The Horrendous Secret
by Kristen Stone
Genre: Drama
Swearwords: None.
Description: At the funeral of her lover, a woman looks back on her life with him.
_____________________________________________________________________
The woman stood at the back of the crematorium watching the mourners in their grief. She was surprised by the number of people at the service. All the seats were taken and she was not the only one standing. How strange, she thought. Had he been so popular, so beloved, or had all these people come today to make sure, in their own minds, that he was dead?
The congregation rose to mumble their way through an ancient hymn. The woman remained silent, not making the least attempt to join in. She smoothed down her neat, formal suit, hands brushing imaginary dust away with slim fingers which were in keeping with her slim figure. Not as slim as it had been 30 years ago when she first met Arthur, but still reasonably trim for her age, unlike some.
Her mind raced back to that first meeting. She had been with some friends, celebrating her promotion in the law firm where she worked. They were in a city centre pub, full of office workers having a quick drink before setting off on the evening trudge home. It was noisy, light hearted and the three celebratory vodka and limes were quickly taking their toll on her.
She spotted him as soon as he entered the bar. Tall, smartly dressed and wickedly handsome. She had to turn away to stop staring at him. When his smooth, rich, voice echoed in her ear while waiting at the bar to get the fourth round of drinks, she almost fainted.
“Celebrating?” he asked.
She looked up at his smiling face, the dark eyes warm and inviting. She smiled.
“Yes. Just got a promotion. You?”
“Wetting the baby’s head. I have just become a father. Fine bouncing baby boy. Isn’t it wonderful?”
She was not quite sure how the rest of the evening played out. Never worked out where all her friends went. Or his for that matter. She only remembered waking up the next morning and finding him asleep next to her.
Her first reaction was one of shock. Although she did not consider herself to be a prude and had had several lovers during her time at university, she was not in the habit of bringing total strangers back to her bed. Let alone a married man who had just become a father! What had she been thinking of?
He opened his eyes and she was immediately overcome by their depth. She felt like she was sinking into his soul when he looked at her.
“Morning, sweetie,” he said. “I really needed that. With Marjorie so pregnant I’ve not been able to make love to her for ages.”
She stared at him, remembering how he had said his wife had been carrying the baby ‘all to the front’ making any physical contact near impossible. But what really amazed her was hearing him call her ‘sweetie’. Had he really said that? Had he forgotten her name? She thought about these things while he went in search of the bathroom and forgot them immediately when he reappeared and climbed back into bed with her.
The dirge-like singing ended and the congregation retook their seats. Arthur junior stepped forward to speak. How she wished he looked like his father but he did not. Yes, he was tall, but he was also flabby. His jowls wobbled when he spoke, his belly hung over the belt of his trousers. He started his eulogy, praising his father, what a good, kind, loving, generous man he had been.
The woman almost laughed. If only his family knew what he really thought of them!
She had no intention of ever seeing Arthur again once he left her flat after a very late breakfast. It was a one-off. Something she had enjoyed but was happy to put down to experience. She made no attempt to contact him and was completely stunned when, two weeks later, he turned up at her flat after work, proffering the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers she had ever seen. They came complete in their own container of water, the first time she had seen such a thing.
“I thought, after last time, you deserved a thank you,” Arthur said.
Wife still not available, she thought, as she let him into the flat.
And so it went on. Dinner at fancy restaurants, always in places they did not visit with other friends or relations. Trips to the theatre. Even the odd weekend away together. Each outing ending passionately in her bed.
She didn’t mind being ‘the other woman’ at all. She had no desire for a permanent relationship with anyone. No desire for children. Her work was her passion and she was happy to fit in with whatever Arthur wanted. She got all the fun without the chores; no providing dinner on the table as he walked in from work; no shirts to iron or socks to wash; no squabbling kids to deal with; just a good night out with all her needs satisfied by the end of the evening. She could cope with that.
The years flew by. Her career went from strength to strength until eventually she was invited to be a partner in the law firm where she had spent her working life. It was a great honour and privilege. Everyone thought she showed great dedication to her work, which she did. Some secretly thought she was a lonely, dry, spinster with no excitement in her life. Little did they know!
