Chapter 3Gone with the Broken Wind

"We have a daughter now. Don't ever talk about divorce again."

I slapped his hand away and said nothing.

Our commotion woke Penny. Her cries filled the room. I went to the crib and lifted her into my arms, rocking her gently.

Alex watched for a moment, then turned and left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Later, after I'd settled Penny back to sleep, I went to the kitchen to make her a bottle and was hit by the overpowering stench of alcohol.

I found Alex slumped on the living room floor, his eyes glassy and unfocused. Empty liquor bottles lay scattered around him.

A living tragedy. Was he mourning the impending marriage of his precious Lily?

His phone buzzed on the floor beside him. He glanced at the screen, and his expression shifted. With a trembling hand, he answered.

"Lily, I'm here."

Her voice floated through the speaker, soft and fragile. "Alex… she won't let you come see me, will she?"

A shadow passed over his face. "Lily, she's my wife. We have a daughter. I have to be responsible."

"I know, Alex. You're a good man. So responsible, so dependable. I always knew I had good taste." Her voice sounded like it might break.

Alex gripped the phone tighter. "Yes," he said, his own voice gentle. "We shouldn't see each other anymore. Lily, I wish you and him a happy marriage. All the best."

Just as he was about to hang up, she pleaded, "Alex, can I just… say a few words to her?"

He hesitated for a long moment before holding the phone out to me. "Lily wants to talk to you. Try to control your temper. Don't scare her."

I refused to take it, but it didn't matter. It was as if Lily knew I was standing right there.

"Stella," she began, her voice dripping with faux concern, "since he's come back to you, I'm begging you, please be good to him. The stress he's under, working to provide for you all… it's just as hard as what you go through."

"He doesn't like spicy food, but he has a real sweet tooth, especially for mango pudding. And don't give him too many cold things in the summer; he has a sensitive stomach."

"Oh, and I bought him a shoulder massager before. His neck and shoulders get really tight, so you should use it on him when you have time. Also… he's in a crucial phase with his career right now. You just had the baby, so you should be careful when you're intimate. Don't let another pregnancy distract him. Remember to use a condom…"

I let out a cold laugh. "Are you done?"

"You shameless bitch. You've got some nerve, trying to manage my husband from another city! Since you can't seem to let him go, how about I pack him up and ship him to your wedding tomorrow? You can have a new groom!"

"After all, a homewrecker like you has no shame, right? We can let everyone see what a pathetic—"

Alex snatched the phone away. "Enough!" he roared at me. "Are you insane?"

My eyes burned with hatred. "She had the audacity to do it, so I have the audacity to say it. Alex, you two are a disgusting pair of hypocrites! How dare you flaunt your affair in my face!"

From the phone, we could hear Lily's soft, whimpering sobs. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to make your wife angry."

Alex's face darkened. "Stella, apologize."

That was it. The last thread of my sanity snapped, consumed by flames. I was back in that hotel room, my fists flying, my nails digging into his skin. "Apologize to your mother! Alex, are you even human? You and that bitch can both go to hell! Go to hell!"

He shielded his face and pushed me away, his own anger boiling over. "Stella, are you deaf? Didn't you just hear me say goodbye to her? If you don't stop this madness, I swear I'll drive to Port Crest right now to see her!"

As he spat out the last sentence, a flicker of anticipation flashed in his eyes. A longing to go see Lily. But he had to maintain his facade of the responsible, long-suffering husband, a martyr to his family.

It painted me as the villain, as if his "unfortunate situation" was all my fault.

I laughed, a harsh, grating sound. I ran back into the bedroom, grabbed the clothes he had just put away, and stuffed them back into the suitcase. I threw it at his feet. "Get out!"

"Alex, the very sight of you makes me sick."