Episode 3 - Who’s the liar, Who’s the cheat?

The slap rang throughout his home, causing his mother to gasp in horror at her son. James glared at Rachel, his eyes spitting fire. “How dare you speak to her like that?”, he repeated once again. Rachel, whose face was hung down due to the impact of the slap, slowly rose up. Her expression now menacing with a hurt ego as she sneered “You dare to hit me? Not even my own parents have slapped me across the face like this but you, you good for nothing piece of crap dared to hit me? Who do you think you are? Accusing me of something like this out of the blue?” “Rachel, you disrespected my mother when I repeatedly told you not to. You simply cannot do that, you hear me?” James said. “And why not? She birthed a loser like you who hits their wife.”, she argued defiantly, a hand still massaging her cheek.

“If you do this again then, I’ll kill you”, James said solemnly, pulling out his pocket knife. “Oh you’ll kill me? I’d like to see you try then honey”, she stepped forward, mocking him. His mother rushed to him, taking the knife from his hand and throwing it away. With tears streaming down from her eyes she spoke, “Son, don’t do this. This is a grave sin, killing the mother of your child over some accusation?”, she said crying. “Mom, she deserves it, for disrespecting you and cheating on me, and for letting her filthy lover slap our son”, he said through gritted teeth. Seeing James so angry scared Rachel a little. “What if he actually kills me”, she thought as she slowly made her way towards the mother and son. “I am sorry, mom, for talking to you like that. It won’t be repeated again.” she said with her head hung low, then looking up at James she added “James, honey, I did not cheat on you. I swear, I swear on my life.”

“Just tell me who he is.”, said James sharply. “Honey, come let’s at least talk peacefully first and sort this out?” “Listen, Rachel. Our son called me sobbing on the phone about a man entering the house and you inviting that man in. He is four Rachel, and you know he cannot lie. He is too young.”, James glared at her, “But James, he can misinterpret things right? And who said he cannot lie? Children of this day and age are very clever, they know everything…”, she trailed off as James looked at her, “Answer me Rachel? Who’s the liar then? Who’s the cheat? Who deserves punishment?”. “I don't know!”, she screamed as she burst out crying. Rachel ran away from the living room towards their bedroom, but was followed by James. She turned around for a moment and in an attempt to keep him away from the room, she clawed at his face, missing it.

James, dodging the attack, grabbed hold of her hands and dragged her to their master bedroom. “Stop, James, I’ll report you to the cops for domestic violence! Stop you monster!”, she screamed as she was being dragged. In the room, she tried punching him, but James was way stronger than her and he restrained her. He pinned her down to the bed and yelled, “Stop all this nonsense, stop attacking me like this!”. He saw that she was unable to breathe properly so he let her go and she sat up coughing. He hurt her, for the first time. He was filled with regret “But, surely, for cheating on me, she deserves this”, he thought. Her glare, filled with venom was still on him, as his anger cooled slightly and he backed away from the bed. He lit a cigarette and started to smoke it. His voice quieter, he spoke, “Tell me Rachel. Tell me who he is. I am not letting you out of this room until you do”. He took a puff but got startled as he heard a knock from the door.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

“James, you scoundrel, open up!”, a loud heavy voice came from behind the door. His wife leapt with joy as she ran to open it. “Brother! You’re here! But how, I didn’t even call you”, she said. “I wanted to see you and your family, but turns out my presence is needed here. I showed up at the right time didnt I?”, looking at James he roared, “How dare you touch my sister like that? How dare you hit her? I’ll break every bone in your body if you try that again”. Rachel’s brother Rami, was a convict who was out on parole for the last six months. Built like iron, he was much stronger and bigger than James and could crush him if he wanted to. “You can ask your sister why I did what I did. She cheated on me, and won’t stop lying about it. If you ask me, it seems like a family trait, to dupe and cheat other people.”, James said with a menacing look at Rachel.

“What did you say? Family trait alright?”, said Rami with his eyes narrowed. “You little piece of crap” , he yelled as he swung a blow at James, which hit him square in the face, causing him to stumble backwards. “You dare accuse my sister of such horrible things, when you are the one doing such terrible things to her.”, he yelled at James who was on the floor, crying out in pain. “You and your entire family have only been after my money”, he yelled as a painful sob escaped his mouth. James saw his knife nearby, lying on the floor. He moved fast and grabbed it, and waving it at Rami, said, “Let’s solve this, man to man. I am gonna kill you for entering my own home and thrashing me.”, he staggered up to his feet. “Oh yeah? Have you forgotten why I was in jail? For being involved in an attempt to murder. James, you know I can seriously mess you up right? You are being a foolish little brat but you know what, since you so love to hit my sister, I might just indulge you in a fight you know, so that both of you are even”, Rami said with a dangerous grin.

The situation was far more tense than it originally had been. Just as they were about to unleash all hell onto each other, James’s mother came in between them. Begging, pleading, she said amid sobs, “Please spare each other! It’s not worth it! Nothing good can ever come out of violence.”, looking over at Rami she said, “I know you don’t like my son, but please think about your little nephew at least! If you kill his father, then your nephew will have to live a life without a parent. Do you really want that?”, she asked him with tears streaming down her face. This seemed to calm Rami down, as he backed away. “Son, put the knife down. Do you want your wife to lose her brother? Do you want to end up in jail like him too?”, she said, taking the knife away from him.

“That’s enough!”, yelled Rami as he charged towards them.