Arthur aged well, physically. He liked to keep himself in shape, visiting a gym at least three times a week. Other things did not sit so easily with him. Two more children followed the first, with two years in between each. He had little affection for any of them. He complained that they were lazy, self-centred little brats. As the years went by his opinion of them did not change. They had little ambition, meandered through school without any real goals and ended up in dull, dead-end jobs.
Marjorie, once the love of his life, had achieved her ambition – to find a man who would support her and give her kids. Even when the kids were at school she showed no inclination to do anything for herself. She kept the house spotlessly clean, all the washing and ironing was done on time but after the chores were done she was happy to sit all afternoon watching drivel on the television, drinking tea and eating chocolates.
The woman studied the widow. Arthur had once described his wife as sylph-like and beautiful. That had been a long time ago. With each pregnancy she had gained weight and made no attempt to lose it. She now appeared almost as wide as she was tall. Arthur said she loved cooking and every cake and pudding showed, not only on herself but on all her children. The woman hated cooking. Why bother when decent restaurants could provide you with food without the hassle of shopping and washing up?
But that had not been of concern to the woman. At least not until a few months ago.
The last of the children had left home and Arthur was alone with his wife. He said it was driving him crazy. She had no conversation, unless it was something about the latest plotline of her favourite soap, or who was doing well or badly in whatever reality show was currently on the TV. She had no interest in what he was doing. Constantly nagged him about going to see the children. Had no interest, whatsoever, in sex.
That last item was a relief, he confessed. He had long since found the sight of her naked body less than conducive to arousing his passions. He frequently told the woman that he could not believe she and Marjorie were the same age. He came to see her more and more, saying things like ‘Let’s stay in for dinner, tonight.’ She wasn’t impressed by that, it meant she actually had to cook something. She tried serving up some ready meals from Marks and Sparks but that didn’t put him off. Apart from anything else, she didn’t have time to sit around socialising every night, she had work to do.
Then came the bombshell. Two weeks ago he had told the woman he was thinking of leaving Marjorie and what did she think of him moving in with her? She was stunned into silence. She supposed that was what most mistresses wanted, the husband to leave the wife. But she was quite happy the way things were. She liked having her own space, her own life. She was fulfilled. She didn’t need a permanent body sharing her bed, her dinner table, or her washing machine.
She told him not to do anything hasty. She would need to think about what he was suggesting. She wouldn’t go as far as to call it a proposal. What could she suggest? Maybe he could set up a flat of his own and they could carry on the way they were? No. She could not see that happening. He might not like the way his wife looked or behaved, but he did like his home comforts, she could tell that. No. She was not prepared to take on the role of ‘wife’.
Everyone was shocked and surprised when Arthur succumbed to a fatal heart attack while sitting at his desk in the City. He was the last person anyone would associate with a heart attack. He kept himself so fit. There had to be an inquest, of course, because he was not under any medical treatment, but the coroner confirmed death was caused by a heart attack.
And now the crematorium was packed to see him on his way. The woman looked around wondering who all these people were. Did he really have so many friends and colleagues? Maybe they were wondering who she was. The youngest son sat down having given his eulogy and some music started to play. The woman smiled to herself. It was what Marjorie called ‘their song’. She knew he hated it.
The curtains started to open and the coffin began to move towards the hole that led to the furnace. The woman turned and quietly headed for the exit. An usher opened the door for her. It was not unusual for people to leave before the coffin finally disappeared. It was too upsetting for some.
The woman walked hurriedly towards her car. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to scream at the top of her voice:
“You idiots. He couldn’t stand the sight of any of you. He hated his children. Loathed his wife. He was an unfaithful, selfish, bastard who wanted everything his way. And I killed him.”
Swearwords: None.
Description: At the funeral of her lover, a woman looks back on her life with him.
_____________________________________________________________________
The woman stood at the back of the crematorium watching the mourners in their grief. She was surprised by the number of people at the service. All the seats were taken and she was not the only one standing. How strange, she thought. Had he been so popular, so beloved, or had all these people come today to make sure, in their own minds, that he was dead?
