The Deadly Sins

A cold wind passed over Dogwood Lane that Tuesday night, softly stirring the leaves that had shaken from the endlessly green trees of Riverview. It felt abnormally chilly, Meredith thought... She tucked her hands into her elbows, letting her camera hang loosely on her wrist as her eyes were drawn skywards.

The cloud shielded the stars, and the moon still hung brightly on the horizon, deceivingly large against the rolling fields surrounding the town. Noises still flowed in from all across the nearby streets, but the most predominant was the sound of video games in the living room. "Will that boy ever go to bed on time," she murmured to herself, an eye peeking into the window to see Travis's head still bobbing in front of the television. As she turned to head inside, something else caught her ear: the phone began to ring.

---

"Meredith, you don't have to forgive me... Just please, can you at least stop walking away from me when I try to talk to you?"


Jebidiah grabbed his wife by the shoulders, and tilted her head to face his. "I'll get this straightened out, just wait, okay?"

"I'm going out, taking some produce to the market before the midday rush," she responded loosely, turning to head towards the shower. "I'll see you before you head off to work. Stop badgering me about this, alright?"

He grimaced angrily as she walked away, climbing back into bed for a few more hours of sleep to help him get through the night. Meredith sighed as she dried off and pulled on a sweater, looking through the glass door into the bedroom with a weary look. "Maybe I shouldn't be so hard on him," she thought, but then instantly shook her head. "Nah. He deserves it."

As she pulled into the grocery parking lot, a familiar face caught her eye -- and she only barely made it out of the car unscathed, she got out so fast... even forgetting the fruit in the backseat.



"You think you can mooch on my husband and get away with it?" Meredith approached Tameka calmly, the words slithering out at the younger woman with disdain. Tameka merely blinked, completely shocked at the accusation that seemingly came from nowhere. Still, Meredith remained deceivingly collected.

"Well, I have only one thing to say to you..."



She pulled in close, grinning devilishly at her husband's latest love affair. "I'll let it go this time, but if you ever touch my husband ever again..."

Tameka, however, was distracted -- her eyes kept tracing to the right, watching the old man passing by them with a wide-eyed expression. "Carl Strummer..." she muttered under her breath.

For the rest of the afternoon, Meredith felt surprisingly upbeat -- the first time since she found out about her husband's treachery, she felt... okay. Perhaps seeing Tameka in the flesh and confronting the woman to her face had done some good. "See Farah, I can play grownup if I want," she whispered cutely to her dinner plate after shoving the last forkful into her mouth; Jebidiah, having only just woke up, was rather confused, but... Didn't ask. Good Jebidiah. Goooood boy.

Jeb waited until Travis ran off to work on his homework before turning to watch Meredith finish washing the dishes. "I'm... I'm heading off," he shrugged, eyes still on his wife.

"Alright, have a good--"
"Walk me to the door?"



Meredith was confused, but she did anyways; there, he stopped, and pulled her into his arms. "I don't know when I'll get back," he said, reaching to touch her cheek. "But I needed... To tell you, before I left..."

"Yes?"

"...You're so beautiful, Mere."

"Just go to work already, you dork."

---

The radio silence was eating Jebidiah's nerves, but he knew that he couldn't stir any of the neighbor's attention. The last thing he'd heard was "The lines are cut. Go." and then, the show was his. It felt abnormally simple, tiptoeing across the lawn...



"Second story window, above the door -- are the lights supposed to be on? Oh, right, automatic when the security is disabled... Right."

He prepared his gear, volleying the ropes onto a secure roofpoint before crawling up to the window. When he heard his lockpick open the window with a 'click', he carefully slid the plated glass away, and drew out a pinchful of powder. He blew it across the window entrance: "No beams... So far, so good."

He ducked inside the window frame, and unhooked himself from his rope just in time to see his reflection in the most beautiful jewel he had ever seen.



"My plumbbob," he accidently gasped aloud. He'd seen photos, but actually seeing the thing in person... It was magnificent. Not that it didn't need to be -- it was worth everything he owned... times five or six. Or seven.



"Alright, precious," he chuckled menacingly to himself. "It's time to get you a new home."




