Chapter Seven

The Things He Said

The ladies were having a good time in the kitchen talking about their husbands and fixing breakfast.

"Chloe, I can tell you that out of all of us, you've probably had it easier than any of us. I remember a time when I actually went to Michael and told him that I wanted him in my life. And he told me that he needed to be alone. God, when I think of all the stuff that man put me through I just want to kill him. He caused me so much pain and hurt me so bad." Maria said as she sat at the table drinking her glass of juice.

"Now Maria, my relationship with Philip has been anything but smooth. We didn't even like each other when we first met. But, as time went by, I really started to like him. But, we have had our ups and downs; so I guess honestly I kind of fell into my relationship with him. He was my first ---," she paused. "He was my first everything. And no matter how mad he makes me, I can just forgive him anything. But, Maria this is different. By totally dismissing me in order to do a favor for Kate, it showed me that he still has the power to hurt me even by the littlest things. I guess I just thought that after we got married everything would be different. But, that just isn't the case. " Chloe said as she continued to chop the vegetables for the omelet.

"Chloe, honey, I don't know who told you that marriage was easy, but they lied to you. I mean look at Miguel and me. Let me tell you that after he found out what I did to Charity he would barely even talk to me. You guys know my history; I never claimed to be a saint. But, it wasn't until I totally gave up on him that he came after me. And he was able to forgive me for everything I did and I am really happy that he did." As Kay looked up at everyone she glanced back down at the bacon, she was cooking. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that marriage isn't easy. And the ability to forgive is just a part of it."

"Hey, it's not that I'm not going to forgive him. It's just that I want to pay him back. I want to... to," she paused as if looking for the right word.

"You want to make him suffer." Liz said from her corner in the kitchen. All of the women looked at her surprised. "What, you guys it's not like I have the most perfect marriage with Max. We've had our ups and downs, too. Now, Maria you know what I'm talking about. Max and I haven't always been together. There was I a time when I thought that he belonged with someone else. And I suffered because when he tried to tell me that I was wrong and that we belonged together. And Chloe, I honestly don't think that you want to make him suffer." Liz walked over to where Chloe was standing and she grasped her hand, looking into her eyes. "Now, I know that I probably shouldn't give you any advice but, I do have an idea of what you should do. You want to make him realize how much he hurt you, right?"

"I want him to know that I am hurt and I'm mad that he didn't even consider my feelings before he made plans to leave me. I mean I had just found out that I'm pregnant and I wanted to tell him so bad. But, he totally dismissed me like I didn't even matter to him." Chloe responded.

"Then you know what you should do? You should just tell him. He's your husband, he'll understand." Liz said as she looked towards Maria and Kay for help.

"Liz is right. You just need to tell him exactly how you feel, the way you explained it to us." Kay said encouragingly.

"Sometimes, you have to tell him what's wrong. Because, they can't figure it out by themselves. You have to know that he won't reject you and that he is probably just as scared and worried as you are about how he'll react. Honey, he is probably more scared of losing you than anything else. And trust me when you tell him that he's going to be a father, he will be both happily overjoyed and annoyingly overprotective with you. So much so that he won't let you do anything." Maria said as she watched Chloe get up from her seat and stand.

"Are you guys sure that he will be happy and understanding about this?"

"Yes," the wives all chorused together.

"Now, go because I'm sure that Philip would like nothing more than to take you home. Instead of staying here chilling out with all of us." Maria said as she and the other women in the room began to laugh. Then, as they were laughing the kitchen door pushed open and in came Philip Kiriakis, in all his glory.

"I was just coming to talk to you. I have something that I need ---," she stopped talking as she looked at the face of her husband. "What's wrong, Philip? You look like you're mad or something." She touched his cheek to bring his face towards hers only to have him shy away from her touch. The women in the room all noted the action.

"My dear wife, " Philip said to her as he placed her arms on both sides of her body, blocking her exit paths. "Were you ever going to tell me that you were pregnant? Or were you just going to have the baby without telling me?" Chloe stared at her husband, shell-shocked for a moment.

