Hot Pursuit

My breathing is shallow. I hear the blood rushing to my ears. The beating of my heart is excruciating loud. Twenty years down the drain. Twenty years of promises not kept. Can’t say that I didn’t expect it but this? This absolutely shatters my heart.

I feel the cold metal of the small device in my hands and blink thinking it must be wrong. I must be seeing things. Drops of water hit the screen and I realize tears are now spilling down my face. Twenty damn years wasted.

When I opened my text messages to see it was a pic from my best friend, I didn’t think anything of it. This isn’t anything new. She sends me selfies all the time. But this pic wasn’t supposed to be sent to me and I don’t think she’s realized it yet. Now, it isn’t the pic of her naked and bent over showing everything she has to offer that has me torn up. No… it’s the message.

“I’m waiting for you, Miles. Good thing Rayna is working late at the office because I’m horny. Don’t forget to tell her you’re working a double. Hurry up, I’m already wet just thinking about the last time we were together.”

Any other time it wouldn’t bother me who her trysts were. Men for her were like a dime a dozen. This time her tryst, Miles, is my husband. Not only is he my husband but he told me before I left for work this morning he was working a double at the hospital and wouldn’t be home tonight. Now you understand my reaction. I call Miles.

“Hey Miles. I was just making sure you’re working tonight.”

“Oh yeah. I’m the doctor on call. Sorry Rayne, I won’t be home tonight. I’ll see you in the morning, sweetheart.”

“Alright, be safe.”

“Always am, love you.”

“I bet you do. Bye.”

I’m still standing inside my office where I currently work as a paralegal to the best criminal and family attorneys in the state of New York. There’s a huge case coming up and it’s all hands on deck, or so it was. Cause about that time my boss comes in and sees me in all my snotty glory.

“Rayna, my goodness what’s wrong?! Are you okay?”

I just shake my head and drop my phone on my desk.

“Not one bit.”

One good way to get out of work? Bust out crying on your boss’ shoulder. The same boss who hates the fact that women have feelings. Not only that, but spill everything about the affair you just found out he was having with your best friend. The same best friend you've had since you were eight years old. He immediately shoved me out the door and told me to take a couple days off. But not before giving me some “free” advice. So, instead of wallowing in self-pity, I suck it up and go about my plan. You don’t work around cutthroat lawyers and not learn a few things, cause now I’m angry.

First and foremost, as soon as I make it home I grab my suitcases. By the time I’m done, most everything for me and our son, Logan is packed into my SUV. I take a look at all the memories around the house. The pictures of us in high school. We were sweethearts and stayed together all the way through college. The hardest time for us was when he was in medical school. I was trying to finish college online and take care of a baby at the same time as work while Miles focused on his studies.

Our son, Logan, will be devastated. He looks up to his father and I don’t want to be the one who tells him why our marriage ended. He’s finishing up his sophomore year in high school. After that, he’s spending the summer at an extended football camp. He’s only sixteen. I had him four years after we were married. Granted we eloped when I was nineteen but we knew what we wanted and the heart wants what it wants at that age. I take one of the pictures of all three of us when Logan was born and smash it on the floor. I watch as the glass shatters but stays in place. Walking into his office, I take the picture he keeps on his desk of him and I. It’s one we took when we had just eloped. I break the glass against his desk then shove it in my bag.

It’s a good thing I know where he keeps the extra key to his car. Even though I want him to hurt like I hurt, I don’t want him to hinder my get away. I get in my car and head to best friend’s house. I park just down the street from her house behind a huge van and wait. I already see his car parked in her driveway and all the lights are off except one, her bedroom. I make sure my phone is on silent and the flash is off on the camera. Walking around back, I use my spare key to her house and unlock the door, listening for any movement. It’s quiet, too quiet. I move down to her bedroom and hear it.

It’s the moaning of ecstasy. Her screaming my husband’s name. My stomach turns and I almost vomit. It’s the sound of the bed hitting the wall that almost does me in. It’s banging the wall so hard, neither hear me open the door just to make sure. My hand flies over my mouth to keep the vomit from rushing out. The sight of his hands on her, plowing into her from behind now burned into my brain. I quickly grab my phone and take the pictures I need for future proof and barely make it outside before everything I had for lunch comes back up on her prized roses. I go and unlock his car. I lay the broken picture of us on the driver’s seat and on top… my wedding rings.

Making it back to my car, I hit the alarm button. I watch as the lights flash and listen as the horn blares. As soon as the outside lights come on, I get ready to pull off. He runs out with a pink silk robe on and opens his car door. He picks up the picture and my rings. Standing there he looks up and down the street in search of me. With no success, I see him yell and slam the car door. Let’s hope his decisions were worth it. The only thing about life and the people in it... eventually the trash takes itself out.