Chapter 3
It wasn't long before Frank's sentence came down.
The sentence was six months longer than what the lawyer said it'd be.
I was sure Darius had pulled some strings to make it worse.
I hate myself. If it weren't for me, Frank would never have landed in prison and had his bright future snuffed out.
So I acted like the perfect, obedient wife around Darius.
I did everything he asked, and never mentioned divorce again.
But that only seemed to piss him off even more.
Gradually, I made the guest room my own.
As time went on, Darius hardly ever came home anymore.
*****
With Maria's special treatment, Eve grew even more full of herself.
People started openly calling her Mrs. Newton out in public, and she basked in the attention, never once bothering to set the record straight.
When I saw her next, it was at a mall.
I was hunting for some clothes for Frank since he would be released from prison soon, when I unexpectedly crossed paths with Darius, Eve and Sasha.
They were just stepping out of the movie theater.
Sasha was six, and was the spitting image of Eve. She clung to Darius's arm, calling out sweetly, "Daddy."
I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene when my gaze met Darius's.
He froze for a moment.
Eve gave his arm a gentle tug and led him over to greet me.
"Kathy, what a coincidence. Out doing some shopping too?" Eve flashed a smile.
She grabbed the men's underwear from my hands, holding it up and inspecting it.
"Oh, are these for Darius? I think they're a bit too small," Eve remarked.
"I'm always the one who picks these out for him. He's never worn this brand. If you want to buy clothes for Darius next time, just ask me. I'll let you know what he likes." Eve winked at me.
I picked out a few more pairs in the same size, not even sparing Eve another glance, and headed over to the checkout.
"They're not for him," I said.
Eve let out a surprised gasp, shooting Darius a meaningful glance.
Darius stared at my slender back, his thumb unconsciously tracing the wedding band on his ring finger.
A dull ache twisted in his chest.
"They're not for me. Frank's getting out soon," I added.
As soon as I said that, Eve swayed unsteadily and fell right into Darius's arms.
Tears ran down her pretty face, her shoulders trembling.
She looked so lost, gripping Darius's sleeve tightly.
She said, "Darius, what am I supposed to do if Frank tries to hurt me again when he gets out?
"What if he holds a grudge against me? I don't care if I die, but how will Sasha survive without me?"
Sasha's eyes brimmed with tears, and soon she was crying along with Eve.
"Daddy, can you lock the bad man up again and never let him out? That way Mommy won't have to be scared anymore," Sasha said.
I'd barely walked away when I heard them.
I let go of the clothes I was holding at once and turned right around.
Eve was still crying, looking vulnerable.
She didn't even notice me coming. I marched right up and slapped her hard across the face.
I said, "Eve, you want to play dirty with me? Fine. But if you dare lay a finger on Frank again, I swear I'll make you pay.
"You know better than anyone how Frank ended up in prison. Don't kid yourself—you won't always get lucky like last time."
Eve shook her head, looking utterly helpless.
Darius slid his arm protectively around Eve's trembling shoulders, his eyes going ice cold as he glanced toward me.
"That's enough. Eve's the victim here. She has every right to be scared," Darius said. "Frank brought this all on himself."
I kept telling myself not to mess things up now, especially with Frank about to be released.
But I just couldn't stop myself.
A crisp smack echoed, and Darius's lips parted, his cheek swelling.
Then, his eyes suddenly changed. He let go of Eve abruptly and wrapped his arms around me. His voice was tender as he said, "Don't cry. I'm not blaming you."
*****
The day Frank was released, Darius wanted to tag along with me to pick him up.
But I shut that down right away.
"Frank doesn't want to see you. Could you give us a little privacy?" I said.
I couldn't tell if Darius had noticed something was off about me.
Lately, he'd been coming home every night, but his attitude toward me was strange.
Honestly, I just didn't care anymore.
Frank looked so much thinner than before. The hair he used to treasure was now cut into a buzz cut.
When he saw me, he smiled.
Just like when we were kids, he reached out and patted my head, his voice gentle. "Were things tough for you while I wasn't there?"
I kept nodding, bawling my eyes out.
"It's all right. I'm back now, Kathy. No one's ever going to bully you again," Frank promised.
I brought Frank back to the apartment I'd already set up for him.
I sent him off for a shower and some clean clothes, and darted straight into the kitchen to cook him a meal.
Frank devoured everything I made, grinning and complimenting my cooking skills.
During that time, Darius kept blowing up my phone, calling again and again. I didn't bother picking up, just let every call go to voicemail.
"You should get home soon, or Darius will start worrying about you," Frank said.
Frank had no idea and still thought Darius and I were the picture-perfect couple we'd once seemed to be.
No doubt about it—Darius really did love me once.
At least, that was what I kept telling myself—all the way until we tied the knot.
It wasn't until later that I realized Darius had an ex.
She showed up out of nowhere, with her daughter.
She'd been through hell in her marriage. Her ex-husband was a real nightmare, and even after the divorce, he just kept pestering her.
Darius didn't hesitate. He shelled out cash to get her troublesome ex completely out of the picture, and made sure Sasha got into the most prestigious kindergarten in the city.
He handled everything for her, down to the last detail.
Turned out, he showered every girlfriend with the same care.
In the end, I was no different from Eve.