Shattered Trust by Deb McClatchey – Chapter 11
CHAPTER ELEVEN
In the office lunchroom, Shanna was eating her meager meal. She’d left a couple of tuna sandwiches for Alex in the refrigerator in case he decided to come home but took only a yogurt and a small piece of chicken for herself. Her appetite had waned badly these past few weeks and she had to force herself to eat.
This morning, Alex had not convinced her that those phone calls were not for him. Her woman’s instinct told her this was something to be concerned about. She didn’t even want to share her fears with Amanda, who was eyeing her intently as she ate her filling lunch of homemade pasta, a slice of French bread, and crispy salad.
“Okay. I won’t ask.” Amanda said, then forked a bite of lettuce into her mouth.
“Thank you,” said Shanna softly. Her sad eyes spoke volumes. Amanda wanted to shake some sense into her. Why was she letting that damn man walk all over her? For a romantic notion that love will conquer all? This man was never going to change for anyone! Whatever his bad habits happened to be. She wouldn’t stand much longer for Shanna to be put through this hell.
“Some woman’s been calling the house.”
“What? Who…what woman?” Amanda asked, quickly chewing and swallowing her pasta and wiping her mouth.
“I…I don’t know,” Shanna said lamely, laying down her spoon. “I just get these calls, and whoever it is hangs up.”
“It’s a woman.” Amanda stated flatly. She looked down and flicked a couple of crust crumbs from her short red skirt.
Shanna just looked at her with those eyes. “I confronted him—”
“Good for you! And?”
“Well, it didn’t get me anywhere. In fact, he left mad this morning. I guess he was angry…he was gone when I got up.”
“Okay, now you know. You have to be prepared that maybe he is seeing someone else. You’re either going to go to a marriage counselor, or you’re going to get a divorce!”
“Marriage counselor yes, divorce….” Shanna waved her hand dismissively.
“Listen to me, hon. Oh hi Jim!” She shot a smile across the room.
Shanna’s boss just walked into the lounge for coffee. Earlier that morning he’d noticed the glum aura about Shanna and hoped Amanda was helping her out. “Hi girls.” He poured his coffee and scurried out of there.
Amanda watched him leave, then continued, “Maybe you two need some time apart?” she suggested. “Visit your folks?”
“Oh, Alex would never want me to do that! He doesn’t like me to be away from him.” Shanna replied with a startled look on her face.
* * *
Janice’s eyes were bugging out of her head. Alex had her up against the wall with his hands about her throat. He wasn’t killing her, but he certainly could at any given moment. She was so frightened, she felt her bladder let go. How mortifying!
The rough plaster against her back brought images of nasty burns on her tender skin. She tried to say “Ow,” but nothing came out. Alex had his face right into hers. His breath smelled of freshly chewed Wintergreen Tic-Tacs.
Alex’s face contracted, almost shriveling in anger. “Listen to me, you blackmailing bitch. You stay away from my wife, my clients, my home, my office, and me! If I ever—get it? Ever—catch you near me or my wife or those locations I just mentioned, again…I will kill you. Understand? Kill you!”
Janice saw it then. Saw it in those eyes. The ability to do just that. He was a nut!
“You’re a pathetic little whore. You fuck men for anything you can get, even if it’s just to scratch an itch you might have at the moment. Who’s ever going to believe a slut like you whom I have proof is trying to sabotage my business? No one…that’s who! I have the tapes, baby! Answering machine tapes. My secretary has been saving them.”
She rolled her eyes, and a tear leaked out of one. She’d been calling, disguising her voice, leaving obscene messages, and making idle threats of slashing his tires, telling his clients he was a wife beater. Choice bits of false information like that. Not that she’d ever follow through…
“Women like you are a dime a dozen and are always trying to scam money out of men. You’re a nothing, Jan-nice! Nothing! Do you understand what I just said? And I could kill you as easily as stepping on a bug!” he added in a low and menacing tone.
She closed her eyes, gasped, and tried to nod, which was impossible to do, what with his big hands clenched about her neck. More tears leaked out of her eyes, and she tried to use them to convey begging for mercy.
He noticed and released his grip a little. Finally he let his hands drop to his sides.
Janice sagged against the wall, the plaster adhering to her skirt and tank top like talcum powder. She put her hands around her throat and pressed them there, choking a little and taking in big gulps of air.
The thought of suing him for assault flitted across her mind, but only for an instant. She knew he would kill her if she pulled any more stunts at all. She was a nothing. He was right. There were too many men in this town who would testify that she’d slept with them for money or a stupid trinket.
She was beaten. She looked up at Alex. He was standing there with a smug look on his handsome face, glaring at her, hands on his hips, just daring her to move. He had some of that powdered plaster mixed in his dark beard, aging him a few years.
Alex looked at the disheveled woman before him. Not so cool and smug now. Just a bitch who had to be knocked down a peg or two, he thought.
Now look at her: Hair mussed up, perfect make up smeared, clothes twisted…he remembered how fragile her neck had felt in his hands…he found himself getting hard again.
She glanced down and saw his erection through his jeans. Feeling the lowest she’d ever felt, she slowly dropped to her knees on the dusty floor in surrender.
She inched her way over to the man before her and reached for the buttons on his 501s.
