Claire

Betrayal doesn't always come at you all at once. Often it's a slow erosion like a slow drip of water over an igneous rock. Little by little. It starts with a slight change of habits. A phone treated like another appendage. A smile at a text like she used to smile at you. The change in dress and appearance when she was going to "Client meetings or office meetings", lasting late into the night, like she was going to an audition. Such was the case with my wife of 7 years, Claire since her surprise promotion 9 months ago. My every question "when, where, why" was followed by an accusation. You're being " paranoid, jealous, controlling, possessive, etc. It all culminated with my sister's 21st birthday. The family was meeting at Olive Garden for dinner. Claire was late as usual. When she finally showed up she said: I invited a friend I hope you don't mind." A tall man, broad shoulders in a designer suit stood behind Claire. "This is Gavin, my boss " Claire introduced. Gavin took a seat between Claire and you. He took the glass of wine in front of you and took a drink, abruptly spitting it out on your plate You stand up quickly to avoid the splash on clothing as you heard Gavin exclaim " Blah, domestic"! You feel a sharp impact on the left side of your chin as you stood up. Your neck jerked to the right, your eyes instantly water with the blow. When you could finally see again, you saw Claire leaving with Gavin's arm possessively around her waist. Your family was in shock.