Flash Marriage: Shrewd Wife, Devious Husband
Chapter 85: Truth Is Out

Chapter 85: Truth Is Out

Marcella didn’t have to answer. Her hesitance to meet her eyes told Gloria the answer. She had already guessed something was wrong when they were talking about intimacy earlier. She was clueless.

Gloria would have taken Marcella’s side had she not met Tony the day before. She didn’t marry out of love although she clearly loves him. She thinks that man doesn’t love her back and there are other things she still is not being open about.

But she felt the love Tony has for her. She found it necessary to relay to her friend that detail. They are married and that is a pretty important detail to be considered. The truth surely will change the relationship between them.

"Do you love him still?" Gloria asked.

It would be sad if that was not the case.

"Love?" Marcella rolled her eyes. "I do not have love left in my heart anymore, Glo... I do not."

Gloria sighed. "You do not despise him when he’s near, right? Like, you don’t feel like squeezing his throat hearing him breathe?" Gloria asked.

Marcella blinked. "...No," she said after a short pause. Getting annoyed by the breathing of someone else... Do people hate someone to that extent?

"Do you want to sabotage him... like, hiding important documents and~"

"No! Gloria, what are you even talking about?" she asked. "I am not a psychopath."

"Nothing... Guess, you do not hate him," she said. "Come with me. I know a store," she walked.

"Hey, Glo. Do you hate your husband?" Marcella asked. The questions Gloria asked were pretty specific.

"No, why do you ask?" Gloria said. She was not meeting her eyes.

"You cannot be thinking about something drastic, are you?" Marcella asked.

Even today, Gloria bashed her husband more than she usually does. Usually, she would sense love with the bashing but today felt different. Maybe she lost her patience with her husband?

But he’s thinking of surprising her!

"It’s not about me, Mars. It’s about you," Gloria waved her hand.

"Glo," Marcella stopped her. "Tony told me you talked with him yesterday."

"I did," Gloria said. The darkness surrounding her face dissipated a bit. "He seems like a nice guy. We had a good conversation about you."

"About me?" Marcella got curious.

"I know a secret. But I am not going to tell you," Gloria winked. By now, she had totally turned to be the old obnoxious Gloria Marcella knows.

"Secret? Tony told you a secret about me?" Marcella rolled her eyes. "Is it something from childhood like I farted loudly in school once?"

"You did what?" Gloria laughed.

"What? I grew up with men!" Marcella shrugged. "I didn’t know you are not supposed to do that in public."

Gloria stood still for she lacked words to say. But then she held her belly and laughed. "My God, you’re funny, Mars. I wish I grew up with you. We would have been awfully good friends!"

Marcella was touched by her words. She did lack friends growing up because of her non-conformity with societal norms. She would have thrived with a friend.

"What else did he talk about?" Marcella shook Gloria’s shoulder.

"Oww...that hurts, woman," Gloria slapped her hand away. "I’m not telling you. You should find it out yourself."

"Then I am not telling you a secret about your husband too," Marcella smirked.

"Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn," Gloria said and walked to the front. She even pretended to wear her invisible hat recreating the scene from the famous movie.

She only walked a few steps before she stopped as she recalled Marcella’s husband’s mention of her husband’s license or something.

She turned at Marcella. Marcella was still standing at the same place she left her. Maybe she had seen the curiosity in Gloria’s eyes, Marcella’s smirk reached her eyes.

"You were previously engaged to your husband with the blessing of your father!" Gloria shouted.

It was Gloria’s turn to smirk seeing the smirk disappearing from Marcella’s face, but she was in no mood to.

She walked to Marcella standing frozen in the middle of the sidewalk and held her hand. "It’s your turn, Mars."

Marcella still couldn’t believe what she heard. "Are you lying, Glo? Did he really say that to you or did you... You know it’s very important to me, right? Please, Glo... please, don’t lie..."

"Oh dear," Gloria hugged Marcella. "I told you what he told me. If it is a lie, it was his lie, not mine. But, honey... I don’t think it’s a lie. And I think he loves you so much, he’d give up anything for you."

