Shattered

19. The Dead and The Living

Alec swirled the whiskey in the glass before he swallowed it all. Strong burning taste developed as the drink went down his throat. He had finished almost the entire bottle while sitting on the corner chair in his bedroom, thinking about the revelations made by his drunk wife. The burning taste was his drink was soothing down but the pain his wife had caused him was still present.
He looked at her, who was just beginning to wake up from her deep sleep. He, on the other hand, hadn't slept the entire night. The fact that his wife had too lost a partner kept him awake.
The fact that she loved someone, and that someone was not him made him jealous.

He noticed the platinum band in her left hand. He had noticed it before also but he never understood it's significance until now. It was her wedding band that she must have got from her previous husband. It was part of a promise, the other half, she must have given to him. Maybe her previous marriage would have been a better one. They both wouldn't have got married because her husband had to win a case, but maybe because they both were so desperately in love that they couldn't imagine a life without each other.
And now here she is, living a life without him, with someone else, whom she doesn't love.

They both, in the end, are in same position, scared to let go of their old love, except now he loves her and she doesn't.

But that still doesn't numb the pain. It hurts him that she doesn't trust him enough to tell him about her  past.

She stirred a little and began opening her eyes. He looked at her, the beauty she was, wondering how many secrets were buried inside her. "Good morning." He finally said.

"You are practically screaming in my ears right now." She closed her ears. Even with her secrets and her messed up hair, bloodshot eyes, he loved her and he wanted to tell her this. Maybe it would help her to open up but then.... Then he heard Melissa's voice and he stopped again.

"You haven't slept? You look like a mess." She inspected him from the bed.

"Well last night was a busy one, didn't let me."

"What happened last night?"

"You returned home. Drunk." He got up from his chair and went to the nightstand. He offered her a glass of Mrs. Norris special hangover cure. "Have this, you will feel better."

"How drunk was I?" She looked scared. "Did I say something? About where I was or-"

"I already knew where you were. Mother told me that you were on leave and since I couldn't find you, I had tracked your cell to Georgia."

"Tracked my cell? What am I, a criminal?" She shouted and immediately regretted.

"Then next time let me know where you are going. I am a business man Beth and I have rivals. I don't want you getting in trouble."

"I can take care of myself."

"I saw that last night."

"You still didn't tell me, how much did tell you?"

"When were you going to mention about your first husband Beth?"

"I told you about him?" Her skin was beginning to turn pale.

"Just that it was his birthday."

She gulped hard and set the glass aside. She crawled out of the bed and walked to the bathroom.

"When were you going to tell me about him?" He asked her again.

"I don't want to do this now." She splashed water on her face.

"Then when do you want to, because we will have to talk about this you know."

Beth turned the water on at the highest speed to block his voice. He was beginning to lose his cool. "Beth answer me dammit! When?" She ignored him. "Beth!" He grabbed her arm to make her face him. "Why didn't you tell me? Is this why you wear this platinum band?" He held her hand to point at the ring he was talking about.