After The Wedding

by Sandifer, L

  CHAPTER 14

  Trying to survive

  I am on my usual routine with work at the boutique and home life, even though the thought of what happened is hurting me so badly. Justin comes home from work, eats his dinner, that I had delivered and threw the containers away. He never notices that it was not home cooked, he actually thinks that I cooked like a house maid for most of the day in the kitchen, not a chance now. He kisses me on the cheek or forehead and says he’s tired, then showers and goes to bed routinely.

  What happened to pulling me into his arms, kissing me passionately and making wild and crazy love to me? I think it’s more than over now. I bought a beautiful black lace teddy for our honeymoon, and he couldn’t stay away from me. I put it on the night we got back home and he never noticed, he only kissed me good night and stayed in one position all night, with his back to me. We barley make love anymore. I didn’t know why at first, but after everything that has happened, now I do. What happened to the man who couldn’t keep his hands and body off me? I never changed any of the things that I did that were so exciting to him, things that gave him signals and made him very hot.

  I know my reason for marrying Justin, but what was his for marrying me? I thought it was mutual love for both of us, or was I just something to be conquered or some kind of notch on his sex ass? I can’t focus like I should. I am so low right now, feeling embarrassed and humiliated. Whoever said “who could feel so low with so much money,” must be from another world.

  I decided to follow again, off and on for a week and he’s doing the same thing, and again, with different women. I’m married to a sexual pervert!

  I think it’s time to confront him as soon as he gets home today. I always thought that if something like this happened in marriages, it always happened later than sooner, but not in this case. I think I let his body and sex overtake my mind, and of course I was pre-planning a wedding before I met the right man and had everything ready for it, and as I look around, I have no one to blame but myself, but we all have our weaknesses.

  With all of this, I can’t concentrate, and have put my business on the back burner without realizing it. I can’t go on this way. My clientele are wondering where I am, and if I don’t get myself together, there’ll be gossip and my sales might plummet.

  CHAPTER 15

  Losing it

  I hear Justin coming through the door, “Hi honey, did you have a busy day?” “What are you talking about, I’ve been working.” I responded with “Working at what, screwing around?” I saw you walk out of your office building with a woman that I am sure is not one of my friends and when I saw you kissing her, I was certainly sure she wasn’t anyone I know. (But thinking to myself, for some strange reason, she looked somewhat familiar, but I just can’t fit the link in right now) Justin asked, “What are you talking about?” I’m screaming at the top of my voice, saying “Don’t try to lie and get out of it, I followed you and the b……to the Hotel and waited outside for more than an hour, when the two of you finally came out, and I hired a private investigator, who later told me that there was no use to continue to surveillance you, because I would be wasting my money, because of all of the different women, from all over the place!!!” “I just want to know why you wanted to get married!!!” “I thought you really loved me Justin!” He then says in an arrogant voice, “Well now, since you really want to know why, I’ll tell why right now!!!” He was screaming at the top of his voice. “I was trying to marry before my friend, Sam, got married!!!” It was all a dare and I won!” “You know, I liked you, but just didn’t and still don’t love you like I know I should have and I don’t love anyone, not now anyway and can’t be tied to one woman and I don’t expect you to understand!” “I’m relieved and glad that you saw us, because she’s not the only one, she’s just one of many, as you and your investigator discovered!!!” “You’ll accept me for what and how I am or you won’t have me at all, and I don’t think you’d like that very much!” “I’ll do whatever I want, whenever I please and that’s it, end of discussion.”!!!

  Right about now Justin, I think it’s time to say, I’m filing for divorce you nasty perverted bastard!! You make me sick to my stomach and I want you to get out, now!! His reply was, very calmly, “I’m not getting out tonight Elizabeth.” I’ll let you know when I decide to.” “Yes, you’re getting out now!!” “I’m going to call the police and have them throw you out, whether you like or not, you’re not the boss Justin, and I haven’t seen any gold or any other precious metal anywhere on you that would give me reason to keep you in my life, you piece of s…………. !!!!! “The love making was great, whenever I got it, but it’s not worth it, to put my life on hold until you don’t feel like screwing every woman in town anymore!!!

  Suddenly, I felt a hard blow to my face. He hit me hard and I fell to the floor. The bastard actually hit me, I couldn’t believe it, I felt something warm on my face and touched it. I’m bleeding, I was trying to crawl out of the living area to the kitchen to get something, anything, I was so dazed and almost losing consciousness. I thought that was the end, but I couldn’t give up or I would certainly pass out, he caught me by my ankles, dragged me back and hit me again, in my left eye, by this time, my cell phone was ringing off the hook and I couldn’t answer it, I didn’t know who it was, maybe Jessica or my mother, somebody, please help me!! I think I started to pray and asking myself, is he going to get out and leave me for dead. I’ve got to try and save myself! I suddenly got strength from out of nowhere.