Even without another puff of powder, he could tell that the security cage around the gem was disabled. The weight trigger on the pedestal was another thing, but he had the replacement hooked to his belt. All he had to do was grab the jewel... grab the jewel...

"Hold it right there."



Jebidiah reacted immediately and carelessly -- he grabbed the gem and swung around, instantly flailing at the sight of someone else in the room.

Carl Strummer.
What the heck -- what was he doing here?!

"Jebidiah Kane, you're under arrest for--"

*** CRASH!!! ***



Jebidiah leaped onto Carl, instantly tackling the old man to the ground... sort of. Carl put up a good fight for a man of his age, and Jeb had to wrench him into a headlock in order to get him subdued. "Gotta get outta here, gotta get outta here!" He was frantic, now, but there was nothing he could do until he's successfully beat Carl and wouldn't be pursued.

Finally, Jebidiah triumphed -- the man began to wheezing, going limp in his arms... But something was wrong -- he began to fall, clutching his stomach. "What... what have you done to me..."




 Jebidiah backed away, watching as the old man collapsed to the floor. "Kane... What have you done..."

For a moment, nothing else mattered -- Jeb forgot the gem, and the fact that he'd triggered the safety alarm on the pedestal, that the cops were likely on their way... No, nothing else captivated his attention like watching Carl Strummer tumble to the ground, as he clutched his stomach... Moaned...




... And died.

Jebidiah let out a yell -- wordless, but conveying his agony all the same.
What just happened?!



He suddenly realized, though, that he had no time to think -- he needed to get out of that house as quickly as possible. Without even bothering with his escape plan, he bolted out the front door, nearly tripping down the steps as he fled.

But he was too late.




"I didn't do it... I didn't do it!" he gasped as he continued to try to flee, as if it would somehow make a difference.



"Didn't do what? You can't lie to me, Jebidiah."

"Mimi, he's dead... He's dead... but I didn't -- Wait." Jebidiah stopped. He blinked. Mimi.



"It was you! You all along!" With unbridled rage, Jebidiah jumped the woman he had known first as his boss... then his collegue... His friend.

But now he knew the truth. Furiously, they fought in a duel to be remembered -- but as Jebidiah heard the sound of more approaching sirens, he kicked Mimi out from under her feet, and threw her into the surrounding bushes.

"You always were a terrible boxer," he spat in her direction, before turning to flee.



He had no idea where to go. Mimi was supposed to be the getaway driver -- and some driver she was... A ride to the police station! And now, it gave him time to think... About the betrayal... The Strummer's presence... About why Carl died.

Jebidiah was aimless, but he though that of all places, going the most populated would be the best; he ran into the public library, hoping to hide out amongst the crowd of teens working on homework.

But it was not his most brilliant plan.




"Jebidiah Kane, you are under arrest for the theft of the Pink Spire Diamond, and the murder of Agent Carl M. Strummer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you..."

---

... As she turned to head inside, something else caught her ear: the phone began to ring.

Meredith walked through the front door and picked up the phone. "Kane residence," she responded, her eyes still on her son.

"Is this Mrs. Meredith Kane?"

"Yes... who is this?"




"Mrs. Kane, I'm afraid I have some bad news... You may want to sit down."

---

A cold wind passed over the town of Riverview that Tuesday night, softly stirring the leaves that had shaken from the endlessly green trees.  It felt abnormally chilly, for a wind in this small town... Abnormally loud. It was a whisper, on the wind...

"Deceit..."      "Betrayal..."      "Murder."

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Love Through Betrayal

"Every choice he made that I withstood, every secret of his I kept in the dark, every sin I forgave, was because I thought he loved me... Because I thought it was what forever was all about."

Meredith fixed the rearview mirror of her car, still shaking in anger and pain. She had no idea where to go, but she knew she had to get out... away. Thank the plumbbob that Travis was spending the night at a friend's house -- she couldn't bear the thought of his questions. Bradley would be fine with Jeb until the morning... Let him play the parent for a while. Always her, changing diapers. Always her, reading them books and helping them with homework. Where was he all that time... Off screwing his coworkers while looting the town?

She wiped a tear from her cheek, and pulled out of the driveway. No idea where to go, but if she started to drive, maybe she'd find out where she was going on the way.



