Contents
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT
STORY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KATHY’S WORLD
SHAY KASSA
COPYRIGHT © 2012 SHAY KASSA
All Rights Reserved
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Kathy dashed through the rain, holding her leather case over her head. It was bad enough getting home so late, and the taxi ride from the airport had been an exercise in nail-biting terror because of the weather, but she was not about to let either the dampness or her fraying nerves ruin her hair.
Still, she had made it home to her cozy little townhouse in one piece, and now she would be able to enjoy her and Mark's one year anniversary. Kathy scooted into the darkened porch, and scrabbled around in the bottom of the case for her keys. The conference papers were going to get a little wet, but she could live with that. Most of the seminar transcripts would be emailed out to the attendees next week.
Inside, she leaned against the door for a moment and sighed in relief. The jet lag would kick in soon. All the lights were off downstairs, so it was likely that Mark was already asleep, and she really wanted to join him soon. Kathy smiled, thinking of how surprised he would be to see her. Leaving the conference early? Worth it. The last-minute flight? Worth it. The ridiculous cab fare? Totally worth it. She hung up her coat, left her case by the table in the hall, and crept upstairs.
By the time she reached the top step, she heard the sounds coming from her bedroom. For a moment, she was confused. Yes, that was her boyfriend's voice. That other voice was a stranger, a woman. Those two voices belonged to two people having sex. Two people having sex in her bedroom. Her bedroom was only for her and Mark, when he stayed over.
Kathy froze. Mark was having sex with another woman in her bedroom. Mark was cheating on her. The knowledge punched her in the gut, and left her wanting to curl up and cry. A year of good things – of feeling happy, of fun and laughter, of having someone to hold her – was dead and buried under the shock and betrayal. The whole world flipped upside down, scattering the debris of her personal life everywhere.
The door to her bedroom was closed – her bedroom, oh god, she'd never be able to sleep in those sheets again – but the light was on. Good. That would save her the trouble of hitting the switch as well as hitting Mark. She had to do this, and it was going to hurt.
Kathy slammed the door open with all the force she could muster. Her room was no more a mess than usual. The other woman was a skinny redhead with a lip piercing, who stopped bouncing on her boyfriend's lap and turned in surprise. The look of horror on his face said everything that needed to be said.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Kathy snarled. “WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE, MARK?”
He shoved the redhead off him hastily, leaped out of bed, and put his hands up. “Kathy, wait, it's not what -”
“Not what I think?! Fuck you, it's EXACTLY what I think! Get out of my bed and out of my house RIGHT NOW, YOU CHEATING ASSHOLE!”
The other woman stood up and pulled a sheet around herself. “Oh my god, you said you were single!” She began to pick up her clothes from the floor, shooting filthy looks at him. “I am so fucking sorry, lady, I am so, so sorry!”
Kathy ignored her, and glared at Mark. “I never, ever want to see you again,” she said spitefully, feeling her throat start to choke up. “This was our anniversary, Mark – how could you do this to me?”
“Look, I... I know this looks bad, but... you know, we could still all just go back to bed, have some fun? Sorta like, my present to you...” He gave her a sheepish smile.
Kathy's jaw almost hit the floor. He wasn't suggesting...
The redhead dropped her clothes and the sheet, strode up to Mark, and slapped his face so hard he nearly fell over. The impact sounded like a whip crack. He sat down hard on the bed, holding his bright red cheek. “AH FUCK!” he shouted.
“You son of a bitch,” she said savagely, “You really are a piece of work. You call me again and I'll get a few of my buddies to beat the shit out of you.” She turned to Kathy. “I am really, really sorry and I am leaving right now, and I will totally call the cops on my way out if you want.”
“Please, just go!” Kathy said, now on the verge of tears.
The redhead picked up her stuff and ran downstairs without even getting dressed. Mark pulled on his pants and T-shirt, and tried to plead with her. “Kathy – ow – just give me a chance to -”
“JUST GET THE FUCK OUT!” Kathy screamed, and he finally made himself scarce.
She looked around at the mess in her bedroom. The sheets were all over the place. There was a used condom on the floor beside the bed. Mark's underpants were draped over her bedside lamp.
She sat down and began to sob.
*****
At least the rain had eased off by the time she was woken up. It was the middle of the afternoon the next day, and the doorbell was buzzing loudly. Kathy had slept on the couch, in her pajamas, with only her dressing gown to cover her. The bedroom was not an option until she could replace everything that had been soiled by Mark's infidelity.
She stood up groggily. The room spun for a moment until her sense of balance returned, then she staggered out into the hall and to the door. The bell rang again, and she finally managed to work out the latch and open it. Almost immediately, she held up her hand to keep the painfully bright light from her eyes.
A woman of medium height, short red