The congregation rose to mumble their way through an ancient hymn. The woman remained silent, not making the least attempt to join in. She smoothed down her neat, formal suit, hands brushing imaginary dust away with slim fingers which were in keeping with her slim figure. Not as slim as it had been 30 years ago when she first met Arthur, but still reasonably trim for her age, unlike some.
Her mind raced back to that first meeting. She had been with some friends, celebrating her promotion in the law firm where she worked. They were in a city centre pub, full of office workers having a quick drink before setting off on the evening trudge home. It was noisy, light hearted and the three celebratory vodka and limes were quickly taking their toll on her.
She spotted him as soon as he entered the bar. Tall, smartly dressed and wickedly handsome. She had to turn away to stop staring at him. When his smooth, rich, voice echoed in her ear while waiting at the bar to get the fourth round of drinks, she almost fainted.
“Celebrating?” he asked.
She looked up at his smiling face, the dark eyes warm and inviting. She smiled.
“Yes. Just got a promotion. You?”
“Wetting the baby’s head. I have just become a father. Fine bouncing baby boy. Isn’t it wonderful?”
She was not quite sure how the rest of the evening played out. Never worked out where all her friends went. Or his for that matter. She only remembered waking up the next morning and finding him asleep next to her.
Her first reaction was one of shock. Although she did not consider herself to be a prude and had had several lovers during her time at university, she was not in the habit of bringing total strangers back to her bed. Let alone a married man who had just become a father! What had she been thinking of?
He opened his eyes and she was immediately overcome by their depth. She felt like she was sinking into his soul when he looked at her.
“Morning, sweetie,” he said. “I really needed that. With Marjorie so pregnant I’ve not been able to make love to her for ages.”
She stared at him, remembering how he had said his wife had been carrying the baby ‘all to the front’ making any physical contact near impossible. But what really amazed her was hearing him call her ‘sweetie’. Had he really said that? Had he forgotten her name? She thought about these things while he went in search of the bathroom and forgot them immediately when he reappeared and climbed back into bed with her.
The dirge-like singing ended and the congregation retook their seats. Arthur junior stepped forward to speak. How she wished he looked like his father but he did not. Yes, he was tall, but he was also flabby. His jowls wobbled when he spoke, his belly hung over the belt of his trousers. He started his eulogy, praising his father, what a good, kind, loving, generous man he had been.
The woman almost laughed. If only his family knew what he really thought of them!
She had no intention of ever seeing Arthur again once he left her flat after a very late breakfast. It was a one-off. Something she had enjoyed but was happy to put down to experience. She made no attempt to contact him and was completely stunned when, two weeks later, he turned up at her flat after work, proffering the most gorgeous bouquet of flowers she had ever seen. They came complete in their own container of water, the first time she had seen such a thing.
“I thought, after last time, you deserved a thank you,” Arthur said.
Wife still not available, she thought, as she let him into the flat.
And so it went on. Dinner at fancy restaurants, always in places they did not visit with other friends or relations. Trips to the theatre. Even the odd weekend away together. Each outing ending passionately in her bed.
She didn’t mind being ‘the other woman’ at all. She had no desire for a permanent relationship with anyone. No desire for children. Her work was her passion and she was happy to fit in with whatever Arthur wanted. She got all the fun without the chores; no providing dinner on the table as he walked in from work; no shirts to iron or socks to wash; no squabbling kids to deal with; just a good night out with all her needs satisfied by the end of the evening. She could cope with that.
The years flew by. Her career went from strength to strength until eventually she was invited to be a partner in the law firm where she had spent her working life. It was a great honour and privilege. Everyone thought she showed great dedication to her work, which she did. Some secretly thought she was a lonely, dry, spinster with no excitement in her life. Little did they know!
Arthur aged well, physically. He liked to keep himself in shape, visiting a gym at least three times a week. Other things did not sit so easily with him. Two more children followed the first, with two years in between each. He had little affection for any of them. He complained that they were lazy, self-centred little brats. As the years went by his opinion of them did not change. They had little ambition, meandered through school without any real goals and ended up in dull, dead-end jobs.
