Intact Love from the Broken

Flora STARED BLANKLY at the glass of red wine in front of her. Her heart hammered in her rib cage. She could feel her chest tightening; an awful tension building between her sternum and stomach.

She was dreaming. She had to be. There was no way this was actually happening.

No.

Fucking.

Way.

Not to her.

"I've been wanting to tell you for so long," Richard  almost pleaded. "But I didn't want anything to interfere with your work. That's why I waited until after you made partner."

Did he really think he was justifying this shit?!

Flora cut her eyes at her husband; her wonderful, loving, devoted husband of twelve years. He was playing her. He had to be. His eyes, so dark and velvety brown they looked black, reflected very real regret and pain. His thick, black brows were drawn in concern.

He reached out and took one of her hands in his. "Flora, say something please," he said, kneading her stiff digits.

Flora noticed her stomach moving in and out. It clenched painfully. She snatched her hand away from her husband, jumped to her feet and backed away. No. No. No. She had to stop him; to stop this. It wasn't part of her plan; their plan. "This is a joke, right?" she asked shakily. Her eyes were wild and manic. She smiled. A smile made everything okay. It did. It had to.

Richard  stood. His lips were whitish-pink in their pinch; his brows furrowed, deep lines between them. Worry and fear were the smell of his cologne.

Oh god, this was real. Flora wrapped her arms tightly around herself to keep her insides from spilling out. "Please tell me you're joking. You have to be joking. You have to be," she begged. "Please tell me it's not true Richard . Please," she implored.

Richard  watched her. He shook his head slowly.

Flora felt the rumbling; the tingling of a sob from the bottom of her feet. It was a full roar by the time it reached her mid-section. She dry retched, sick to her stomach. Hot tears burned a trail down her face, dripping onto her shirt like pellets of a sudden rainstorm.

Richard  stepped forward to wrap her in his arms.

"Noooooo!!" Flora howled, her cry a sudden blast of rage.