"I was just going to tell you about the baby, Philip. There's no need to get upset." Chloe said as she looked up to her husband.

"Really, you were going to tell me, were you? That's great, you know, I really appreciate being the sixth to know. Or did you just tell the whole town while you were at it. I mean why not, tell everyone about being pregnant but me and you can let me find out from someone else." He said while fiercely glaring at his wife, when Miguel walked into the room.

"Oh good, I caught him before you said anything stupid."

"Well, I don't know about that, Miguel. I think that he has already said some stupid stuff." Kay responded.

"Kay, I don't want you to get involved in this. It doesn't concern you." Miguel started to approach his wife.

"What do you mean, it doesn't concern me. Chloe's my cousin and besides that correct if I'm wrong, but this happens to be my house. And anything that happens in or around it concerns me."

"No, Miguel, it's alright. Don't bother trying to explain it to her. You know women, they always stick together even when they know that they are wrong. It's like some sort of womanly code." Philip said. "They both know that I shouldn't have had to find out my wife was pregnant from some strange men. No offense."

"None taken."

"Look, Philip I really think that you should come down a little bit, yelling at me isn't really going to change things and I'm not about to discuss anything with you while you're angry."

"What? You don't think that I have the right to be angry with you. I'm your husband and now the father of your child. I should have been the first person told. Or is that it?"

"Is what it? What are you talking about?" Chloe asked with a confused look on her face.

"This baby is not mine, is it? That's why you never told me. Whose child is it? I bet it's Brady's baby. I guess that's it since you aren't denying anything." Philip said as Chloe brought her hand and slapped him across the face. The women gasped whether it was from the comment made or the slap no one could tell, as Michael walked in.

"How dare you say something like that to your wife. You know I think that you ---," she never got to finish her statement because Miguel placed his hand over her mouth to quite her.

"It's okay, Kay, I can handle him." Chloe said staring at the red handprint on Philip's face before she turned around to pull herself together.

"Chloe, ... Chloe... baby ... I'm sorry, I deserved that I never should have said anything like that."

"No, why don't you go ahead and say it, it's what you believe to be true."

"I don't believe that, it just came out because I was angry. But, regardless of what I just said I still think that you should have told me about the baby. You have a responsibility to me to tell me these things. " Philip said as he moved to touch Chloe's shoulder and turn her around to face him. As first she resisted but it didn't last long because he was able to moved her so that she was facing him. At first, he was shocked by the tears he saw on her face because they were tears of sadness that he caused. However, his first impression was wrong. Because, looking into those beautiful blue eyes, that he loved so much, he realized that they weren't full of sadness but of anger.

"You know what Philip, I was going to tell you. But, not because of your misguided thought of my responsibility to you. But because I thought that as my husband you should be able to share my joy with me. In fact, when I went to tell you, you blew me off for your mother. Because she asked you to do a favor. And now, you actually have the nerve to lecture me about my not telling you. When you don't think that this child is yours. I only have three things to say to you. One, I should have told you I was pregnant but, you should have at least checked with me before you made plans to do something for your mother. You should at least think that I some valid reasons for not wanting you to go. Don't just brush off my concerns like that. I deserve more considerations than that considering that I am your wife. Secondly, I thought we got past that whole Brady thing before. But, apparently we didn't. You should know that I have never cheated on you and never would. The fact that you think I could possibly do that hurts me a lot. And thirdly, I hope you've enjoyed what you did to me today because I have never been so embarrassed or humiliated in my life." Chloe said before taking a big breath and walking to the side kitchen door to go outside.

Michael stood at the doorway, knowing already that this was going to go from bad to worse. And that, in the end it was going to somehow be blamed on him and Max. Well, he better just get ready. Because, this going to be a more dangerous war than the one he fought back in high school with the skins. This was going to be a war against the wives and no one was going to be protected. Well, it was best to be prepared.