to be out through this emotional trauma and he shouldn't grow in a broken home. What exactly are you going to tell him that made you leave your husband, whom he takes as a father? You heard something, somewhere out there and without confirmation, you divorced?”
“Who said I haven't confirmed it?” Emily snapped.
“Tell me please, what did you confirm? The image? I admit that something like that might have happened but babe, I was drugged. But one thing I know is that even if I had lost consciousness, I didn't sleep with her. I'm being very honest and that's the first time we've ever been that close. This phone call you have been talking about is something I know nothing about. I didn't even know you called that day and…”
“Enough! I've heard that trash so much that I can now recite it.”
“Babe, please, just give me a chance to prove to you that no such thing happened. Grace is only trying to pull us apart so that she can come back into my life. Can't you see?”
“There you go again, lying through your teeth!! Of course, I didn't expect you to give your little secret away so easily. How about you tell me that it's you who is looking for ways to get me out so that Grace can come in? Sign the papers Noah and let me be. You said you love me, right?”
“Yes, I do, sweetheart. You know I do.”
“If you really love me as you claim, do what I asked. Sign the papers. I can't imagine being in the same house with a cheat and a liar! For goodness sake I trusted you and…” Emily sobbed and tried her best to stop the tears from flowing.
“Fine, we'll separate. The least I can do is separate from you, I can't divorce you. I'll be gone for as long as you want me gone and I'll be waiting for you whenever you want me back. But I promise to get to the root of this. I don't want to put you through the trouble of relocating, or having Liam change school and environment now that he's gotten used to his school and home. I'll only ask you for one last favour. Just let me stay till the end of today. Let me pick Liam from school, spend time with him today and I'll be gone in the morning. You don't have to tell him we are separated, I'll tell him I'm travelling on a long trip. That will be all, I'll be in my room.”
Noah sat on his bed with a heavy heart. He couldn't imagine leaving the woman he loves because of false accusations! And the damn woman wouldn't listen to the voice of wisdom. Grace had been so tactful in her ways. How did she even do all these? Everything seemed to be pointing at the fact that he was cheating and there was no way out. He opened the drawer and stared at the divorce papers again. Emily's signature was boldly signed on it but the space for his own was blank.
“I'll never divorce you, Emily,” he promised and slammed the drawers shut. He picked a few important documents and other necessities from his room and put them in his work briefcase.
When it was noon, he drove to his son's school and brought him home from school. He helped him with his assignment and played in the garden with him.
“Liam, daddy will be travelling tomorrow.”
“Oh! Not again, daddy.”
Noah's heart bled at the poor boy's reaction.
“Yh. I'm sorry, but it's important.”
Liam realised that his father missed the usual comforting word, which is ‘its brief. I'll be back in no time.’
“I will miss you, daddy. I wish you didn't have to go, or I wish I could go with you! When will you return?” he asked.