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"You can't say one nice thing about Carol!"
"One nice thing about Carol?" Mom echoed. Dawn winced at the loudness of her tone, grateful that Jeff was at Zeke's house, having a sleepover. "You want me to say one nice thing about Carol? The woman I caught you in bed with?"
"Yes!" Dad snapped. "There's nothing wrong with her. She put out, and you wouldn't!"
Dawn pulled a face at the comment. The last thing that she wanted was to think of either of her parents doing that, or, in her mother's case, apparently not doing that.
"You want to know why I stopped 'putting out'?"
"Yes! You're my wife, and you have responsibilities! If you don't provide for me in a satisfactory way, I have every right to seek companionship elsewhere--"
"Because you gave me a venereal disease! Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was to discover that you'd given me the clap? How humiliated I am?"
"It isn't a big deal, Sharon--"
"I don't recall asking you for your opinion," she retorted. "You want me to say something nice about Carol? Fine."
Dawn could tell by her mother's tone that it wasn't actually fine. She continued to speak. "I like the way the colour brings out the guilt in her eyes."
"Sharon!"
"Don't you dare 'Sharon' me. I'm tired of you. I'm tired of this marriage. I filed for divorce. I'm tired of having to lie to the kids for you, to my parents, I've had enough," she said flatly. "You've been out of this house for seven months." It was true. Dawn and Jef had given up asking for their dad to come home. "The clock doesn't restart because you brought your mistress here for a quick fuck."
"You'd really give up our marriage over a simple girlfriend?"
"Yes! It has nothing to do with her! It has everything to do with you, and your behavior, and how it negatively affects our kids. Someone has to put them first, Jack. As always, it has to be me. Did you know that Jeff thought you were dead?"
"And whose fault is that?"
"Yours! I had to put both the kids in therapy because you won't even talk to them! Then you come in here expecting me to play happy families with you and your girlfriend."
"You have the clap?" An unfamiliar voice interjected. "Jack! You told me you got tested!"
Dawn tugged the covers over her head.
"Keep your voice down!" Mom snapped. "Dawn is sleeping upstairs! She doesn't need to hear this!"
"Why not? She should know about what an awful wife you are."