Episode 2 - War within Walls.

“What”, James said, numb with shock.Upon inspection, there was a red mark on his cheek, a mark that indicates a tight slap across the face. James turned even more angry as he spoke, “He dared to lay his filthy..”, but stopped before saying anything bad in front of his young son. Taking a deep breath in he said, “Benny, I need you to stay here okay? I’ll go find your mom and see what I can do about this. Don’t move or come out until I come to get you, alright?”. Benny nodded as James gently placed him on his bed. “Be careful Daddy”, came Benny's little voice as James left the room.

Walking out of his kid’s room, James started storming towards their master bedroom. Just then the door opened and his wife stepped out, her hair in a towel and wearing fresh clothes. It seemed like she had just taken a shower. James, blinded by rage, rushed to check the bedroom, shoving her really hard in the process. “Hey, why’d you shove me like that?”, she asked, shocked at his behavior. But James ignored her. All that was his priority right now was to catch the home wrecker and kill him. James looked at the bedroom which looked fine, nothing was out of place, the bed was made and everything was clean. He checked the closet too, but found nothing there as well. He went to the bathroom and it was also empty.

James stormed out of their room and began scouring the house. “What is the meaning of this James?”, his wife asked with annoyance, as he checked the kitchen, the balcony and every inch of the living room. Still no sign of the man that she was apparently cheating on him with. “You seem to have lost something. I’m pretty sure whatever you’ve lost, you’ll find it soon enough”, she said. James turned to her, his eyes burned with pure anger, “Oh really Rachel? Fine, I’ll tell you what I’ve lost, but I don’t think you’ll be able to help me find it.”, he sneered at her. “If you ask me nicely then I will most certainly be able to help you find it”, Rachel said. “Will you be able to find my family then Rachel? I seem to have lost it. How dare you break it apart”, he said angrily.

“What? What are you even talking about James? Why would I break our family?”, Rachel asked, confused. “You, you cheated on me with some filthy man, and you also let him hit our son? How could you Rachel? I trusted you with my whole life and this is how you treat me?”, he shook as he screamed at her. “Oh don’t be ridiculous James, you can’t just come in here and accuse me of cheating on you! Do you even realize what you are implying here”, she retorted. “Oh I am well aware of what I am implying Rachel! You wanted my money and now that I have none, you are going around and sleeping with men who might throw some favors at you. You disgust me”, he said hatefully to her.

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“How could you even think such a thing James? Have you got no respect for me? Your wife of five years? Is your trust in me so little that you overlook all the time we spent together, just on one baseless accusation from a child?”, she replied tearfully. “I have every reason to believe my son over you. He is an innocent child, who cannot lie and I even saw handprints on his cheek. That filthy man, hit my baby and you let that happen?”, James fumed. All this while, his mother sat frozen to her spot, she was afraid of his behavior, but she realized that she needed to control the situation before it got out of hand. Rising up she said, “Son, calm your mind. It is not wise to accuse somebody of something so serious without any evidence”,she said, “Please don’t do anything rash, and act rationally my son.” James, who was still in a daze listened to her and tried to calm down. “Rachel, come let me make something for you in the meantime. I got your favorite smoked hamed from the village deli. Let me make you a sandwich with it.”, said James’ mom in an attempt to ease the situation. “No thank you I don’t want it”, Rachel said coldly.

“May I ask why didn’t you open the door when she stopped by a few minutes ago?”, James asked her in his rage filled voice. “I was not aware that she stopped by James.”, she said sharply. “Quit lying! Mom rang the doorbell for a long time and no one answered the door. She told me everything when I met her downstairs now.” “Oh so you’re blaming me for not opening the door? I was in the shower James, that’s why I may not have heard it. And besides, your mom is getting too old to travel, maybe she pressed the other apartment’s doorbell”, Rachel said. James rushed to her and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt, “Don't disrespect my mother. She is so much older than you and also your mother in law too. You have to learn how to talk to her with respect. Understood?”, he said threateningly. “She must be your mother but she is not mine, so I will talk to her as I please”. said Rachel, shaking his hand off her shirt collar.

All this drama made his mom even more anxious. “I hope he doesn’t do something untoward to her.” she thought as she once again got up to calm the tense situation. “Spouses fight a lot, It’s common! Misunderstandings are a part of relationships too, but we are always in the clear when we resolve them as a family”, she said. “But mom, can’t you see? She doesn’t think of any of us as her family anymore!”, James said with tears in his eyes. He did love her and this particular incident broke his heart. “My son, you merely have to be patient enough and understanding enough to talk it out with her. I get that this isn’t a normal issue, and quite a heavy one at that, but we mustn't lose our heads.”, she said gently, trying to reassure James.

She had always been like this since his childhood, which is why he was so attached to him. If it weren't for her, then he would have stabbed Rachel right now. But his mother’s presence prevented him from acting blindly. He calmed down a but but was still very angry and heartbroken. “How about we get something to eat first?”, she said as she turned to look at Rachel and asked, “Do you have any green onions in the house? I can make a delicious meal for all of us if I start cooking right about now”. Rachel scoffed and replied, “No we don’t. Besides, why go through all the trouble cooking that smelly food of yours that no one likes?”

“How dare you!”, James yelled as he sent a slap ringing across her cheek.