Kyle looked at her in amazement. His wife had been angry before, but this was something new. She’d never been so out of control. His eyes narrowed as he watched the furious woman mouth words and threats he’d never have imagined would come out of her mouth. Finally, he’d had enough.
“SHUT UP!” he bellowed. The rumbling roar from deep in his chest overwhelmed her and Peggy stuttered to a stop. Her face was flushed from rage; her eyes glared at him malevolently.
“DON’T YOU TELL ME–” she began. Kyle motioned at the doorway into the hall. Five year old Megan and three year old Todd were watching with tears in their eyes as their parents argued. Peggy turned to them and became a warm and caring mother, changing from a screaming harridan without missing a beat. She hugged her children, telling them everything was all right while glowering at Kyle over their heads.
It wasn’t all right and Kyle knew it. He felt nauseous; there was an iciness in the pit of his stomach that entrenched itself and spread. Dimly he knew something priceless had been broken here today. It had been coming for some time but he’d hoped the stress points could be reinforced if only he worked hard enough. He’d hoped it could be mended but today the marriage had splintered badly. He turned away from his wife’s scowl and walked into the kitchen for a bottle of water to ease a throat suddenly dry and constricted.
********
“I’m going to get even,” you know,” Peggy said in a serene, confiding tone to Kyle. They were sitting across from each other at the kitchen table. He was having his second after-dinner cup of coffee while he read the newly arrived ESPN magazine. He’d gotten into the habit of bringing something to read to supper to fill in the time table conversation had consumed before her big blowup.
“What?” Kyle said sharply. It was the first time in three weeks Peggy had addressed any words directly to him that hadn’t been absolutely necessary. He hadn’t been prepared for Peggy breaking her silence and had no ready reply.
“I’m going to get even with you for letting Ann give you a blowjob,” she said, with a malicious gleam in her eye. “Did you think you’d get to have sex with her and I would just sit still and take it?” she asked.
“Peggy,” Kyle said wearily, “it wasn’t intentional. When Ann and I discovered we weren’t with who we thought we were, we pulled back so quick we almost hurt ourselves. I’ve told you it was a bad mistake, but it was still a mistake. Ann has told you that and Paul has too. Everyone involved except you understands that. Don’t you think it’s time to let it go?”
“No way, you sorry son of a bitch,” Peggy shot back. “You had your fun; now I’m going to have mine,” she hissed. Kyle shook his head, despairing of ever convincing his wife he had not intended to have sex of any kind with his best friend’s wife.
“That’s awfully mature of you,” he said sarcastically. Peggy’s eyes were thin slits and the fingers of both hands were twisting about each other in her lap as she gave her emotions full rein. Her flushed, mottled features showed the fury that was never very far beneath the surface these days.