Some quiet time

She slid forward and submerged her whole body, feeling the coolness of the water on her face. She blew bubbles and then held her breath, maybe for longer than she should have and she lurched up out of the water, coughing. She pulled the plug on the tub and watched the water swirl its way down the drain. As she stood up, she could feel the slight breeze from the air conditioner blowing on her breasts and her nipples got harder, goosebumps breaking out over her body. The bathrobe felt cool to her touch and she put it on, tying the strap in front. The letter, the strap disrupting it, flipped out of her pocket and fell to the ground, unfurling itself open as if by invisible hands. The first sentence, written in big dark strokes as if the writer was pressing down hard, glared up at her. “I know what you did.”

She knew what she did too and now she was ashamed of it. The letter had been written with a pen, a fine scrawl, only two paragraphs long but its content was like being stabbed with a knife. Who knew that words could cut so deeply. She picked up the letter and continued, “I can imagine you two slipping away to that cheap motel, whose receipt I found in his wallet. I picture him fucking you like I never would, in the ass, or did he come on your face? I hope so. One thing is clear, he will never love you like he loves me or love you the way he loves the family we’ve worked so hard to create. Those children mean the world to him and for you to think that he would give that all up for someone like you, defies all logic. You were a cheap thrill, nothing more. I will heal and we’ll move on but that is not for you to learn about or comprehend. Please listen to my final words and put them into your heart, if I catch you with him again, I will kill you.”