Chapter 4. Explain

Reese

“Explain?” I scoffed, the corner of my lips curved with disdain. “What kind of explanation are you going to tell me? That you finally discovered the medicine for your ailment?” I gazed down at his manhood which was now covered with black boxers. “A medicine for your dick that won’t get up! And you wanted to try it out with my mother who just happened to be your mother-in-law!”

My voice was getting louder, and I didn’t realize that I was already shouting at my husband—the very first time I just did.

Troy froze. I could see many emotions swirling around in his brown eyes, and I silently shook my head when I couldn’t identify any of those. I was so disappointed that I thought I knew my husband very well.

“Reese…” My mom’s soft voice made me narrow my eyes, but still, I didn’t look at her. I was staring straight into Troy’s eyes, still trying to read him. “It’s not Troy’s fault. It’s me…”

I couldn’t help but arch an eyebrow upon hearing what she just said. “Really? There are many men out there! But why my husband? Are you that horny to have sex with your son-in-law? With your daughter’s husband? I never thought you were such a slut to seduce him—”

My mother gave me a hard slap on my left cheek, and I stared at her with my mouth gaping open in disbelief.

My hand involuntarily stroked my face in an effort to alleviate the discomfort I was experiencing. I felt a rough line on my cheek, and that was when I realized that her ring scratched my face.

I stared at the ring on her finger. I never saw her wear her wedding ring with dad. She said she removed it after a year of my dad passing away. I never saw my father though. Mom said, dad met an accident while driving to the hospital where mom was currently giving birth to me.

Does this imply that the ring she was wearing came from Troy?

“Don’t call me names, Reese! I am still your mother!” she roared on my face, and was going to hit me again, but Troy pulled her away from me.

My eyes landed on his hands that were holding her shoulders, and tears instantly spring up in my eyes. Those hands should be the one hugging me right now and comforting me. It hurt like hell, and my chest seemed to explode, but I controlled myself. Even though I didn’t want to cry in front of them, my eyes had their own minds.

“I’m sorry, Reese…” Troy uttered the words with a heavy sigh. “But the moment I laid eyes on your mom at the school, I instantly fell in love with her.”

“S-school?” I stammered, completely oblivious to what he was talking about. All I knew was that Troy and I were classmates in Marketing Analysis Research at Lancaster University before he persuaded me. And that was three years ago.

“I saw your mom in the university when she visited you—to tell you that she has already broken up with her ex-boyfriend,” he explained. “And that moment that I saw her, I knew that she’s the one…” He took a deep breath as he turned to look at mom lovingly, which made me sick in my stomach. “And the only way I could get close to her was…”

Me. Of course, it was obvious. He didn’t have to voice it out.

I raised my palm to stop him from talking further. It was clear as water that he persuaded me just to get mom. He used me. He only married me, but he never loved me. He was head over heels in love with her. With my mother!

Rage gripped me by the throat, and I swallowed the lump, but it stayed there and I almost choked.

Anger rose within me, and then it swelled, and then it slammed me, walloping my entire being, killing me.

I blinked my eyes, attempting to stop the fresh tears that were beginning to form in my eyes. The words he said to me delivered a hard blow in my gut, and made me want to puke on his face.

I finally turned to look at my mother and she looked down, her face turning red in embarrassment, a hand clutching Troy’s middle arm.

“I’m sorry Reese…” Troy’s voice again. “I’m sorry—”

“Sorry for what? That I found out about your affair?”

He shook his head. “I’m sorry that I hurt you. That you found out like this…”

I glared at him—at them, and without saying anything more, I turned on my heels and went downstairs, and then I found myself running. I ran blindly, beads of water clung to my clothes and my hair.

I looked down at my shirt, and I couldn’t help but recall the disgust that I had seen in Troy’s eyes earlier. He had a scrunch of his nose, and it was likely because he smelled the vomit on my clothes.

I stopped on my tracks, and waited for a cab to arrive. I couldn’t help but question myself as I stood at the side of the road, wiping away my tears. They were not worth my tears though. There were more important things to cry about instead of them.

What did I do wrong? Why did they do this to me? I loved both of them, but they did nothing but hurt me.

My throat swelled as I thought back of watching them having sex earlier.

Gross! So, so gross!

The sound of an engine made me turn my head to see a car coming. The headlights were the first thing to come into view, and then a black SUV emerged from the fog, pulling up a little way past me. The door opened and an old man hopped off.

“Are you alright, Miss?” the gray-haired old man in a black suit asked as he moved closer to me.

I shook my head. “Please… I need a ride.”

I heard footsteps come running from behind, and Troy appeared.

“What the hell do you still want from me?” I asked, stepping back from him.