TAMMY'S POVSue looks at me with wide eyes from the couch and says “Tammy, hi! Welcome home. It’s a…uhm…surprise to see you back from your trip so early.”Technically, this is Sue’s home as much as it’s mine, so I’m not too surprised that she’s here. She’s been living here with Sean even before I moved in after our wedding. Sean explained to me that since his dad passed away, he didn’t feel comfortable leaving Sue on her own. His apartment is also relatively close to the company’s headquarters - which is ideal for both him and Sue - and it’s definitely big enough for all three of us.Things do sometimes tend to get awkward when you're living with your mother-in-law but I can’t imagine asking her to move out, she’s family. This was definitely one of those times where things are awkward. What was Sean doing feeding her fruit so seductively on the couch? Surely, this isn’t a ‘normal’ mother-son relationship.I look over at Sean as he chews on a strawberry, not breaking my eye contact. A
TAMMY’S POVThis food is surprisingly good, better than most fine dining restaurants Sean takes me to. But I just can’t shake the thought of that bracelet around Sue’s wrist. I have to ask Sean about it when we’re alone tonight. “Thanks for this Sue. Ángel really can cook!”“Oh yes, darling. He owns the best restaurant in Spain! Splendid, isn’t it?” Sue said as she took a sip of wine with her crimson-stained lips. “I think I better turn in for the night, I don’t think I could possibly drink another drop. Goodnight Sue.” I say as I slowly stand up out of my chair to head inside. Sean doesn’t move in his seat. I turn towards him, “are you coming, love?”“Yeah, sure. Let me finish this glass of wine and I’ll be right there.” Sean says as he grabs his glass, still full of that deep burgundy wine. “Okay,” I sigh. “Don’t be long”.I stroll through the apartment in a daze until I’m finally back in my room and heading for the closet. I slip out of my silk dress and inspect the shelves fo
TAMMY’S POV“Sue fell down the damn stairs.” Sean said as he re-entered our bedroom.“She can barely walk. I’m going to have to take her to the emergency room for an x-ray and some pain meds.”Shit. I hope Sue is okay. I’m frustrated that she keeps pulling Sean away from me but I guess I’m more disappointed that Sean keeps letting her. I understand this was a random accident. It’s not really her fault. I’ve changed out of my lingerie and into a loose fitting bath robe. Whatever was happening in this room before Sue fell is going to have to wait.“Can’t you ask Tito to take her to the hospital?” I wonder, trying to find an easier solution than Sean heading down to the ER at midnight. Tito is his personal bodyguard and I know he’s always on call. “No, it’s late. And this isn’t an emergency” he dismisses me, slipping on a cashmere sweater and a pair of his suede loafers.Sean makes his way out of the bedroom once again and I follow to where Sue has been sitting on a red velvet chaise l
TAMMY’S POVI look over to the digital alarm clock on my bedside table. It’s 02:35. Next to the clock is the empty pack of contraceptive pills I found. The second Sean walks through our bedroom door, I’m confronting him about this. My eyes are burning from exhaustion. I feel them slowly closing. Just for a minute I tell myself. I truly don’t have the strength to keep them open anymore. Just then, Sean walks into the room. My eyes fly open as I wake up with a start.“Babe, hey. You’re home. Is Sue okay?” I ask a bit disheveled.“Yeah, she’ll be fine.” He said, walking straight into the washroom.“Sean?” I call out a bit louder so he can hear me over the water running in the sink. “I…I need to talk to you about something.”After too long of a pause, Sean finally responds with his toothbrush in his mouth “Tam, I’m beat, I have an early meeting with the board tomorrow. Can’t this wait?”“Sure…” I trail off, not certain if he heard me. I decide that I too have to give up on this day. Wha
TAMMY’S POV“Are you being serious right now, Tam?” Sean asks, visibly frustrated. “I buy you a brand new car and you’re jealous that my step mother gets to drive with me to work every day?”“I’m not jealous, Sean. I would just think that as your wife, you would want to be the first person to help me when I need you. Like today, I needed you. And you chose Sue.” I say, defeated.“Tam, you are being unreasonable here. Sue and I work in the same building, so of course we travel together most days. Yesterday was impossible. I had the most important meeting of my career so far. I couldn’t cancel that to drive you to work.”“I do understand your work is import…”“Obviously not, Tammy!” Sean interrupts. “What, is this not the right color car for you? Do you want something more expensive? Honestly, you’re just sounding spoiled.”My heart breaks into two pieces. Sean knows me. He knows that money and expensive things don’t matter to me. How could he insinuate something like that? A tear forms
TAMMY’S POVI don’t have concrete evidence that Sean’s cheating on me. But what else could explain his strange relationship with Sue? Him constantly rushing to her side at a moment’s notice. And now he’s avoiding me? I need answers! Before I completely break down. I settle myself on the sofa and open up my laptop. Immediately, I see the wallpaper I set on my home screen: Sean and I kissing at the altar on our wedding day. My stomach sinks. I really hope more than anything that I’m wrong about Sean and Sue. Because if I’m right, my whole world will come crashing down.I double click on my browser and start typing into the search bar:Signs he’s cheating on youI hit ‘Enter’. The answers all seem so generic. Nothing here is the concrete answer I need. I slam my laptop closed in frustration after only reading for two minutes.This is stupid, I’m wasting my time. I completely forget that I have to be at work soon. I rush off to get showered and ready for the day ahead. I have a feelin
TAMMY’S POVI quickly open the message from her.Got me anything cute from Greece? RDamn, I completely forgot about shopping during my honeymoon from hell. I sigh and start replying:Hey Rach, you wouldn’t believe how expensive things are over there. I’ll make it up to you. Dinner? On me.One minute later I get a response from Rachel.I’m in.We decided to meet at a new little Italian restaurant .***“I’m telling you, Tam, I think Carl could be the one. He really seems different. Not like the usual boys I date; so unemotional and immature. The sex is always fabulous but generally they’re misogynistic assholes.” Rachel says, taking a sip of her Pinot Grigio“So why exactly do you think he’s the one, Rach?” I ask, wanting more details.Rachel has always been a serial dater, way more liberal than my Catholic upbringing. Ever since college, she’s been playing the field and exploring her sexuality. I, on the other hand, was already dating Sean. My first boyfriend and my first and only lo
TAMMY’S POVI quickly catch up to Rachel on the sidewalk. She is bee-lining it for the lingerie store that Sean just took Sue into. This is bad. I don’t want this drama to unfold in front of my best friend. I already feel bad enough as it is that I haven’t been completely honest with her. I’m too ashamed to admit what I’m really suspecting is happening between my husband and his step mom. “Rachel, uhm, hold on. Just wait a second. We don’t want to go in there and cause a scene, right? There’s really no point. It’ll make everything so much worse!”“Tammy, don’t be ridiculous. He’s taken another woman into a fucking lingerie store! We’re going in there and strangling him with a set of suspenders. Maybe they’ve even got some of those leather whips in stock.” “Rachel, please! Let’s just forget this and go home!” I plead as she keeps walking.Suddenly, Rachel stops dead in her tracks and turns to look at me.“Tammy, what the hell is going on?”“What do you mean?” I ask, trying to act no