The missing pieces to the puzzle collide

Friday began as a normal day, Tess Fairmont woke up, made breakfast, coffee, and feed the cats. Just a regular day like any other of Tessa Fairmont’s slow paced days. But that was a day that became a day that changed her whole life’s trajectory in an instance. It was November, Tess had just gotten done with her shift. Alex and Tess had been having more fights frequently. Tess got home and noticed empty beer bottles strewn about the room.

He’s drinking again she thought. She had just told him if he drank again she would have to end their three year relationship. She thought to herself that she should have just said nothing. Alex was really struggling under the pressure of work. She was sad but resigned, how could she help him if he doesn’t see it as a problem. She decided she would go grab them some food from Wendy’s to help sober him up and get a breather. Once the cool wind hit her she felt like she could relax and think carefully as she put distance between them.

Lost in thought as she drove to the Wendy’s she realized she had forgotten to ask Alex what he even wanted. As she fumbled through her purse for her phone she quickly hit the favorite contact with the name daddy with a heart on each side. Alex picked up on the first ring slurring his words, “swassup”. Tess rushed Alex saying “Babe what do you want from Wendy’s hurry up so I can get back.” Alex hurriedly ordered a bacon burger and rushed Tess off the phone.. Normally he would stay on the phone especially if he was drinking… Something just felt off…

When he rushed her off the phone he said he’d call her back in 5 minutes. The girl math in her head just wasn’t adding up. Against her better judgement she opened up their home app and tested out the new living room cameras audio. The entire time she could feel the blood rushing to her head and her whole face felt flushed. She bit her lip nervously as she selected the live camera view. She felt a wave of nervous complex emotions. She even felt like laughed out loud about how silly she looked waiting for their order in a Wendy’s drive thru trying to figure out why Alex abruptly hung up on her.

The lump in her throat started rising threatening to make her throat close up. As she was about to close the app sheepishly she heard Alex clear as if he was in the living room although she could see on the camera he wasn’t. What great sound quality these cameras were she thought technology has really improved. She couldn’t praise them to much as the thought was cut off by the next thing she heard. Alex sweetly told someone,”I am sorry I called you so many times I just wanted to see what’s up.” Her heart dropped. She felt sick to her stomach at that moment a tap at the window to the left of her startled her out of her stupor.

“Shit! You scared me! Sorry”, She exclaimed loudly at the Wendy’s worker as she rolled down her window and grabbed the food bag and drinks. After rolling up her window she parked to the side of the drive thru. Surely Alex isn’t flirting… She thought about not opening the app again.. but she had to know. She knew Alex wouldn’t tell her if she asked. She opened the app again. With shaking hands she opened the living room camera app live view.

She was met with Alex laughing and telling a woman how beautiful she looked and how he noticed she went to India on social media. He promised to hit her up when he was back in town. She saw red. 3 years she had given constantly to this relationship. Always supporting and loving him even when it was difficult, even when he struggled. Even when he was unfair to her and mostly when he didn’t love himself.

She loved him. Every injury was like a fresh wound reopened by this most recent knife in the back. The worst part is this time the knife had lemon on it. As the insult that added to her injuries stung her to her core she broke down. At that moment she cried a loud, heartbroken cry as she thought of all she had endured already. Her breathtaking sobs only cut off when she needed to wipe her sniveling nose. The pain raked through her body as she shook. Alex… Will. Pay.

She knew he didn’t truly appreciate her in that moment, when she heard him call another woman beautiful. Tess had a beautiful face, full lips and hazel eyes. Her eyebrows were shaped with a nice arch, she always had her nails done. She had hair that sat just a little below her shoulders a deep brown almost black but it was very curly and a little frizzy. The biggest problem was she had heard since high school how beautiful she was for a big girl, or if she lost a little weight she’d look perfect. The years went by and the number that different people deemed she needed to lose increased as time went on.

She had never been just considered beautiful. Alex had never told her she looked beautiful. But he did, to a woman Tess had never even met. All the memories of their relationship slapped her in the face like a brick. Every word Alex said was a lie, every moment they had started piecing themselves together. Finally it was making a complete puzzle and it was like Alex had given her the final piece to give her the full picture. The picture showed clearly that Alex had never loved her.