It All Comes Crashing Down

[Ezra Faulkner]

Ezra didn't know what to think. Didn't know what to say. Didn't know what to do. He was simply stunned. The letter in his hands explained it all but he was still battling to truly comprehend it all. He'd known something was going on. He'd even confronted his wife about it all but this.. this was just baffling, especially after she'd insisted that there wasn't anyone else. They'd even enjoyed each other the night Verty had insisted he was the only one. It had been months but the follow night, she had gone back to locking her own door. Not only that, she'd grown more cold and distant toward him. Something wasn't right, he'd known it before and she had confirmed it after that night. It had eaten at him for weeks until he'd finally done the unthinkable and gone into her room and through her things. It was his right as her husband after all, right?

But this, he hadn't imagined this. Not only was his wife, the only woman he had ever loved and had thought had loved him back just as much, having an affair but she was having an affair with a woman. The very woman that they had named their first daughter after. He felt sick to his stomach. His head hurt and he was furious. Furious that she would betray him and their family in such a way. But despite such a heated anger, he still felt a love for her. It was probably the only thing from saving her from Ezra completely destroying her reputation. He wasn't entirely sure what he was going to say to her just yet though. No doubt there would be some yelling and a fight but he just couldn't bare to keep her in his home.

He sat silently on her bed, the letter still in hand, and stared at the ground just in front of her bedroom door. He would surely be the first thing he saw when she got home and it sounded as though she were just getting back. The stoic man didn't move though. He remained still with his gaze focused, preparing himself for what was about to happen though he still wasn't sure what exactly he was going to say.

  

[Vertiline Faulkner]

The last thing Verty could have anticipated to see upon arrival to her room was her husband sitting there, a letter in his hand and looking quite displeased. Instantly her heart raced at the idea that he could have uncovered a letter from Moira. She approached him quite slowly, hoping that perhaps it was not what it seemed. Ever the optimist, she decided easily to assume nothing. Perhaps it was a letter of his own that had caused distress and so he awaited her return. Perhaps it was nothing at all. Perhaps he was just sitting there because he wished to lie with her again and the parchment was nothing of consequence. Verty was trying so hard to assert naivety but it was hardly working.

"Darling? What is troubling you?" Her words weren't near as confident as she'd have hoped. Verty always knew it was a danger to carry on with Moira. Even if she hadn't been married it was dangerous. And she should have burned the letter but sentimentality dictated that she kept them all - usually in a safe place but she must have overlooked something. Verty was an optimist but she wasn't stupid and the closer she got to him, the more she could see his features and read his body language, the more she knew that something terrible was about to follow. And her heart sank, her breath caught and she prayed to any powers that be that she could survive the storm that was sure to come. Because for all that she'd deceived him and been unfaithful, she loved her husband. She loved him dearly - even if she couldn't love him in the way he desired and deserved.