“What can you say? Hey? I’m sorry I slept with some otherwoman?Please, forgive me and let me in?”
I frowned. “Mama, you’re meant to be on my side!”
“No!” Another shove. “I’m disgusted with you. Twenty years of marriage and you do the dirty on your lovely wife, then come here, demanding to be let inside? Saying you won’t leave until she talks to you?” Her eyes blazed, and she spoke through gritted teeth as she delivered another blow. “Your father would be so disappointed in you.”
I winced, barely able to look at her anymore. My father was a king to me, and he wasn’t here to tell me himself what he thought. But as a loyal husband, I could only imagine his reaction.
“I need to talk to her. I own half of this house; she can’t do this!” I argued, as she shook her head.
“You give her the divorce, let her sell the house, and leave her alone. You don’t deserve her. Now go. I don’t want to even look at you."
Sell the house? What?
“I love her. She’s my wife, I’m not—” I gritted out before she slapped me around the face, her voice rising.
My cheek stung, but the women in my family loved passionately, and they loved my wife as much as they loved me.
This was deserved, but it still hurt like hell.
“If you loved her, you wouldn’t have cheated with a homewrecker! You love your wife; you treat her like you love her. You are nothing but a cheater. Stop embarrassing yourself and leave.”
My mother glared at me and pointed at my truck.
“Leave, Victor.”
I loved my mother, and respected the fuck out of her, and I knew better than to push her when she was this pissed. My sister didn’t even glance my way, for fuck’s sake.
“Fine,” I muttered, yanking open the truck door.
“You have some sense then,” my mom called before narrowing her eyes further. “You won’t get her back. Stop trying.”
Then she turned toward my home and walked up the drive without a care in the world as the rain dripped from her umbrella.
“Your mother scares the fuck out of me. She always did,” Enzo said, lifting the beer bottle to his lips.
“She’s got a mean right hook too,” I muttered, wincing when I touched my cheek.
“She’s big on family, dude.”
“Yeah? I’m her fucking son.”
Enzo gazed at me. “She loves Lila like her own. Don’t forget when Lila’s dad cheated and left her mom in the shit, your mom and dad were there for them.”
I closed my eyes and wished to every god in the world I could take the affair back. But I couldn’t. My mom would be even more unsympathetic if she knew it was because I felt neglected.
Fucking hell.
“Why’d you do it, man?” Enzo asked, the beer bottle now dangling from his fingers as he gazed at me from the armchair across from me.
“I told you.”
“Yeah, you said you felt neglected.” Enzo paused. “Is that it?”
I nodded, feeling fucking ridiculous.
“Maybe…” Enzo took a deep breath and leaned forward, his eyes meeting mine. “Maybe you just let her go, Vic.”
Pain sliced through my chest at the thought. I’d never let Lila go. Never.
