Page 15 of Still Bruised
“I care deeply for you, Ashley,” he said, almost on automatic. In truth, he wasn’t sure what he felt for her anymore. “Or… I did. I don’t know how I feel right now.”
“I want a divorce,” Ashley said.
Agreeing too quickly, even when he knew it was the right thing, somehow felt wrong of him. Their marriage vows had been until death do you part. All he really knew was Ashley. They’d known one another since they were seven or eight years old. They’d dated for three years during high school and returned to one another soon after their college years. Suddenly they were married, and he’d ended up working for her dad’s firm in Los Angeles.
He'd lose his wife, his home,andhis livelihood in one fell swoop.
But he’d be free.
“Fine.”
“Just like that?” Ashley asked. “I’m not worth fighting for?” She scoffed. “Why am I even asking? You didn’t even notice I’d left the bedroom.”
“I noticed but decided I wasn’t coming out to play this game without having come again.”
A look of disgust washed over her face.
“How long have you been fucking Vic?”
Ashley met his question with grim silence, anger shining in her eyes.
“Are there others or just him?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Ashley said, glaring.
“Oh, I just fucked the truth out of your little himbo,” Foster murmured, smiling ruthlessly. “It’s been going on for months according to him.”
“He’s lying,” Ashley said.
“We both know this is over, Ashley. Why can’t we just be honest about it and walk away?”
Her eyes glittered with tears. “I know about you.”
“Know what?”
“About a year ago, I found gay porn in your search history and was shocked. I didn’t want to believe you’d watched it, but then all the pieces suddenly came into place. All the muscle mags. The glances when a hot guy walked past. How horny you’d be after playing tag football or going to the gym.” She scoffed. “Vic was a test. Which would you choose? Me or him? You failed it, by the way.”
Foster stood there silent, refusing to respond.
“Did you marry me to cover up your homosexuality?”
“No,” Foster spat, but the question lingered in his mind a moment. Had he? “Everyone wanted us married. You wanted us married. It… it felt like the right thing to do.”
“No, you don’t get to say you were pressured into this. You could’ve backed out at any point.”
She was right, of course, but in those moments, he’d felt like he was too deep in to walk away. He hadn’t wanted to disappoint either of their families and create a rift between them.
“I want you gone,” Ashley snapped, her eyes narrowed and hard. “I’m keeping the house. I don’t care where the fuck you go aslong as it’s not here. I doubt it’ll be smart to stay too close once Daddy finds out what you did.”
“WhatIdid?” Foster chuckled to himself. Even if he did like the male physique, he’d never cheated. He’d fought them bringing someone else into their bed, and it had only happened at her insistence.
A test.
He shook his head, tired of her games. “Okay, I’ll go. As long as you also tellDaddyyou’re the one who cheated and then convinced me to let your playmate come home with us as our third.”
“Ididn’tcheat.” Tears shone in Ashley’s eyes. “I was lonely, even when you were right there by my side. I neededsomeoneto love me.”
“I honestly hope you find the man who can.”
