Adulteress; Chapter 6

Chapter 6 

Desmond pulled his gear and zoomed through the express in his car. It was late in the evening. He was on his way home. As he drove, he thought of Amara. He missed her. It was the reason he was returning two days early from his trip.

He smiled as he remembered how Amara had called him, a few minutes after he had begun his journey.

"Desmond, there's something I have to tell you," she had said in a shakey voice.

"Yes, darling?"

"I... Ro... Did you forget your suitcase?"

Desmond laughed and deemed himself lucky to have a wife as loving and faithful as Amara. He hadn't made a mistake to defy the wishes of his parents. He hadn't flinched when his friends accused him of marrying a nobody. He had only showered his love and care on her, and she had never given him a cause to regret it.

Desmond's phone beeped. He picked it up. He wouldn't have if it wasn't a message from his beloved.

She had sent a picture. Strange, he thought. It was so unlike her. He loaded the picture and looked at it. Shock and disbelief filled his face. He looked closer to be sure his eyes weren't fooling him.

"No. It can't be," he almost sobbed. Sadly, there would be no one to ever tell him that it was, for in the moment of his dismay, a bus appeared at the other side of the road. Before the driver could do anything, it was already too late. The bus honked and Desmond stared at the blinding headlamps motionlessly. He called his wife's name just as the vehicles collided.

Amara woke up with a fearful gasp. She laid still and tried to deceive herself that it had all been a dream, but there Robert was, beside her. He stirred and turned his face to hers.

"What is it, baby?" he asked in a sleepy voice. "Did you have a bad dream? It's okay. I'm here."

Amara pulled herself from his embrace and got off the bed. She was suddenly fed up. The passion that had blindfolded was gone and she felt only loathing for the man that had defiled her.

"Is that how it is, now?" Robert said with amusement as he sat up.

Amara cast a glare at him. She responded with a whisper, "I hate you."

Desmond laughed and stood up from the bed. Slowly he walked up to her. He said, "That isn't what you told me last night, and the night before, and the night before that night."

"Stop," Amara cried as she stopped her ears.

Robert laughed again, a cruel, devilish laugh that mocked her plight. Amara raised her hand to slap him but he held it firmly.

"You deceived me," Amara began to weep.

"No. You deceive yourself." He laughed again and said, "Nothing you do or say can change what has happened. Accept the truth, Amara. You're an adulteress," Robert said adding to her guilt.

"No," Amara muttered. Weakly, she fell to her knees and wept.

"Desmond," she muttered in shame. She felt like Eve who had eaten the forbidden fruit only to find out that the fruit held nothing but death. A pang of bitterness gripped her for she realized what she had lost was far better than what she had wanted.

With bitter helplessness, she watched Robert leave. He left her with these painful words, "Where's Desmond's faithful wife now?" She knew too well now that he had never loved her. What's worse, he had lost nothing while she had lost her dignity.

Laila dropped the phone on the table as soon as she heard the footsteps. She smiled at Amara as she descended the stairs and walked into the parlour where Laila was seated. Amara was with her suitcase.

"Leaving so soon, dear?" Laila asked with a giggle that nearly drove Amara insane with anger.

"You snake!" Amara said without control.

"Watch your mouth, darling," Laila said with feigned shock and more laughter.

"You knew this was what he wanted," cried Amara.

"You did, too. Will you deny it?"

Amara shook with tears. Laila laughed at how pathetic she looked.

Amara noticed that the phone on the table was hers. She wanted to ask how it got there but she was too choked with tears to speak. She picked it up and left as Laila taunted her with her laughter and nasty comments.

"It was really nice of you to open yourself up to my brother. At least you proved what a good wife you are. Your mother-in-law would be so proud."

More laughter.

Amara drove out of the compound and headed home. Along the way, she stopped her car and gave freedom to the profusion of emotions that choked her. She wept bitterly and cursed herself for being so foolish, so weak, so unfaithful.

The agony and guilt that plagued her was unlike anything she had felt before. She felt filthy, very filthy.

"What will I do?" became the issue of concern after hours of crying. "Desmond can't find out. Mum can't know, but they..." she couldn't bring herself to mention those hateful names. "They might tell everyone. Oh, God, please help me. Save me from this situation. I never meant to. Please help me this once and I'll never sin again. I swear!"

She screamed suddenly and resumed weeping.

A thought silenced her. Quickly, she brought out her phone and searched. She found some pictures of her and Richard. She panicked and deleted them quickly. It was after a little sobbing that she wondered, who had taken the pictures?

Her hand held her mouth when she saw that one of those pictures had been sent to Desmond. Amara wanted to scream but there was no time for that. She quickly dialled Desmond's number. It wasn't too late, she thought. Desmond would listen to her. He always did.

"Hello?"

"Desmond, please listen to me. It's not what you think. I didn't mean to..."

"Hello, madam?"

"Wh.. Who's this?"

"This is Nurse Destiny from Trinity hospital. I understand you're Mr Desmond's wife."

"Yes, I am. What- what happened? He had an accident, didn't he?"

"Please, calm down madam. If you can come to the hospital..."

"How is he?" Amara cried for an answer.

The nurse's voice was low and steady, "He didn't make it."

To be continued...