Warning - there is a description of not entirely consensual sex in this chapter. If this is triggering for you please skip.
Kate pulled up in her driveway and killed the car engine. She wasn't looking forward to walking in the house at all. She had a new case and was going to have to tell her husband that she would be leaving the next day.
Mark didn't mind her being a police officer at first, but the irregular hours she kept were soon a problem for him when dates or other plans were cancelled at the last minute. And then Kate had decided she wanted to specialise in undercover work. She went to the training and passed the course after falling in love with the work. It was what she wanted to do for the rest of her career she decided.
Mark wasn't as enthusiastic about her career choice as it meant large chunks of time away from home. A lot of arguments ensued whenever she was about to leave on a case and Kate knew that tonight would be no different.
There had been a little reprieve from the fighting when Kate found herself pregnant and had had to step back form undercover work for a while. She had no definite proof but she was fairly sure that Mark had tampered with the condoms they were using at the time to ensure that she fell pregnant. Kate had wanted to be a mum just not so early in her career but she proceeded with the pregnancy and Josh was born. She had fallen in love with him the moment she had laid eyes on him. He was the best thing she had ever done with her life and she loved being his mother.
But she wasn't the type to be a stay at home mum and saw no reason why she couldn't return to work and continue being a mum to Josh, and a good one at that. So she did, much to Mark's displeasure.
Mark had mentioned trying for another baby recently and Kate was wary. She did want Josh to be a big brother but just not yet. Afraid Mark would get her pregnant again, Kate took control of her reproductive system and phoned her GP surgery to secretly get the coil fitted. It was not something a wife would usually do if a relationship was happy, but Kate was beginning to realise she might be repeating the same mistakes her mother had.
"Hiya," Kate called out as she entered the house. From the noise upstairs it was clear where Josh and Mark were. Kate trudged up the stairs and located the pair in the bathroom.
"Mummy!" Josh cried with glee when he saw his mother enter the bathroom.
"Hey Josh!" Kate replied with a smile on her face for her son. He loved bath time, well anything to do with water really, and was covered in bubbles as he played with his toys. "Hi," she said to her husband who was sitting on the floor beside the bath.
"You're late," he said, without returning Kate's greeting.
"Something came up," Kate said vaguely.
"Like it always does," Mark retorted snidely.
"We'll talk later," Kate said. She had vowed once she became a mother that she wouldn't have any arguments in front of her child, remembering how her parents' arguing had affected her all those years ago.
"Do you like my new boat?" Josh asked his mum as he held out a brightly coloured plastic bath toy.
"I love it," Kate declared.
"Look what it can do," he said excitedly as he made it spray water around.
"That's great Joshy!" Kate said.
"We should let Mummy get on and make my dinner, mate," Mark informed Josh, effectively cutting down Kate's interaction with her son.
"Ok," Josh replied completely unaware of what was going on between his parents.
Kate looked at her husband but didn't say anything. "Fine," she said before leaning forward to kiss her son on the head, breathing in his unique scent before reluctantly leaving the room. It might be a while before she saw him again.
Quickly changing in to a T-shirt and leggings, Kate headed down to the kitchen. By now, Mark was in Josh's room reading him his story before putting his son to bed.
Looking in the fridge she found ingredients to whip up a quick pasta meal. Mark didn't materialise so Kate also laid the table. She found a bottle of white wine and poured her and Mark a glass before dishing up.
"It's ready," Kate said to Mark who had made himself comfortable on the sofa watching television whilst his wife had worked in the kitchen.
He slowly got up and followed Kate to the table before taking a seat. "So what came up?" He asked as he took a bite of food without any pleasantries beforehand.
"I've got a new case," Kate said.
"Fucking knew it," Mark said as he put his fork down with a clatter and pushed his plate away. "How long this time?".
"As long as it takes," Kate replied. She had no idea how long she would be away but she had a feeling it may be a while. It was a juicy case investigating Tony Gates, the SIO of TO-20.
"Can't Hasting's find someone else to do his fucking undercover work for him?" Mark asked angrily.
"I'm the only one available at the moment," Kate replied. "And I don't have a partner so it's less disruptive to the unit,".
