I Can't Help It

Chapter 24: From Bad to Worse

As uncomfortable as it is talking to Joseph's wife about our affair I did understand that she deserves the right to know.

So I told her and I answered any questions she threw at me. I told her how we met and our arrangement. I told her how we always met in hotels. I told her that we often met out of town so that people we knew wouldn't catch us. I told about the night I ended it with him and the day he showed up at my apartment.

Despite all her questions I couldn't help but have a few of my own.

"How did you know?" I was hesitant to ask but I couldn't help it.

"I guess I've always known. Joseph is good looking and successful, I always knew that women would want him. But what I didn't expect was to find out that he came on to you first."

"I'm sorry." Was all I said.

"I had a suspicion once he started taking more business trips then normal. But I was in denial and to be honest I was embarrassed. No one wants to be the woman with the cheating husband." Her eyes fell probably thinking about all the times she should have left her husband.

My heart started to ache for her. I knew about his wife but seeing the effects of my actions in person was making me sick to my stomach. I tried my best to escape my past life but here it is right in front of me once again.

"How did you know it was me, how did you find me?"

"One day Joseph told me he was going on another business trip. I ignored it as usual, but he told me it was in Atlanta. He has no business partners in Atlanta and he has never gone that far just to meet..well you. I knew that either you moved or that he found another woman." She paused to take another sip of her coffee and took a deep breathe.

"Anyway after a while I got the call he had been arrested. I thought it was going to be with a women, but when they told me it was at some rich mans house I was very confused. So I decided to drive down here and find out more about this Stan guy. I drove to his company and planned to wait for him to come out. But then I saw you." She paused again to look me in my eyes. And I saw the pain there.

"And I knew I've seen you before. You were sitting in the back at one of Joseph's award ceremony's before. I knew that if I came to you I'd get the answers I needed. I knew you were the one. The one I've been wanting to find the whole time."

"If I could take it all back I would. I never wanted this to happen."

"I suppose this is partly my fault. If I had taken action as soon as I knew he was cheating maybe things would of turned out different. But I didn't want to face the truth. I had a great life, a powerful husband that took care of me, and the envy of all my friends. I knew that confronting him about it would end all that. But maybe he wouldn't be in jail right now if I had."

"No don't say that. It's my fault."

"No it's his." She spat. "Answer one more question for me, would you?"

"Of course."

"Who is this Stan person? Why in the hell was Joseph at his house threatening him with a gun?"

This whole thing really is all my fault. The only reason Joseph was there was because of me.

"Stan is my..well me and Stan are dating I suppose. After I ended things with Joseph he wasn't happy. He came here to try and bring me back home but Stan wouldn't let him. They fought and Joseph left, but I guess he had planned to come back and go after Stan."

Mariah heaved a heavy sigh. And shook her head. "Joe is so stupid. He never thinks before he acts." Then she did a little sarcastic laugh. "You must be pretty special for him to go through all this for you."