The Hidden Truth

As she sat down at the computer, anger had begun to fill her. The back of her eyes felt a little swollen but she held the tears back. She was not ready to give in to the emotions that were flooding her. Alyssa sat at the computer playing online Boggle as she listened to her husband’s conversation. It was now 4:10 p.m. and the Oprah show had started airing the segment, if you are in an abusive relationship, it is time to plan your escape.

I’m not in an abusive relationship, she thought. I’m in a relationship where my husband confessed that he cheated on me years ago. Alyssa begun to question her marriage before her thoughts turned back to John’s words. How could he be so candid in blurting out his past secrets? Did he feel relieved now that he had told me? Alyssa continued typing, her mind slowly faded into a blank slate. Now focused on the game, her husband entered the room to tell her he was leaving. Is he going to say I’m sorry or anything about their earlier conversation? she thought. Alyssa waited for him to say something but John turned and walked out of the room as if nothing had happened. I’m glad you’re leaving, she thought. I’m glad to finally be alone.

The evening slowly moved forward, and Alyssa sat quietly playing her game while her mind drifted back and forth between the words he had spoken and their marriage. I am such a fool she thought before the music from the other room caught her attention. It was American Idol. She listened intently to the melody of songs that blared through the speakers of the television, each melody taking her back to an early time in her life.

As the 70’s music played, she thought of Dillon, the love of her life in high school. Oh, how she had wanted to marry him, but he was not interested. She was only a sex partner when he wanted it. Alyssa had learned the hard way that you couldn’t make somebody love you. As the music continued, she thought about her childhood and her teenage years. She longed for her friends from back then and the fun that they use to have together. She longed for her family and the brother who was lost to drugs. She thought about her mother, father, grandmother, aunts, and uncles who had passed away and she wished that she could turn back time.

As the music moved into renditions of the 80’s period, she thought about both of her ex-husbands and her marriage to them.