This I Promise You Chapter 17
			The Truth *note: story changes in style of narration*
	Mark stood near the doorway, or should I say, slumped on it. He dropped the duffel bag that he was carrying and kicked it, not giving a care in the world where it landed. From the few feet that we had between us, I could tell that he had been drinking too much. He reeked of beer and cigarette smoke, and worse, there was a faint scent of a woman’s perfume on him. His clothes were a mess, his face looked like a mess. He was a mess, period. I quickly looked away and avoided the urge to start screaming at him. He definitely knew how to ruin my day. I was never one to have patience, and I hated waiting. 10 minutes is okay, 20 is fine, 30 is a bit irritating but it can pass. An hour is asking for too much but 8-10 hours is totally unforgivable! I may not be punctual all the time but at least I knew I would have the decency to call and apologize, and I knew I wouldn’t show up drunk and smelling of someone else’s perfume!       ‘Hey wifey!’ he said cheerfully, a hiccup following suit. His remark normally made me laugh and say ‘Shut up will you!’ because he knew that I totally detested that term and I found it ridiculous. But it just wasn’t funny anymore. He staggered toward me and planted a sloppy kiss on my left cheek. I have never found him so revolting in the entire span of time that I have known him. The first time I met him at school years ago, I couldn’t find anything bad against him. Seeing him now, oh boy, I could give you a mouthful.       He walked slowly toward the bed, and I knew he was dizzy. Normally, I would have helped him, taken his shoes off, changed his clothes, rubbed him down with a hand towel and water to take the stench off. Now, I didn’t even care if he tripped and fell on his face and fell asleep on the floor.       There was no use trying to suppress or even to hide my disappointment and anger, I knew it would come out sooner or later. ‘Where were you?’ I asked coldly, as I stood up and walked over to the bed where he had oh so comfortably plopped himself. ‘Out with the lads.’ He slurred, closing his eyes and clutching his head. His headache was probably getting worse. “Good for him then!” I thought cruelly, not regretting a word that I said to myself. ‘Oh, and why was your phone turned off? And you didn’t even call to say you couldn’t make it to dinner!’ I said icily. Mark sat up and looked at me as if I was the one at fault. ‘Look, we were doing an interview at the time that you called so my phone was turned off. And it wasn’t my fault that my phone was running on low-battery so I couldn’t call you! The lads and I went for a drink just to relax and I went home as soon as we all could get a flight!’ he said angrily. With that kind of explanation, I didn’t know whether to believe him or not. It was too extreme to have missed a flight and have a low-battery on your mobile phone. ‘You couldn’t call me coz your phone had low battery, fine. But couldn’t your borrow the other lads’ phones? And why in the world do you smell of a woman’s perfume?! And what is that on your shirt collar?’ I cried, not caring if I woke up the neighbors. Mark looked at his white shirt collar and saw a kiss mark on it. Tears of frustration just started flowing down my cheeks. Why couldn’t he be honest with me? Mark sighed and stood up in front of me. He didn’t say a word. He just looked at me and I knew that he had no idea what to tell me.       I couldn’t believe this. Just a few weeks after the marriage and the cheating was starting. I knew the time would come and this would eventually happen, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that it could happen this fast! No wonder I was a cynic when it came to marriage. Why did I fall in this trap in the first place?       The silence was way too much. I knew I had to get out of there. I was dying to hear an explanation and yet, I feared that I might not like what I would hear. I turned around and left Mark standing there. I knew that there was only one place that I had to go to.
				Chapter 18