Page 22 of The Perfect Marriage

I hold my finger down on the text and select the heart reaction. I set the phone down, and I close my eyes, hoping I’ll sleep tonight, but knowing that I won’t.

17

Adam Morgan

After Sheriff Stevens left, I thought about calling Sarah—but I couldn’t, not yet, at least. I know she’s physically okay, but I can’t imagine what I’m doing to her mentally and emotionally. Sarah is the strongest person I know, but a person can only take so much. I feel like telling her to drop the case and hire someone else because she doesn’t deserve this. She shouldn’t have to clean up my mess.

Sure, I know in my heart I didn’t kill Kelly—but I did have an affair, and without that affair, none of this would have ever happened. At least, I don’t think it would have. Maybe Scott would have still killed Kelly, but it wouldn’t have happened in our house, and I wouldn’t be involved.

Scott has to have been the one. I don’t care what kind of show he put on today or that he beat the ever-living shit out of me, it was him. I know it was. I just hope Sarah and Sheriff Stevens can prove that it was him.

I close my eyes and try to sleep, but my mind keeps replaying not only the events of today but the events of the last sixteen months. I think about all the times I had with Kelly. I try not to, but I do. I love my wife, but I loved Kelly too. A few tears escape my eyes, and I let them roll down the sides of my face onto the pillow. What have I done? What the fuck did I do?

18

Adam Morgan

Two Weeks Earlier

Ihad just finished a full day of writing, and by that, I mean a full day of sitting in front of a blank computer screen, while sipping scotch. My eyes were strained from staring at the white Word document. But thanks to the scotch, I was numb to everything else.

I had planned on driving back home since Kelly had canceled on me for a third time that week. But I was in no state to drive and I’d decided to stay and get a fresh start in the morning. I shut down my laptop and walked into the living room, swirling my crystal glass of booze. I lit the fire and flipped on some classical music. I was about to select a book from the bookshelf to escape for the evening when I heard a knock at the door. I thought it might be Sarah with a surprise visit and at that moment, I was glad Kelly had canceled.

But on the other side of the door I found Kelly, broken and beaten. Tears streaming down her face, colliding with the dried blood from her nose and lip. Her right eye was black and blue, and her hair was a knotted mess. I gasped at the sight of her, and she nearly collapsed into my arms. I pulled her inside and walked her into the living room, wrapping a blanket around her cold body.

“Who did this, Kelly?” I nearly screamed in anger as I ran to the kitchen for an ice pack and a rag. She cried harder.

“Do I need to call the police?” I placed the ice pack to her eye. I wiped the blood away from her nose and lip with the rag.

“No… No, don’t,” she pleaded. I continued to dab and wipe the blood away. We sat there until her cries fell silent and I knew she was ready to talk. I brought her a glass of scotch and refilled mine. It was going to be a long night. I sat beside her, holding her, trying to reassure her that everything was going to be all right.

“He’s never going to stop,” she finally said, slicing through the silence.

“Who?”

“Scott… my husband.”

I pulled her in a little closer. I knew she was married. But I had assumed her marriage was like mine, loveless, boring, inattentive, and extinguished… not like this. I thought I had it bad—but Kelly had it worse, far worse. I may be bored, but she was in danger.

“Have you gone to the cops?” I took a gulp of scotch.

“I can’t.” She shook her head.

“Why?”

“I just can’t.” She sounded exasperated. She finished off her drink, and I didn’t push it any further. Her look told me to stop.

“What can I do?” I asked. I got up and refilled both our drinks. I set them on the coffee table and retook my place on the couch. Pulling her into my lap, I stroked her hair and the side of her face. I had been seeing Kelly for the past year. I cared about this woman. I loved this woman. I wanted to save this woman. This couldn’t be how our lives played out. This couldn’t be it.

“You can’t do anything. He’ll never stop.” Her eyes were glazed over, and there was no hope in them. She truly believed what she was saying.

I couldn’t let her give up. “I can help you get away.”

“I can’t run. He’ll always find me.”

“We’ll run away together… you and I,” I said, and I think I meant it.

“Sometimes, I think the only way I’ll ever get away from him is in death.”

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