Irene lay in the darkness, welcoming the chance to free her mind from the
long day. She was tired. She knew her tiredness was more from her emotional
drain than from any physical labor.
Alexander slipped in bed beside her. She could feel his breath on her neck when he turned in her direction. Her body went numb. She would not let him arouse her.
"What's this?" he whispered as he touched her nightgown. "Let me help you out of it."
"No."
"Come on, babe. We'll work things out. We always do."
"Not this time, Alexander." Her voice was firm.
"Look, go to the counselor if it makes you feel better." He leaned over her.
She couldn't see him clearly in the darkness, but she knew he was staring intently at her, assured that he would get his way.
"Let me turn the light on low," he said.
"No, Alexander, I'm tired. It's been a long day and all I want is sleep."
"I can make you sleep like a baby," he whispered. He moved his hands under her nightgown.
Irene quickly sat up. "I said no, Alexander, and I mean no!"
"You are my wife and I expect you to fulfill your wifely duties," he said angrily.
"Maybe I would if you fulfilled your husbandly duties," she retorted.
Alexander pulled at her nightgown again.
She slapped his hand away. "I said no and I mean no!"
"I don't have to beg, Irene," he snarled. "Our marriage vows include sex."
"They include a lot of things you seem to forget, but they definitely do not include rape!" she hissed.
"Rape by your husband is very hard to prove."
"But it can be proved!"
He sighed. "Come on, baby, let's cut out this nonsense. We're two adults."
"I said no and I mean no. I'm not letting you manipulate me ever again. Do yourself a favor and get some professional help!"
"Bitch," Alexander hissed as he got out of bed and angrily stalked into the living room.
"What a nice little family gathering," Alexander sneered as he walked into the kitchen. He observed Irene and her daughters sitting around the kitchen table, happily engaged in an animated conversation.
Irene smiled at her daughters. "This, Alexander, is what a normal family is like. But that's something you know nothing about and don't seem to want."
"Give me a break!" He threw his overcoat over the back of his chair. "Where's Stephan?"
"I don't have the slightest idea."
"Why isn't he having his breakfast?"
"I don't know, Alexander. Why don't you ask him? I refuse to cater to him any longer. He is disrespectful to me and I will no longer tolerate his behavior. For years he has seen the way I've allowed you to treat me, so he feels he can also do it. I blame myself for allowing him to think that your behavior was acceptable."
Before Alexander could utter a word, Stephan walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. His hair was tousled and his tee shirt was half tucked into his jeans. "Why didn't anybody wake me?" he snarled. "Now I'm gonna be late."
"I called you twice," Irene said calmly. "I'm not going to stand outside your bedroom door anymore to make sure you get up. If you don't get up the second time you're called, then you're on your own, pal."
Stephan's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you going to let her talk to me like that, Dad?"
"No, I am not, son." He turned to his wife. "Apologize."
"You've got to be kidding, Alexander."
"Never mind, son, she's not worth it," he said as he laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "Sit down and eat your breakfast, then I'll drop you off at school."
"Okay, Dad." He looked at the platter of scrambled eggs and sausage. "I want fried eggs and bacon."
Alexander looked at Irene, but she kept her head down as she finished eating her breakfast.
"Stephan would like his breakfast." He glanced at his wristwatch. "Come on, Irene, you're going to make us both late."
"Listen carefully because I'm only going to say this once." She looked at her husband. "I am not a maid. From now on Stephan can eat what's on the table or he can starve."
Alexander grabbed his jacket. "Come on, son, you can grab something on the way."
Serena was grinning when Darien caught up to her.
"What are you so happy about? Or is it because you know you've got the cutest guy on the planet?" he teased.
"Yes, you are the cutest guy on the planet, but that's already an established fact." She smiled as she grabbed his hand. "The reason I'm in such a great mood is because my mom finally stood up to Alexander."
"All right!"
"She had a long talk with me and Lita last night. She's going to leave him."
"When?"
"She's not sure. She has to take care of a few things, but at least she's going to do it. That's all that matters, Darien."
"I'm happy for you. How about celebrating tonight? No school tomorrow. Remember?"