"What time you leaving?".
"Early," Kate said. She was reporting to Central CID in the morning.
"So it's up to me to have to tell our son that his mother's left him again,".
"I'm not leaving him!" Kate replied, getting angry at her husband's behaviour. "I'm working,".
"Whatever!" Mark said as he got up. "Josh doesn't know the difference. You don't have to see his face every morning asking if you're going to be coming back today,".
"That's not fair Mark!" Kate said. He had touched a nerve as she did feel incredibly guilty about leaving her son for such long periods of time.
"Isn't it?" Mark challenged.
"Keep your voice down," Kate retorted, afraid Josh would hear them arguing.
"Just quit your job and be a good mum to Josh. It would make everyone a lot happier," Mark hissed as he got up close to his wife.
"Except me!" Kate said. "I'm a copper Mark. I was when you met me and I still am. I'm good at it and you are not going to use my son to blackmail me into quitting,".
Mark stalked off leaving Kate to finish the meal she had prepared by herself. She was doing the washing up when she felt Mark reappear in the kitchen.
Coming up behind her he wrapped his arms around her waist and started kissing her neck. "I'm sorry, Kate," he said as he continued kissing up her neck. "I just hate it when you have to go. I miss you so much,".
"I'm sorry too," Kate said as she angled her neck so Mark could kiss higher.
"I love you," he murmured as Kate felt one hand on her waist delve under the waistband on her leggings.
"Mark," she said coyly as she tried pushing him away.
"What?" Mark asked. "It's the last chance I get to have sex with you before you go,".
"Not here," Kate said. "Josh might come in and see us,".
"He's fast asleep. I've just checked on him," Mark murmured in Kate's ear as he slipped his hand down further and under Kate's knickers this time. "I can be really quick,".
Kate felt Mark press his pelvis against hers so she was trapped up against the sink. "I said not here," Kate said as she tried removing Mark's hand, the fingers of which were now trying to move between her legs and penetrate her.
"You used to like sex anywhere," Mark reminded Kate. "Remember that time when I fucked you against that wall in that alleyway?".
Kate did. They hadn't been dating long and had just started sleeping together. They had gone with a few of their friends to a night club when they had both started feeling incredibly horny. Taking his girlfriend by the hand he had led her outside the club and down a dark alleyway. The chatter from people queuing to get inside the club could be heard but made it more exciting as Mark had pushed Kate face up against a wall. She had been wearing a short dress that night and Mark had raised the hem line so it was at her waist before moving the crotch of her panties aside and entering her from behind. It had been a good fuck, made all the more exciting by the fact they could be discovered by anyone deciding to take a walk down the alley. Kate remembered her hands on the wall as Mark grabbed her hips and thrust powerfully in to her a few times before he came. Afterwards he had wiped her clean with her underwear before taking her home.
"That was when I was younger and not a mother," Kate said firmly as she tried again to push his hand away.
"Led me on didn't you?" Mark said as he got angry at her refusing his advances. "Made me think you were a good fuck. It's the least you can do Kate," he said as she felt him pull her leggings and underwear down. "You are leaving me for god knows how long. Can't you at least perform your wifely duties before you disappear off," he continued making Kate feel guilty. She heard the zip of Mark's fly being lowered. "At least let me say goodbye to you properly. Give you a good send off," he said as he rubbed his erection between Kate's arse cheeks before plunging himself in to her depths.
"Ow," Kate said as she grasped the sink for support. She couldn't move as Mark started thrusting in to her. She bit her lip at the slight pain. There had been no foreplay and she wasn't aroused at all.
A couple more thrusts and Kate felt Mark empty himself in to her with a grunt. He hadn't used a condom and she felt relieved she had got the coil. "All done," Mark said as he withdrew his softening member. He pulled up his pants and did up his fly before exiting the room, leaving Kate still against the sink with her leggings and pants down around her knees and Mark's semen starting to drip down her thighs.
With tears in her eyes she tore off a sheet of kitchen towel that was nearby and wiped herself clean before pulling her pants up. Sobbing she sat at the table. This wasn't what she thought her marriage would be like. Somehow she had become her mother and married a man who made her feel cheap and worthless.