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“How dumb does he think I am?” Elise asked herself as she stared blankly at the red-laced underwear on the table.
She had all the excuses mapped out in her head to come in his defense, but they were immediately shot down by a counterpoint.
Was it a laundry mishap? If it was, then why was the underwear under the bed? Shouldn’t Doug take it back to the laundromat and think nothing else of it?
Was the lingerie for her? Couldn’t be, it was too small for her to wear. Even if he was joking, it would’ve been too uncomfortable for her to wear.
Maybe this was a horrific dream that she was having? The soreness and nail marks on her arm were proof that it wasn’t.
“There’s no other explanation,” Elise’s eye twitched, “that bastard is cheating on me again!”
In a fit of rage and adrenaline, she grabbed the panties and ripped it with full force - almost splitting it perfectly.
“I should’ve known not to forgive you the first time!” She threw the torn fabric in the trash. “I was thinking you would learn your lesson and stop seeing other women… for the sake of our marriage and Tammy!”
Elise went to the kitchen counter and grabbed a knife in the collection.
“Just how many gold-digging tramps are you seeing behind my back? How many?! Am I not good enough for you? What did I do wrong? I swear, I did every-fucking-thing to be a good wife and mother only for you to be a piece of shit again!”
She went back to the table and stabbed it, wishing it was Doug’s head. She stabbed it again - and again and again and again, hoping to make the fantasy a reality, putting emphasis on every other word.
“Just what. Kind of. Example are you. Setting for our child? That being. Awful to your partner. Is perfectly fine?”
Elise slammed down the knife for the final time and furiously ruffled through her hair.
“You bastard… you fucking bastard…” she quietly said as tears were forming. “If you were going to cheat on me, why did you even marry me? Have a kid with me? So many years I’ve wasted…”
Elise lean her back against the wall and slowly sat on the floor, letting her tears flow.
“More importantly, why did I stay?” she finished as she repeatedly hit her forehead. “God, maybe I am an idiot…”
Before Elise could fully break down crying, the sound of a light being turned on caught her attention. She tried her best to wipe the tears from her face and make her hair somewhat presentable.
Footsteps were getting louder, and Elise cleared her throat as her daughter was now in the kitchen - she almost wanted to smile when she saw the teddy bear in her hand. Still adorable as ever, in her eyes.
“Mom?” Tammy said, carefully approaching her distress mother. “Are you going to be okay?”
Am I going to be okay? Elise noticed, wiping out the possibility of lying to her daughter with a typical “I’m fine” answer. “No, Tammy… I won’t be.”
“How come Dad hates us?”
That question and Tammy’s heartbroken tone made Elise froze for a second, but quickly hugged Tammy in reassurance, placing her head on her shoulder.
“No, no, no, sweetie, he doesn’t hate you,” she rocked back and forth to soothe her.
“Yes, he does…” Tammy glanced up to meet Elise’s gaze. “If he doesn’t, then how come he doesn’t want to spend time with us? Why is he with other women? Is he going to start a new family without u-”
“Shhh,” Elise tried to console Tammy some more by rubbing her back. “I don’t know yet, but I’ll make him answer tomorrow when he’s at work, okay?”
“Okay,” Tammy secretly wanted more as an answer, but decided not to egg on. She ended the conversation as she lay her head back down on Elise’s shoulder.
As Elise continued to comfort Tammy, she glanced up at the knife that was stuck on the table and furrowed her eyebrows in rage and determination. Doug had a lot of nerves to hurt his family multiple times and received no repercussions. It was only fair for Elise to give it.
Forget making him answer, Elise wanted to make him pay.