Six

A yawn escapes me, I blink to clear the rest of the sleep in my eyes with the back of my hand going over my mouth to prevent another yawn from slipping out. I swipe at the errant strand of hair over my face, putting my messy curls into a bun with a few tendrils falling out as I move into a sitting position to observe my environs. This is a new place.

The lighting of the place is off, the room is smaller and the walls are strange. They are brown. This is not home. Home. The word leaves a sour taste in my mouth and I jump off the bed at the fear that sweeps through me. I may dislike that big, empty house but at least, I am safe there. No harm will befall me other than sexual starvation.

"You cheated on me."

Hearing that thick accent causes me to tumble back to the bed and I let out a sigh of relief with a hand over my chest when I trace the voice to my unsmiling husband.

Brandon is seated on a plush single sofa in front of the bed with his legs crossed at the knee like a godfather who is about to unleash hell on a rival gang, unimpressed by my clumsiness and I sneer at him. He looks ruggedly handsome without making efforts.

A near-empty flute of clear wine is perched between his fingers, he takes a sip from it before his gaze comes to rest on me and the events of today come rushing back.

Sophia. She touched me. I touched her too. And I enjoyed it, not as much as his touch but close enough. Do I like women now? No. But if it's only a woman who will touch me, then I will take what I can get until I can find a man who will take care of this barrier called virginity. My eyes lower to Brandon's long, white feet, where do we stand now?

Now that I am well rested and my head is clear, I am not sure I can go through with my threat of asking Brandon for a divorce. I only said it in the heat of the moment. He's a powerful man, influential too, it will be a quick battle that will not end in my favour. Plus, I also cheated and that makes us even but I hope he doesn’t make a habit of it.

For mine and my family's sake, I have to stay married to him. I will be on the losing end if I leave, our prenuptial agreements have already made sure of that. I get nothing of his and I have nothing to my name except a tiny, rented apartment I share with Clarissa, then scholarships that have kept me in school up until this moment. We are dirt broke. 

"You cheated on me, Elna Amahle Stark."  

His mention of my full names doesn't go unnoticed by me, I love how my new last name sounds coming from him but I don't dwell on it. No shame to my parent’s name but this one sounds better, I love it and will bear it with pride. I chuckle at the silly thought, the smile on my lips dying when I meet Brandon steely gaze and I straighten up.

On cue, I say, "You cheated first." My chin raises in defiance as if expecting him to deny it. He doesn't speak, instead, he takes one look out the window. We are still flying.

The knowledge makes me sick, my head begins to pound, a wave of dizziness hits me and my stomach knots. I don't enjoy flying or any form of travel. "How long until we land?" 

Brandon empties the content of the glass cup into his mouth, dumps the flute on the floor and begins to flip through papers in the small folder on his laps. His lips pull into a straight line as his eyes scan line after line until his fingers stop at a certain page.

Clutching the hem of my robe, I move to sit on the edge of the bed. "What are those?"

"Divorce papers, they need your signature."

My heart stops racing for a moment, I look up to his face, he's dead serious. My eyes lower to his unbuttoned shirt, the hairs scattered all over his chest and his tiny pink nipples. His abs are hard, inviting, my fingers itch to touch them and I realise it’s the first time I am seeing his body. I blink and shake my head; I can't sign that document.

"Brandon..." I trail off, "you don't mean it." My heart quickens at his grave expression and I start spouting unwanted details, "We only touched each other, it's not cheating."

"I'll not have a wife who touches people in our matrimonial bed. I'll not have that form of disrespect in my home," Brandon says.

The way his eyes zero in on me by the time he's done talking has my hands falling from my robes and onto to my laps. He's serving me divorce papers? I can't sign it. My family needs his money; they depend on it to survive. I suck my lip and shake my head again. I can’t sign those. I will do anything he wants but that, our marriage is barely a week old.

I should have thought of my parents first before doing what I did but I was too carried away, I have never been touched by a female. Brandon is the first man to finger me and if he had done what I asked, made love or even fucked me senseless, I would not have lost my wits around Sophia. She is pretty, bold, a woman who knows what she wants.

"Sign the papers, Elna," he says in a bored tone like he's reading the news headlines.

"No, I won't. You left me no choice," I say with my voice going a few octaves higher. I pull my robe around myself, feeling smaller under Brandon's stare. "You caused it."

Brandon uncrosses his leg and sits up with his eyes narrowed. "I bring my sick wife a doctor and the moment I leave you two alone, you get all touchy with each other in the name of this bullshit of an excuse!"

"You never brought her for me," I shout and stand, pointing a finger at him. "I saw you two together," I close my eyes briefly to let the images pass, "all cosy and touchy with each other." I straighten up and smile. "So, I did what I had to, I took my only chance."

"Bullshit. That's a whore's excuse," he growls out and my palm connects with his cheek the moment that word leaves his lips.

Brandon's head swings to one side at the impact of the slap, my hand goes to cover my mouth and his jaw tenses. I just slapped my husband. I slapped Brandon. My heart quickens and I bite the inside of my lips.

"I... I... Brandon. I didn't mean to."

When his cold, amber eyes return to mine, his face is blank and a chill creeps up my spine. "What you saw was Sophia forcing herself on me. Now, sign the papers, Elna."

The papers in question come flying at me, I take steps backwards until my legs hit the bed and shake my head. My eyes sting as I try to replay the events in my head in slow motion. I saw them together; she was naked except for that sorry excuse of a pantie.

She touched him. I sigh. He never touched her. I shake my head again. He did; when he grabbed her wrists. But to save her from my flying shoes. My shoulder sags. The cheating spouse is not Brandon, it's me.

"Please," I say and lift my eyes to his. "I can't sign it; my family needs me to stay married. Please. I will do anything you want me to."