  He left me for a second to turn my phone off, then stomped it. I had a chance to get to the kitchen and grab a silver bat, half the size of the usual one, but this one was metal, that I bought for protection years ago and always kept it in the cabinet underneath the sink, which was perfect, because I just couldn’t stand up now, and when he started toward me again, I surprised him with a blow to the head that knocked him cold. I struggled to the phone and called the police. Justin was still out when they arrived, but I threw water on him; he was already cuffed. One of the officers asked if I wanted to file charges, I answered “Yes, is there any reason why I shouldn’t!!” By this time, Justin was begging and pleading, to the tune of, “honey don’t let them lock me up, pulling back and forth with the officer, saying I’m sorry, I apologize, I didn’t mean it.” I put a deaf ear to all of it, while being carried to an ambulance. I was a horrible sight and knew I would need recovery time, including a few stitches. Justin was also cited with trying to resist arrest along with a list of other charges, including attempted murder. He could have killed me.

  Chapter 16

  Recovering

  He has been in jail for three days now, I filed for divorce the next day, with the attorney coming to my hospital bed, and had a restraining order filed against him; the reasons were obvious after looking at my face and the way that I walked in the hospital, no questions were asked and my attorney filed a notarized report with the police on my behalf. Once I was recovered enough to be released, I went home gathered all of his clothing and put them in garbage bags and everything else went into boxes. I got the address of his friend Sam and had everything delivered to him. I don’t know whether he was there or not and I didn’t care. I just wanted everything gone. Maybe when he gets out they can make another bet. He’s staying in jail for a year, while his law practice is suffering badly. He left a message on my new cell saying that everything was my fault. I never called him back because his brain was somewhat warped and unattached if he thought that I would.

  I can’t believe how someone who’s considered to be very intelligent, well educated, with a lucrative law practice could be so callas and stupid. I know that some intelligent people do stupid things, but I never thought that I’d be involved with one.

  CHAPTER 17

  Divorce and getting back to business

  I began looking for another place to live when I felt better; I could no longer live in a place that gave me such horrible memories. My friend Jessica helped me find a very
nice place near my business, to help put this nightmare behind me. I have not gone to the boutique for a week, because of my face, which has gotten a little better, the bruising isn’t as bad and my limp is going away. Luckily, I hired a very capable assistant before leaving on our honeymoon. Although some of the nosey clientele are constantly asking where I am and what’s going on, my assistant tells them that I am traveling to find great fashions or that I am searching for a second location because of the booming business, which seems to pacify any other thoughts that might arise. I have not told my parents, wanting to spare them the emotional pain, and asked Jessica not to contact them. I would do it myself, once I felt fully recovered.

  It’s been over a year and a couple of months now, I’ve gotten my business back where I need it to be, while at the same time, working hard on plans to open a second location and having a grand opening in three and a half months. To my surprise, my assistant wasn’t too far off when she told this to my clients during the time of my marital problems. At the time, I wasn’t sure of where I was going or what to do next, I was so confused. Sometimes, I think about what it could have been if I had not married on a bet between friends, and it was the real thing; but I’ve gotten over the heartache, most of the pain and glad that I could get back to a more normal life again. I changed my cell number, but Justin has called the boutique several times in the last couple of months leaving messages. However, he hasn’t called in the last week or two which is very positive for me. He’s probably on his second wife, and if he is, I consider myself to be the lucky one.

  CHAPTER 18

  Life goes on

  I stay in close contact with my very good friend, Jessica, who gave her support through my entire ordeal, who has been dating someone and proceeding with caution for three months. After my experience, she’s taking the relationship very slow. We sometimes meet at one of our favorite places, where I met, and who I thought was the love of my life. Actually, I ran into a mutual acquaintance of our past together, Justin’s friend Matt, who asked about him, because he lost touch sometime ago. It took everything in my power at that very moment, to stop me from slapping him. I told him that we were divorced and had not seen or heard from him and wanted to keep it this way. To my surprise, I was asked how I related to his daughter. I was shocked and asked, “Are you talking about Justin and if so, what daughter?” He then told me that Justin had a young child about the age of three or four. “Well, Matt, this is a complete surprise to me.” “Is there anything else that he forgot to tell me”? Everything that I didn’t know before, during and after our marriage is of no relevance now.

