Remember the Time

Chapter 22

March 2nd, 1997

Michael and Mariah were in the car sitting across from each other in silence.

"You two okay back there?" Bill asked, trying to look at them in the rearview mirror.

Michael nodded. "We're fine, Bill."

Mariah picked up a large thermos and took a sip from it. Michael could tell it wasn't water she was drinking.

"You shouldn't be drinking." He said flatly.

Mariah's eyes narrowed. "Are you gonna stop me?"

"Don't start." He muttered.

She rolled her eyes. "You're starting with me. I'm sitting here, minding my business and then you start telling me what I can and can't do. You treat me like a child."

"Maybe because you act like one?"

She took another sip. "Then go get with the old bitch."

Michael glared at her. "What...the fuck did you just say?"

She shrugged. "You said I'm too childish for you. I'm just trying to help you solve your problem."

Michael huffed. "I am so sick of you being like this with everybody in my life. You'd be jealous of Janet and Toya if they weren't my sisters!"

"You're trying to make me sound crazy when you do this shit on purpose. First you calling Vicki 'sweetheart', you got your ex wife showing up everywhere, then you come home telling me about bitches trying to come on to you and still entertaining those same bitches. What do you expect me to do?" She shouted, getting in his face.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "How many times you gonna bring up the same four women? I wasn't even messing with any of them."

Mariah started clapping, emphasizing her words."How do I know that, Michael? You sure seemed to be having a great time with Shana. Then you invited Vicki on our honeymoon? And you got mad at me over some ancient magazines about that woman. How do I know?"

Michael frowned, his voice level. "I'm gonna tell you this one time and one time only, you do not own me, okay? If I wanna have a statue of Diana in our bedroom, I'm gonna do that. Understand? You. do. not. own. me. You're just my wife. Nothing else."

Her eyes went blank for a moment before they fluttered shut. "So what? I'm just your wife? That means nothing to you?"

"It doesn't mean anything to you so why would it mean something to me?" He said.

"What? I obviously care about this marriage more than you do." She shot back.

Michael laughed sardonically. "Do you? I couldn't tell. You're the one causing all these arguments and pushing me away with the cheating accusations."

"Okay and you're the one taking me on hundred thousand dollar shopping sprees, letting me decorate the condos after you told me no, whispering on the phone, you're obviously guilty of something."

He looked at the ground, his voice almost inaudible. "Or maybe I'm just paying you back for the sex. That's all you're good for anyway."

Mariah chucked her water bottle at him, hitting him in the head, and jumped across the seat. She landed a hard punch on his cheek. Almost immediately, Michael grabbed her wrists and threw her back on her side of the car, her body slamming hard against the edge of the seat. He forced himself up and hovered over her, using his body to pin her down.

She struggled between her words. "Get the fuck off me, Michael!"

Michael felt a sharp knee in his stomach.