Marjorie, once the love of his life, had achieved her ambition – to find a man who would support her and give her kids. Even when the kids were at school she showed no inclination to do anything for herself. She kept the house spotlessly clean, all the washing and ironing was done on time but after the chores were done she was happy to sit all afternoon watching drivel on the television, drinking tea and eating chocolates.
The woman studied the widow. Arthur had once described his wife as sylph-like and beautiful. That had been a long time ago. With each pregnancy she had gained weight and made no attempt to lose it. She now appeared almost as wide as she was tall. Arthur said she loved cooking and every cake and pudding showed, not only on herself but on all her children. The woman hated cooking. Why bother when decent restaurants could provide you with food without the hassle of shopping and washing up?
But that had not been of concern to the woman. At least not until a few months ago.
The last of the children had left home and Arthur was alone with his wife. He said it was driving him crazy. She had no conversation, unless it was something about the latest plotline of her favourite soap, or who was doing well or badly in whatever reality show was currently on the TV. She had no interest in what he was doing. Constantly nagged him about going to see the children. Had no interest, whatsoever, in sex.
That last item was a relief, he confessed. He had long since found the sight of her naked body less than conducive to arousing his passions. He frequently told the woman that he could not believe she and Marjorie were the same age. He came to see her more and more, saying things like ‘Let’s stay in for dinner, tonight.’ She wasn’t impressed by that, it meant she actually had to cook something. She tried serving up some ready meals from Marks and Sparks but that didn’t put him off. Apart from anything else, she didn’t have time to sit around socialising every night, she had work to do.
Then came the bombshell. Two weeks ago he had told the woman he was thinking of leaving Marjorie and what did she think of him moving in with her? She was stunned into silence. She supposed that was what most mistresses wanted, the husband to leave the wife. But she was quite happy the way things were. She liked having her own space, her own life. She was fulfilled. She didn’t need a permanent body sharing her bed, her dinner table, or her washing machine.
She told him not to do anything hasty. She would need to think about what he was suggesting. She wouldn’t go as far as to call it a proposal. What could she suggest? Maybe he could set up a flat of his own and they could carry on the way they were? No. She could not see that happening. He might not like the way his wife looked or behaved, but he did like his home comforts, she could tell that. No. She was not prepared to take on the role of ‘wife’.
Everyone was shocked and surprised when Arthur succumbed to a fatal heart attack while sitting at his desk in the City. He was the last person anyone would associate with a heart attack. He kept himself so fit. There had to be an inquest, of course, because he was not under any medical treatment, but the coroner confirmed death was caused by a heart attack.
And now the crematorium was packed to see him on his way. The woman looked around wondering who all these people were. Did he really have so many friends and colleagues? Maybe they were wondering who she was. The youngest son sat down having given his eulogy and some music started to play. The woman smiled to herself. It was what Marjorie called ‘their song’. She knew he hated it.
The curtains started to open and the coffin began to move towards the hole that led to the furnace. The woman turned and quietly headed for the exit. An usher opened the door for her. It was not unusual for people to leave before the coffin finally disappeared. It was too upsetting for some.
The woman walked hurriedly towards her car. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to scream at the top of her voice:
“You idiots. He couldn’t stand the sight of any of you. He hated his children. Loathed his wife. He was an unfaithful, selfish, bastard who wanted everything his way. And I killed him.”
About the Author
Kristen Stone describes herself as a frustrated writer looking to conquer the world. Although born in London, she knows all the words to 500 Miles, has attended several Burns Night Suppers and would love to play the bagpipes. She has even offered to change her name to McStone. Those are all good reasons for McStorytellers to grant her the status of Honorary Scot.
Kristen’s website is at http://www.kristen-stone-the-writer.com. Her first novel Edge of Extinction can be purchased at the link below.
Kristen’s website is at http://www.kristen-stone-the-writer.com. Her first novel Edge of Extinction can be purchased at the link below.