While You Stayed With Her, I Buried My Parents

“Alright, Freya. Since you came here to make peace, I'll pretend I never heard that talk about divorce.”

“Go home and tidy up the house. These puppies were just born and they're still unstable. I need to stay with Carrie and monitor them for a few more days.”

Listening to the two of them, I almost laughed.

One played the mistress without a shred of shame.

The other gift-wrapped his affair in righteousness.

I didn't bother responding to Wilfred. I just gave him a thin, mocking smile.

“Since Miss Butler is so talented, stealing husbands is one thing, but did she really have to team up with mine to steal my clothes too?”

“Tell me, is this so-called strong independent woman act of yours for the home-wrecker community specifically?”

A few women browsing the pet supplies aisle turned to stare at Carrie.

“Wait, so this guy isn't your boyfriend? Then you two sharing a spoon earlier……that's kind of weird, isn't it?”

“Right? I literally just said you two made a cute couple, and you didn't deny it. Turns out he has a wife?”

Carrie's face flushed deep red, cornered.

The women looked her up and down with open disgust, set their chosen merchandise back on the shelves, and walked out.

Carrie's eyes rimmed red. She turned to Wilfred, aggrieved, and let him have it.

“Wil, did she come here just to wreck my shop?”

“I only thought that sweater was warm and soft, perfect for the puppies. She already spends so much of your money, she can have any clothes she wants. Why is she smearing me like this?”

“Those were all regular customers. How are they going to see me now? How am I supposed to run a business after this?”

Wilfred wiped her tears, aching for her, then turned to glare at me.

“Freya, I'm the one who took the sweater. Why are you taking it out on Carrie? It's not like it was worth anything. When did you get this petty?”

“You're going to get bigger as the pregnancy goes on and won't fit into it anyway. Just have your mom knit you another one.”

“It's not some priceless designer piece. Why are you acting like it's sacred?!”

That look on his face. Superior. Contemptuous.

I couldn't take it anymore. I slapped him and screamed.

“Yes, what my mother made IS sacred! Because she can never knit me another one!”

“While you were here playing house with your precious childhood friend, while you'd rather watch her dog give birth than pick up my calls for help, my parents died!”

Wilfred's eyes went wide. His arms dropped from Carrie on reflex.

“What did you say? How could your parents……”

Before he could finish, Carrie shoved me hard.

“Who do you think you are, hitting people?!”

“It's just a ratty old sweater! Nobody wants it. Here, take it back!”

She ripped the sweater off the puppies and hurled it into a litter box the shop assistant was about to carry out.

“Parents dead? Please. I ran into your mom and dad at the grocery store this morning!”

“I can't stand women like you, using a pregnancy as a free pass to lie, throw tantrums, and manipulate your husband every way you can. You're an embarrassment to all of us women!”

The litter box hadn't been cleaned.

Clumps of waste clung to the wool, the stench rising thick and foul.

My mother's love, ruined beyond recognition.

“I—I didn't mean to, I didn't know the owner was going to……”

The shop assistant shrank back from my bloodshot stare, too frightened to move.

Rage and hatred seared through me, scorching me from the inside out.

I turned and raised my hand high toward the woman who started all of this.

But before my palm could reach Carrie's face,

Wilfred's slap found mine first.

The crack rang out through the silent shop.