  Justin never told me about a child. He continued to say that Justin had been married at least twice before, but for reasons unknown, the marriages didn’t last and Justin never went into detail with him. He also revealed more of Justin’s well kept secrets, and said, after graduate school and before receiving his law degree, he was convicted of spousal abuse with both wives; which is probably why Justin failed to contact him after we met, at the time of the bet. He just didn’t want Matt to reveal any of his past to me. Maybe I have stumbled upon the answer to the missing link I couldn’t fit in. Could the child’s mother be the woman that Justin was talking to at his office party when he suddenly disappeared in to nowhere? Whatever they were talking about took a quick turn when I found him. I feel somewhat relieved that he quickly exposed himself to me in the early stages of our marriage, better sooner than later. I can’t wipe out the past, as though it never happened, but with all certainty I will focus on myself once again without falling into a fantasy world.

  My new location opened, which is much larger than the first one, and Jessica dropped by to visit, and looked great, as usual, still wearing beautiful dresses to show her figure. I once told her that she might consider being one of my models, but couldn’t convince her. When searching for my first business location, I was very careful not to take on a very large space, for many reasons, which paid off in the end, in so many ways. The second location has a second floor that is designed with a small runway area for models to wear many of my original creations, along with other designer pieces, while interested guests will make their selections, with a staff member on hand to take orders and another for fittings. My designs can be tailored to fit most individuals, and the store’s popularity has grown tremendously because of it.

  Anyway, Jessica came by with good news. She’s engaged, and wants me to be her maid of honor. If things had turned out differently, I would have been her matron of honor instead. However, she is not planning her wedding as soon as I did. She wants to wait at least a year or two. I told her by that time I could be a matron of honor in a second marriage, and laughed, then asked her why would she wait so long? It seems as though my marriage ordeal put a little damper on how she handled her relationships. She confided that shopping for anything involving her wedding is not in the plan right now, which makes sense to me. Maybe I should have done the same, but for some reason, I think the result would have been the same, because of Justin’s plan.

  CHAPTER 19

  My interrupted life

  Jessica wants me to meet a very close friend of her fiance Alan, but I have mixed emotions about meeting any man right now. I’ve opened the new store and need to concentrate on its success as well as my emotional well being, and not allow myself to be drawn back into a possible new relationship. Anyway, the timing is not good right now. My immediate goal is to expand and open more stores, and starting a new relationship or being introduced to someone with the intent or a possibility, is absolutely not included in my plans. After several months, I’ll give it some thought.

  It’s been five months and Jessica keeps insisting that I meet Alan’s great friend. If he’s been waiting to be introduced to me for five months, I’m not sure that I want to meet him, but I reluctantly agreed and decided to meet the mystery man next week. I haven’t given her a day or date yet, but maybe Friday is good, if it’s not the thirteenth. I’ll give her a call and confirm, since I’m a little more settled now and have continued to keep a trusted and dependable staff in place to handle the stores when I need time off.

  After most of the dust settled, I purchased a beautiful townhome near Fifth Ave., and I’m thrilled that my income has increased to over $10 million yearly and is continuously growing and breaking my forecasts. When selecting the square footage, I included an area in the home for my parents, on the first floor for their convenience, without having to climb the stairs, and they are extremely happy. If I talk about my parents a lot, it’s because I wouldn’t be where I am if it had not been for their unconditional love, support and dedication to my upbringing and I certainly don’t know where I’d be without them and never wanted to think about it.

  My mother helped select most of the furnishings with the assistance of a well known designer. It was a good bonding experience for both of us, once again later in life. I love both of them so very much and will never be able to repay them for what they taught me, and the many values that were instilled in my childhood.

  It’s been almost two years since the opening of my first store and my joke of a marriage to a man who plucked my feathers so nicely, and on next Friday, I will see what Alan’s best friend is all about, and will ask jokingly, “Have the two of you made any bets lately?” I’m sure Jessica will look intensely at me and we’ll have to excuse ourselves from the table before screaming and wetting our beautiful underwear , because the guys won’t know about the inside joke, only Jessica and my mother know.

  Well, it’s Friday and I am not going to either of the stores today, they’re in good hands, like one of the big insurance companies says about its clients. Since I’m participating in a blind date night, I will pick something very sultry from my 1,000 square foot closet (which is a girl’s dream) that was designed to include a love seat and comfy chair. One area is mirrored for a head to toe view, and separated into areas by type, color and season. The shoe area is also well defined, which is located in the back of
the closet and color coordinated as well. I have decided to wear a little black soft textured crepe, with a ruffle swaging off the left shoulder, cut slightly above the knee, with black and white small polka dot open toe, 2 ½” sling backs, very flattering and sophisticated, wearing no stockings, for a very sexy look; I want him to see what he can’t have, and just imagine, what if. I’ve decided to wear my hair down for a more dramatic look, with very little makeup, but I always wear my soft red lip color, day or night. I will knock his socks off and probably not see him again, of my choosing.

  Since my parents decided to fly out for a visit, I asked my mother not to lose sleep and wait up for me. My father has always gone to bed at 6:00 pm for most of his life, which is where he is now. “I will see you in the morning mom, and remember not to wait up for me.”