Marcella hugged Gloria back. She needed that hug. "Oh, Gloria... What shall I do?"

She blinked.

Gloria held her by the shoulders. "Tell me. Tell me what you know about my husband. He’s not having another family on the side, is he? Please, don’t tell me he has children with another woman when he refuses to..." She couldn’t speak and took a sharp inhale that came out along with a suppressed sob.

Marcella wiped the tears from the corner of Gloria’s eyes. With her hands trembling, she looked stressed. Marcella dragged her to the bar nearby. She needed something strong for her nerves. She figured Gloria needed it too.

Both of them slowly sipped the cocktail they ordered.

"I’m done waiting, Mars," Gloria opened up. "He’s... I’m thirty-two. I cannot wait any longer. How many good years do I have left? Ever since I was a child I wanted a beautiful house, a caring husband, and a houseful of children... a couple of Australian Shepards and a Persian cat... I wouldn’t have married him if he too was not having the same dream. He asked me to wait. God, I loved him and I waited. It’s been a decade almost, Mars. I cannot wait anymore..."

Gloria took a sip.

"How long am I going to play with wire jacks, Mars? I want my house. I want to sew my curtains. I want to dress up my kids. I want to... have a garden, a farm... I want to have chickens and maybe a couple of goats. I want to make my own cheese. Why can’t I have what I want, Mars? Why can’t he give me what I want? He said he wanted the same things as me. Why did he lie?"

She placed her head on the table and started to sob.

"But I can’t just leave him either... It’s not easy. What will happen to me? How will I... Well, the truth is, I still love him even when I feel like throwing the ring at him at times... Who else will take me if not for my Boo-Bear? I am not at all easy to be with. Only he could live with me... What am I supposed to do? How much more can I beg him?"

Marcella patted her head. She would have broken the news to her first but she wanted her to vent her sorrows first. She appeared to be holding back on her emotions.

Now that she has vented her frustrations, Marcella waited for Gloria to compose herself.

She didn’t fail to notice the pet name Gloria had for her husband—Boo-Bear. She never let it slip till then. It reminded her of the pet name Tony has for her—Birdie.

Maybe I should think of a cute pet name for Tony... What can I...

She remembered the conversation they had last night. He knew of her pet name "Sweet Baby Tony"

He shouldn’t have known of that pet name unless he’s a mind reader. Because she has never told anyone about that pet name. How did he know?

Well, she didn’t let it slip when she was sober. But if what Gloria said was true, then that means... Tony was the guy she was with that night when she was drunk.

Because that guy was the only guy who listened to the blabbering she hid deep in her heart. There is every possibility that she talked about the guy who ruled her heart to that guy. She would have slipped up the name she made for him.

Also... the scars... Her father must have been the one who gave him the scars.

It made sense.

Oh my God! How did I not figure it out till now?

"One more month and then I am leaving him," Gloria said sniffing her nose.

Marcella cleared her throat. She can think about her life a little later. She wanted to be present for listening to Gloria’s sorrow and she wanted to give her hope.

"I don’t think you’ll have to wait that long. Maybe you should start telling him about your favorite neighborhoods..." Marcella winked.

"What do you know?" Gloria asked.

"Apparently, Mr. Butler is looking for expanding his business. He’s planning on opening a gun shop...He’s looking for houses in the suburbs..."

"What?" Gloria slammed the table and stood up.

The bar only had a few customers and they all looked at them. Gloria didn’t care about that.

"Are you sure?"

"My husband was sure. He must have looked into him considering..." Marcella didn’t want to finish her sentence.

She lost some people because they didn’t like to be investigated by her overzealous father. They felt like their privacy got invaded.

"He loves you, see..." Gloria took her seat. She had calmed down considerably. "He will protect you at all costs."

"I have an idea," Marcella looked down.

"Let’s go!" Gloria shouted out of nowhere.

"Where?" Marcella was confused.