"Okay. I've got to get to class now, so let me know at lunch what you want to do." She gave him a quick kiss.
"So what's on the agenda this weekend?" Heather asked.
"I don't know. Why don't you come over and we can think of something," Lita answered.
Heather frowned. "Are you forgetting something?"
"No, I don't think so. Do you have other plans?"
"You're not supposed to see me, dummy!"
Lita started to laugh. "I was only putting you on. I know Alexander said you're not welcome, but last night my mother ungrounded me and said you can come over whenever you want to."
"Great!" Her eyes narrowed. "But what about the evil one?"
"Forget him. He's history. Mom's dumping him. You should have seen her stand up to him."
"Cool. It's about time." She smiled. "So, Lita, what's the deal with the new guy--Morrison Baker?"
Lita blushed. "He is so cute. I thought I'd ask him to do something tonight."
"He is cute. Maybe sometime you can double with me and Jake."
"I thought you dumped Jake."
"Oh, I did, but he called me last night. He was so sweet. You should have heard him."
"But I thought you said he ran out on you with Sage Ken."
She shrugged her shoulders. "He did, but he said she definitely wasn't worth it."
"I hope it works out for you, Heather. After all, I've only had to hear about Jake Farmer for two years before you got up the nerve to ask him out."
"I know." She melodramatically put a hand to her brow. "Love is so fickle."
"I see you've been watching those ancient movies on the late show again," Lita giggled.
"That's where I learn all my moves." Heather winked.
Irene took a deep breath, and then knocked on Amy Madison's apartment door.
The door was quickly opened. "Why, Irene, what a surprise. Come on in. I just put on a fresh pot of coffee." She smiled warmly as she ushered Irene into her cozy kitchen. Irene admired the homemade curtains and collection of salt and pepper shakers.
"I've got some good news," Irene said. "I've decided to get my life in order. I'm starting Monday by visiting a counselor."
"Good for you." She patted Irene's hand.
"The talk we had yesterday made me realize how much I need to unload all of my emotions and put things into perspective."
"Do you know what your plans are?"
"Not really. I'm just going to take things one step at a time."
"You'll make it, Irene. You're a true survivor."
Alexander slipped in bed beside her. She could feel his breath on her neck when he turned in her direction. Her body went numb. She would not let him arouse her.
"What's this?" he whispered as he touched her nightgown. "Let me help you out of it."
"No."
"Come on, babe. We'll work things out. We always do."
"Not this time, Alexander." Her voice was firm.
"Look, go to the counselor if it makes you feel better." He leaned over her.
She couldn't see him clearly in the darkness, but she knew he was staring intently at her, assured that he would get his way.
"Let me turn the light on low," he said.
"No, Alexander, I'm tired. It's been a long day and all I want is sleep."
"I can make you sleep like a baby," he whispered. He moved his hands under her nightgown.
Irene quickly sat up. "I said no, Alexander, and I mean no!"
"You are my wife and I expect you to fulfill your wifely duties," he said angrily.
"Maybe I would if you fulfilled your husbandly duties," she retorted.
Alexander pulled at her nightgown again.
She slapped his hand away. "I said no and I mean no!"
"I don't have to beg, Irene," he snarled. "Our marriage vows include sex."
"They include a lot of things you seem to forget, but they definitely do not include rape!" she hissed.
"Rape by your husband is very hard to prove."
"But it can be proved!"
He sighed. "Come on, baby, let's cut out this nonsense. We're two adults."
"I said no and I mean no. I'm not letting you manipulate me ever again. Do yourself a favor and get some professional help!"
"Bitch," Alexander hissed as he got out of bed and angrily stalked into the living room.
"What a nice little family gathering," Alexander sneered as he walked into the kitchen. He observed Irene and her daughters sitting around the kitchen table, happily engaged in an animated conversation.
Irene smiled at her daughters. "This, Alexander, is what a normal family is like. But that's something you know nothing about and don't seem to want."
"Give me a break!" He threw his overcoat over the back of his chair. "Where's Stephan?"
"I don't have the slightest idea."
"Why isn't he having his breakfast?"
