The battered black truck drove down the road, dust lingering in the air along with the sounds from the muffler. A classic rock station blared over the truck's worn-out speakers, while the driver sang along with loudly and off-key.
"And I want and I need
And I lust animal
And I want and I need
And I lust animal."
Glenn drummed his hands on the wheel, maneuvering the truck into the driveway and turning the ignition off. It had been one long year since he'd been home, and that year hadn't been kind to him. His commander had discharged him after a bomb had gone off while he was clearing out a church of civilians. The bomb had given him extreme scarring on his body and the doctors who had saved him proclaimed it a miracle that he didn't die on the operating table.
Millions of thoughts ran through his head, but the most prevalent one was that he couldn't wait to see his wife again. His beautiful Rian. He missed her dearly.
Glenn's eyes drifted to the passenger seat where a box of hazelnut chocolates and a bouquet of pale-pink roses sat. He smiled and gathered them in his hands, kicking the truck's door shut and walking up to the house, unlocking the door.
He started to call out her name but thought better of it, wanting to surprise her. Glenn made his way to their bedroom, only to stop dead in his tracks as he got a look at what she was doing.
The gifts fell from his hands and he stumbled backwards, falling against the wall and catching their attention.
Rian covered herself quickly, trying to come up with an excuse.
"Glenn I- You're home early!"
He stared at her, not trusting his voice, full of hurt and anger at her, at her lover, even at himself for some reason.
She tried to implore him, removing herself from her lover and reaching a hand out toward her husband. Her eyes were filled with pleas for him to listen, to understand.
"Darling… Please just listen to me. It's not what you think."
A large fist shot out and collided with the door, causing her to yelp and duck her head.
"Get out."
"Glenn please, don't do this to me."
"I SAID GET OUT! BOTH OF YOU!"
Rian quickly scrambled to get dressed, running out of the house with her boyfriend as Glenn stared at their bedroom, feeling nauseous. He waited until he heard the car peel out of the driveway before putting his fist through the drywall, leaving a massive hole. He wanted to rage, to throw and break things that had belonged to them, to her… Glenn wanted her to suffer, but he couldn't begin to express his rage and frustration. Roaring loudly, he grabbed his keys from where he'd thrown them in the hall, looking back at the hole he'd created. He'd deal with it later.
First, he needed a drink.
He grabbed his jacket and stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind him and wrenching open the door of his truck, banging his hand on the wheel.
"I'm so fucking stupid!"
With a sharp twist of the key that threatened to snap it in half, Glenn started his truck and backed quickly, almost violently out of the driveway, leaving the house behind him in a haze of acrid black smoke.