Reality hit her like a train on a track.

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The glass vase that shone with intricate laces of old lavender floral designs shattered against the living room wall, sending dangerous shards of glass across the room- raining down on Julie. She was seething. She could only see red as she breathed shallowly through her clenched teeth, staring down her cowering husband that was trapped in the far corner of the room.

“Julie- just, relax.” He pleaded, his arms up in front of his face, protecting himself from whatever object she would throw next.

A shriek escaped her tight throat and she reached for the wooden chair that was next to her prized dining room set-up. The adrenaline pumping through her veins was her husband’s worst nightmare, as she lifted the chair effortlessly and flung it at him.

“Lying bastard!” Her voice broke. “I pretended to believe you, I thought it would end!”

Her husband recovered from the impact; smashed pieces of wood surrounded his crouching figure. “I’m not seeing her! Baby-”

She snapped at his word and grabbed the half empty glass from their now abandoned dinner. She threw the glass at the trembling man.

“Cheating son of a bitch! I loved you for so long!” Julie took a deep breath, opening her mouth to gasp in air as her head spun. The blood drained from her head and she held onto the dining table for balance.

She plopped down on one of the remaining chairs, barely aware of her husband moaning in pain. She shook her head.

“Steven, what does she have that I don’t?” She asked, not waiting for the answer. She continued; “Gotta thing for young sluts?”

Her husband grumbled in response, shifted slightly still cramped in the corner. Julie continued, to no one in particular.

“You never understood my devotion to you. I’m not stupid, Steven- I knew all along. I wanted to keep this family together. But you were ripping us apart. All for …a twenty –something lonely vixen!?” Julie stretched to reach for a pack of cigarettes that sat precociously on the window sill and lit one, taking a long drag. “For a second, I thought, ‘why not keep him around, he pays the bills…he can keep screwing that perky girl.’ And then is dawned on me, Steven. Just last night, why am I getting screwed over? You’re the one that didn’t keep the promise- you know, the one at out wedding, 30 years ago?” She took a drag. “You were a waste of time.”

Her husband sat motionless in the far corner of the room, almost forgotten for her words were not directed to him. His arm throbbed with the long gash caused by a slice of glass. Julie rose from her seat and crossed the room. Steven flinched as she passed by.

She returned seconds later with his Enfield revolver. Julie passed him again, swinging the gun and her horror-struck husband stared at her.

“Steven,” She said as she sat with her legs crossed on the chair again. “Tell me, where did you get this gun?”

He did not answer, only stared back her, tears filling up and glossing over his baby-blue eyes- the very eyes Julie fell for 30 years ago.

“Steven!!” She roared. He jumped and focused on her.

“At an auction.”

“Liar” She said immediately, calmly. “That whore bought it for you, didn’t she?”

He nodded slowly.

“So she feeds your freak addiction for vintage handguns?”Julie asked her signature rhetorical question. She shook her head with mock sadness. “The boys will be devastated.” She took a lengthy drag from her cigarette and put it out on the ashtray that was on the table.

Steven’s voice was low, and an octave higher that normal. “Don’t make this mistake.”

Julie raised the aged silver pistol and pointed it at him. “I don’t make mistakes, Steven. You were my last.”

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To say the least.

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She treaded the water, careful and fully aware of the slow movement she made. She held her breath and felt the pressure build up in her chest as her arms began to circle faster. Her legs lost the pattern they were mimicking and she left out a loud gasp; she was panicking.

“Help!” She managed to gurgle as water flooded her open mouth. Her blurred vision could only make out the slight shaking movement of his head. “Please!” She spit out the chemical water and struggled to focus on staying afloat. She felt her soaked clothes weigh her down.

She was sorry, very sorry. She had never meant for this to happen; she knew he’d be angry but…She had apologized a million times before. She didn’t want it to end this way.

She thought about what she did and felt disgusted with herself. The intensity of the moment. How the adrenaline rushed through her as she seduced a more than willing man. How she thought she’d get away with it. He had a right to hate her; he had the right to do this, right? She felt herself justify his actions and slowly, stopped trying. It was all over. She couldn’t survive this and this is what she had coming.

“Don’t you dare!” She heard him say from the patio chair. “Don’t take the fun out of this, Elise!” His voice was rising and that sent a jolt of fear down her spine.

“I…I…” She pushed with her legs. “I’m sorry.” She blurted out, trying to keep her head above water.

“I know you are doll. I am too.” Out the corner of her watery vision, she saw him stand up and make his way toward her. She didn’t have the ability to turn to him.

She shook her head, quickly and that triggered a violent shiver.

“No, I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I made such a mistake. And I’m sorry it has to end like this.” As she said those words, she felt her face prickle and her eyes sting with tears filled with selfish emotions. She was speaking the words of a martyr.

“Do you have that much doubt in my conscience?” He said bending down at the edge of the pool.  She didn’t answer, her head bobbing with effort. “I don’t want to do this Elise, but you brought it upon yourself. You can’t play with people’s feelings.”

She blew out the water that had slipped into her mouth.

“All, I’m doing is playing right back.”

“With my life!” Elise’s teeth clattered and she bit her tongue, wincing in pain. She say the flash of fury on his face as he stood up.

“You started it,” He said, childishly.

She felt an air f doom loom over her. The sense of finality rang in his voice, loud enough for her heart to beat painfully against her constricted chest.

“Now’s the time to give up, Elise. I’ve given up on you.” His voice sounded far away. Elise felt herself slowly become calm despite her racing heart. “Do the same, why don’t you?”

Elise knew her legs were slowing they’re cycle. She felt her arms stop trying against the resistance of the water. She was giving up; this is what he wanted. What she deserved. The water level was rising- no, Elise was sinking. She felt the cool water enclose her warm neck and closed her eyes. She thought about how her mother would feel. To know her daughter, her only daughter was gone. Fell into the pool by accident, surely, that’d be the story. But through these thoughts of self-pity, a small voice was screaming. Elise did not want to die. She wouldn’t.

But as the clear blue water closed above her head, her ears plugged, her mouth filled with chlorine that now, tasted sinister- she realized it was much too late.

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