"I don't know, Alexander. Why don't you ask him? I refuse to cater to him any longer. He is disrespectful to me and I will no longer tolerate his behavior. For years he has seen the way I've allowed you to treat me, so he feels he can also do it. I blame myself for allowing him to think that your behavior was acceptable."
Before Alexander could utter a word, Stephan walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes. His hair was tousled and his tee shirt was half tucked into his jeans. "Why didn't anybody wake me?" he snarled. "Now I'm gonna be late."
"I called you twice," Irene said calmly. "I'm not going to stand outside your bedroom door anymore to make sure you get up. If you don't get up the second time you're called, then you're on your own, pal."
Stephan's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you going to let her talk to me like that, Dad?"
"No, I am not, son." He turned to his wife. "Apologize."
"You've got to be kidding, Alexander."
"Never mind, son, she's not worth it," he said as he laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "Sit down and eat your breakfast, then I'll drop you off at school."
"Okay, Dad." He looked at the platter of scrambled eggs and sausage. "I want fried eggs and bacon."
Alexander looked at Irene, but she kept her head down as she finished eating her breakfast.
"Stephan would like his breakfast." He glanced at his wristwatch. "Come on, Irene, you're going to make us both late."
"Listen carefully because I'm only going to say this once." She looked at her husband. "I am not a maid. From now on Stephan can eat what's on the table or he can starve."
Alexander grabbed his jacket. "Come on, son, you can grab something on the way."
Serena was grinning when Darien caught up to her.
"What are you so happy about? Or is it because you know you've got the cutest guy on the planet?" he teased.
"Yes, you are the cutest guy on the planet, but that's already an established fact." She smiled as she grabbed his hand. "The reason I'm in such a great mood is because my mom finally stood up to Alexander."
"All right!"
"She had a long talk with me and Lita last night. She's going to leave him."
"When?"
"She's not sure. She has to take care of a few things, but at least she's going to do it. That's all that matters, Darien."
"I'm happy for you. How about celebrating tonight? No school tomorrow. Remember?"
"Okay. I've got to get to class now, so let me know at lunch what you want to do." She gave him a quick kiss.
"So what's on the agenda this weekend?" Heather asked.
"I don't know. Why don't you come over and we can think of something," Lita answered.
Heather frowned. "Are you forgetting something?"
"No, I don't think so. Do you have other plans?"
"You're not supposed to see me, dummy!"
Lita started to laugh. "I was only putting you on. I know Alexander said you're not welcome, but last night my mother ungrounded me and said you can come over whenever you want to."
"Great!" Her eyes narrowed. "But what about the evil one?"
"Forget him. He's history. Mom's dumping him. You should have seen her stand up to him."
"Cool. It's about time." She smiled. "So, Lita, what's the deal with the new guy--Morrison Baker?"
Lita blushed. "He is so cute. I thought I'd ask him to do something tonight."
"He is cute. Maybe sometime you can double with me and Jake."
"I thought you dumped Jake."
"Oh, I did, but he called me last night. He was so sweet. You should have heard him."
"But I thought you said he ran out on you with Sage Ken."
She shrugged her shoulders. "He did, but he said she definitely wasn't worth it."
"I hope it works out for you, Heather. After all, I've only had to hear about Jake Farmer for two years before you got up the nerve to ask him out."
"I know." She melodramatically put a hand to her brow. "Love is so fickle."
"I see you've been watching those ancient movies on the late show again," Lita giggled.
"That's where I learn all my moves." Heather winked.
Irene took a deep breath, and then knocked on Amy Madison's apartment door.
The door was quickly opened. "Why, Irene, what a surprise. Come on in. I just put on a fresh pot of coffee." She smiled warmly as she ushered Irene into her cozy kitchen. Irene admired the homemade curtains and collection of salt and pepper shakers.
"I've got some good news," Irene said. "I've decided to get my life in order. I'm starting Monday by visiting a counselor."
"Good for you." She patted Irene's hand.
"The talk we had yesterday made me realize how much I need to unload all of my emotions and put things into perspective."
"Do you know what your plans are?"
"Not really. I'm just going to take things one step at a time."
"You'll make it, Irene. You're a true survivor."