So that was why he was too tired most of the time to make love to her! She understood it all now! He had made love to her tonight to keep her from suspecting, or because he had gotten so turned on by his date with his girlfriend that even his wife looked good tonight! Tears welled from her eyes as she stared at the peacefully sleeping figure on the bed. How stupid she had been! Not once had she ever had any suspicions about Todd's long evenings at work! She had believed her husband when he said he was at the office! Why shouldn't she? Why should she think that Todd would ever lie to her? "Stupid, blind fool!" she cried aloud. Suddenly no words were fierce or vile enough to express her own naivete or the incredible frustration that gnawed at her heart. Not physical frustration this time. But the frustration of being in an ugly situation and not wanting to be there… and seeing no way out.

She jumped onto the bed and began to pound her husband with her small fists. Why should he sleep when she was going through this hell?

"You bastard! You bastard! You cheating coward!"

At first Todd just tired to squirm away from her. But at last he was forced to wake up. "Huh…? What…?"

"What are you doing with pink panties in your jacket pocket?" she demanded in a tone of voice that was close to hysteria. "How dare you come home and make love to me when you've been with another woman!"

The guilty look on Todd's face calmed her down. She realized that a part of her had been hoping for a reasonable explanation, some proof that her jealous suspicions were all wrong. She knew now that she was facing a cold reality. Her husband had a lover. Like water down a drain, all the fight went out of her. She had never felt so miserable in her life.

She pulled the top blanket off the bed and headed for the door.

"Jean… where are you going?" Todd sounded nervous and anxious. It was small consolation. "Let's sit down and talk about this like a couple of adults. After all, we've been married for five years. It's not as if the news should be all that shocking. Things like this happen. Couples work them out."