Lover's Lies
Chapter 2: Tangled Web of Lies
Later that day, Joseph was in the kitchen when Clarisse came down the stairs.
"Just the woman I wanna see."
"What for darling?"
Clarisse asked innocently.
"What was that this morning upstairs?"
"I don't have any clue what you are talking about, love."
"Remember, this morning, I was holding you and you just turned away. You don't ever do that, darling. Are you feeling okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine darling. Why would you ask such a thing, love?"
"I am just making sure you aren't sick or something. Darling, is something the matter? You haven't been acting yourself lately. It seems that sometimes you don't want me to even look at you, let alone touch you. Am I doing something wrong, darling?"
"Joseph, sweetheart, you aren't doing anything wrong. I'm perfectly fine darling."
Clarisse said, knowing she was lying through her teeth. Clarisse walked over to the table and sat down, Joseph just eyeing her as she walked.
"Why are you staring at me that way, darling?"
Clarisse asked, genuinely wondering what he was thinking…Did he know.
"Clarisse,"
Joseph started far away, then got very close to Clarisse's face and finished his sentence.
"there is something wrong, something going on, with you and I will find out one way or another."
Joseph slammed his fist down on the table and walked out of the kitchen, leaving Clarisse terrified at the kitchen table. She didn't know what had gotten into Joseph.
"Um, ma'am, I hope I'm not interrupting anything, but the ambassador is on the phone. He would like a word with you."
Charlotte came in, holding her cell phone. After giving it to Clarisse, Charlotte sat down at the table, waiting for the Queen's response to the terrible news.
"The paper said WHAT?"
Clarisse screamed, and Charlotte squirmed, uncomfortable with the situation.
"Charlotte! Get in her please."
After Charlotte came into the sitting room, she sat down by the Queen and the two sat there in complete, dead silence until Charlotte chose to speak.
"Ma'am, I didn't mean to cause such chaos. The ambassador just needed a word with you; I didn't know what it was…"
"Charlotte, you are a terrible liar. I know you knew what the Ambassador wanted to speak with me about. He says the front page of the paper claims that I, Her Majesty the Queen, is having an affair on Joseph. Who would have the decency to say that the Queen, Her Majesty would be cheating on her husband?"
Clarisse was scalding mad! She couldn't believe that the papers could say such things, but she knew, all along, that they were right. Should she tell Charlotte? She's kept all of her other personal secrets, but is this just too personal to risk Charlotte letting it slip? But could she really keep this big of a secret away from her best friend? Charlotte was there for her when there was no one around. And so was Joseph. How could she be doing this to him? He had been showing her a little more attention lately. Maybe she should just call it quits now. Maybe it was time.
Then, just as Clarisse was talking herself into telling him, Joseph came down the stairs with a rambunctious shout.
"How the hell could this happen? Clarisse I want to talk to you!"
Joseph yelled, while Charlotte quickly and quietly exited the room.
"Clarisse Marie Renaldi Romero! How could this be happening? Have you really been cheating on me? Surely these papers aren't true. Tell me the truth Clarisse. Are they or are they not?"
Joseph asked his wife for the truth while all she could do was set there in silence with one solid tear rolling down her face; Joseph turned away, knowing the truth.