"Caitlyn! Wait!" Khloe called out and ran towards her while breathing heavily. She stopped in front of Caitlyn.
"For goodness sake! Why did you hurriedly walk into the elevator while I was calling you into the building?" Khloe asked and ran her hands through her hair while still gasping for breath. They were in the hospital's parking lot.
"Oh, I probably didn't hear you calling," Caitlyn said and opened the door of her car. She got inside and was about to close the door but Khloe was in the way.
"But you saw me waving at you and how didn't you hear me? You didn't call the detective. I knew it! Caitlyn, you have to listen to me," Khloe said desperately. Caitlyn started the car's engine and put the automatic gear in the "R" position.
"I won't talk to you anymore about my matrimonial problems. Thank you Khloe," She said and the car began to reverse out of the parking lot.
"You have to listen to me, I didn't mean the words I said. I only said that so you could be forced to call the detective which is the best for you. But if you don't want to call him, you can always confide in me. Caitlyn, stop the car, and let's talk like grown-ups," Khloe screamed after the car. Caitlyn soon brought the car out of the parking lot, she pressed her foot on the accelerator and was gone from Khloe's sight.
Caitlyn struggled to concentrate on driving, and at one point, she was about to stop and order a taxi to pick her up. She wiped her tears and focused on driving, she arrived home and went to her bedroom. Glad that nobody was at home, she cried her heart out and had a warm bath. She put on a short and a multicolored sweatshirt and packed her hair in a doughnut style. She walked around the house just to make sure that nobody was at home because all her kids had the key to the house and her husband too.
The house was a five-bedroom bungalow with a large garden, and a medium-sized garage that could contain three cars if parked tightly, but they had two vehicles. The front view of the house was decorated with beautiful flowers that were always trimmed by the community gardener. They lived on a friendly street, made up of working-class high-income earners where everyone knew everyone. The community had a private elementary and middle school and a high school located there. Most of the kids ended up attending schools there, like Caitlyn's children, while others went to more expensive Private schools before they all ventured to their various college choices. Having parents that are a doctor and a banker was a really good thing. Caitlyn's kids had all they ever wanted within their reach.
Caitlyn was done checking the rooms, so she walked into the kitchen. She brought out a bottle of wine and opened it. She poured some into a wine glass, sat on a kitchen stool, and sipped slowly. She heard the sound of her husband's vehicle and her body tensed. She picked up her phone and checked the time, it was 3:45 pm. She had come home immediately after she was done at the office. Being on morning duty, she was to resume work by 8 am and sign out by 3 pm and there might be exemptions if she gave a tangible reason to be absent or leave early.
She heard him use his keys to open the door and walked inside. She had locked the door with her keys when she got inside, a habit she had picked up from her father and her nuclear family members already grew tired of.
"If mummy goes out or comes in, better hold your keys if you are walking to the door. She would have locked it," Her youngest son would say in his high-pitched voice.
She closed her eyes and listened to her husband's footsteps as he walked around the house. She soon heard the shower running in the guest room. The thought of him washing another woman's perfume away from his body made her cringe. The shower stopped running and the door to the room opened some minutes later. She traced his footsteps in her mind and knew that he was walking to the kitchen.
"He's here," She said in her mind
"Jesus! You scared me, Caitlyn," He said. She knew he probably didn't park his vehicle in the garage, maybe just in front of the house because he might want to go out again. He didn't see her vehicle, that's why he was surprised. She opened her eyes to see his green cat eyes staring back at her. His damp brown hair fell onto his shoulders. He had always worn his hair like that and it always gave him a handsome boyish look. He walked towards her and appeared to be studying her curiously.
"Are you celebrating something?" He asked and settled into another stool in front of her and he pointed to the wine bottle.
"I'm pregnant," She said, He blinked and opened his mouth to say something but closed it again.
"How many weeks?" He finally asked and rubbed his forehead.
"Three weeks," She said.
"That can't be possible, and why are you taking wine if you're pregnant? But Caitlyn, I've not even had sex with you for the past two months..." He said.
"Exactly! That's not possible. Do you get my point? I'm not pregnant and God knows that after three kids I don't want more kids. You haven't touched me for the past two months, I'm only 42 years old and I crave my husband's attention!" She shouted and stood. She walked to her room and fell on her bed while crying. Richard then perfectly understood what his wife was trying to say to him. He sighed and stood, walked into their bedroom, and stood at the door.
"Caitlyn…." He said softly and walked to her bed. He sat on it and watched her.
"I've been so engrossed in work that…." He said and she jumped out of bed.
"Richard, I'm done! I'm done with you! You moved out of our bedroom into the guest room two months ago coupled with your late-night meetings. What is the problem?" She asked and shook with rage. He ran his hand through his damp hair, stood, and held his wife. He kissed her softly on the lips.
"I will soon be done with these extra works. You of all people should know that I wasn't like this. I work to give you and the kids a better life, in a couple of months I will be done," He said and sighed.
"This life that we have isn't bad. Many people will kill to have it, why are you putting yourself under so much pressure?" Caitlyn asked. He was about to speak when they heard their boys bickering in the sitting room. The kids have gotten home from school. They rushed out of the room to meet them.
"What's happening?" Richard asked them and stood akimbo. His ten years old son who happened to be his last child rushed to hug him and Richard squeezed him into a tight hug.
"It's Henry. He sprained his ankle while training and he doesn't want you to know," Simeon explained to his father.
"Why don't you help your mother in the kitchen, I will deal with this," Richard said in a tight voice. Caitlyn held Simeon's hand and left the sitting room. Richard stood for a while before he walked to where his son sat in pain.
"Let me take a look at that. I'm no doctor but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," Richard said and sat in front of his son. He held the leg and examined it.
"You don't have to do it," Henry said without meeting his father's gaze. Richard realized that he was still angry at him and afraid of him. Richard had never felt comfortable around parents who used force to make their kids submissive because he believed it caused irrational fear in the young child's mind. He knew that he had broken his own rules. He held his son's hands.
"Look at me Henry," He said softly but his child refused to do that.
"Please, Henry," He said again and sighed. His son slowly raised his head to look at his father.
"There's nothing to be scared of. I am not a monster. I'm deeply sorry for what I said to you, I deeply regret my words and actions," Richard said and held his son's right palm with both of his hands.
"Ok dad," Henry said in a low voice.
"No, I want you to tell me how you felt when I said those horrible words to you and how you feel right now. You have the right to express your anger," Richard said again and an uncomfortable silence grew between them.
"I hated you when you told me you weren't proud of me. I felt bad and useless. I...I thought you didn't like me," He said and tears dropped onto his cheeks. Richard's heart ached to see the pain he had caused his son.
"I'm so sorry, I feel horrible. Forgive me, son. I am proud of you and I love you like I love your siblings. I succumbed to my anger and stress and found a way to release my anger," Richard said and his son nodded.
"It's okay Dad," He responded and smiled, and they hugged. The doorbell rang and Simeon hurriedly ran from the kitchen to see who was at the door. It couldn't be his sister, Sheila. Only outsiders and visitors used their doorbell frequently.
"Who is that?" Richard called out.
"He said his name is Carter from mummy's office," Simeon screamed back his response.