Deceptive Vows: The Wife's Agony

"Did you pack everything you need?" he inquired once we were in the car en route to the airport. I nodded and turned my face away from him.

"Are you sure?" he asked again. "I don't want to have to turn back just because you forgot a pair of earrings or something." I rolled my eyes and, unable to restrain myself, retorted, "I'm not Olianna." I bit my lip as soon as the words escaped me, watching my husband flinch and clench his fists. Apologizing crossed my mind, but I couldn't bring myself to say it. I didn't feel indebted to him for anything, not even an apology.

The rest of the journey passed in silence, and soon we arrived at the airport to check in. Zacchaeus handled everything, treating me like a child incapable of managing such responsibilities. Despite my inclination to inform him that I'd traveled alone many times, I stayed silent, letting him take charge. After checking in, we headed for the waiting area, with Zacchaeus walking at least twenty steps ahead of me. I rolled my eyes and trailed behind, my focus fixed on the back of his head. So engrossed was I in glaring at him that I didn't notice someone walking toward me. It only became apparent when I collided with the person, causing her belongings to crash to the ground with a loud noise. Zacchaeus turned to identify the source of the commotion and groaned when he realized I was involved. I bent down to help the woman retrieve her fallen items, muttering apologies repeatedly.

It wasn't until I handed her some papers that I got a good look at her. I froze upon seeing her, feeling my blood pound and heart thud heavily. The woman, just 21, stared at me with her mouth agape. Before either of us could speak, Zacchaeus appeared beside me, maintaining his composure.

"I'm so sorry for my wife's clumsiness; I hope nothing got broken," he said, indicating the laptop she carried. I had given it to her on her birthday, in her favorite color, red. The laptop now mirrored the shade of her face as she glared at me. He had said wife, and she must have caught that. I needed to explain before she got angry and spilled the truth to him. As I opened my mouth to speak, eyes slightly watery, she beat me to it. Her hand connected with my cheek, stinging from the impact. The pain intensified as my eyes welled with tears. In a shaky voice, I pleaded, "Lexie, please, this isn't what it looks like."

"You bitch!" she spat, raising her hand as if to strike again. I closed my eyes, bracing for the pain. But Zacchaeus snapped back to his senses, standing protectively in front of me and catching her wrist just in time.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he hissed at her, his eyes ablaze.

"I'm giving this cheating whore what she deserves," she retorted, her tone laced with acidity.

Zacchaeus shifted his gaze between me and Lexie, then back to me. He stood in front of me, arms crossed protectively, blocking Lexie from view.

"Ariyah, what is going on?" he demanded, anger and embarrassment evident in his tone. The surrounding crowd stared at us, and Zacchaeus's ears turned red due to the spectacle.

I gulped and looked down at my feet, debating whether to lie. But considering Lexie was right there, the truth seemed the better option.

"I used to date her brother," I confessed, each word echoing as if magnified a million times.