After plugging the gas pedal as far down as it would go, Meredith found herself all the way across town... Farah's house. She remembered ending up here once before, when she discovered Jebidiah's dark secret -- see how his mother handled it now when she found out he was cheating scum, too.

But when she rang the doorbell, no one answered. She rung it again... And again. By that point, it was obvious no one was home, but Meredith could do nothing but bang on the door, hoping for a miracle.

... Nothing. Eventually, furious and tired, she wiped her cheeks once more and laid down on the bench outside her door, falling asleep.




When Farah drove up, she immediately noticed something was awry. Why was Meredith's car in her driveway? Why was the security lighting around her house lit up?

Climbing the steps to her front door, she found Meredith there, asleep. She didn't bother having to wake her daughter-in-law, though -- the moment she ascended the last step, Meredith was awakened from her stupor, and looked up into Farah's half-egyptian eyes. "I need somewhere to stay, tonight."



Farah unlocked the door and ushered Meredith inside, scowling as she looked the young woman over. "What's happened?"

"He's been cheating on me, Farah. He's a bloody rotten liar... All this time, I thought he loved me, but apparently he's been off, fooling around with other men's wives... Even in my own home..." Meredith fought back the sniffles as Farah reached out her hand to try and comfort the redhead.



"Oh, sweetheart," she delicately said. "Are you sure there hasn't been a mista--"

"Of course there hasn't been a mistake!" Meredith yelled, balling her hands into fists. "His own boss told me, having seen it himself! What reason would he have to lie to me?"

"Meredith, calm down!" Farah's eyes had grown wide. "I can think of several reasons that his boss would have to lie to you, but that's not why I ask... I know my son can be a malicious man, but if there is anything in this world that has caused even a shred of hope that there's been a change in his life, it's you. Why he would do this... It's beyond me." She sighed deeply, rubbing her own face in confusion.



After a moment, Farah pointed down the steps. "Your old room is made up as a guest bedroom, you're more than welcome to stay the night. Sleep on it... We'll talk again in the morning."

There was something oddly reminiscent about pulling back the covers of the place she and Jebidiah used to sleep -- as if it had only been yesterday when they spent their first night together... Only yesterday when he got down on one knee... "Oh why, Jebidiah... Why?"




Meredith wasn't the only one having a hard time sleeping that night. "You've screwed up big time, this time," Jebidiah said aloud to himself as he looked around his empty living room, rubbing the back of his sore neck to try and alleviate some of the tension he'd self-served. Of course, his betrayal wasn't the only thing keeping his mind occupied. His boss's flinchless knife in his back... Cody's disgusted reaction... Mimi's lack thereof... Not to mention that it would not be much longer before he would have to trust his safety to the very people that now were likely lighting flaming dungheaps on his front lawn.

There's no rest for the wicked... And certainly not a wicked father.



But there was something comforting about the way that Bradley reached for his hand as he came to soothe his cries. "You're still too young to hate me," he sighed, touching his son's cheek. "Give it time. I'll find a way to screw up our relationship in the end."

You have to try not to, though, Jebidiah... You have to at least try.

---

When morning came, Meredith sought out Farah's computer and started duking it out on some computer games. Nothing to ease the tension like pummeling a quarterback in pixellated pixel-vision.

Farah wasn't going to let her daughter-in-law get off so easy, though. After she'd had herself a cup of coffee, she followed Meredith into her study and they began to talk.



"I just don't know, Farah," Meredith sighed. "My head's still spinning. How could he do this to me? To our kids? I just don't understand... None of it makes any sense. How can I possibly trust him anymore, as a husband? First he lies to me about his job, and now he's lying to me about our marriage -- why should I even bother staying with him anymore?"



"Listen, Meredith--" Farah pointed her finger towards the younger woman. "You aren't going to be able to figure any of this out if you keep childishly running away from these issues. You have to confront them head on, or you'll never know why... All you're doing is making this worse by avoiding them. Stop acting like you just stepped out of high-school and go talk to your husband.'

"I know he loves you, even if this was a poor way to show it. There must be a good reason for it... And while I'm not saying it's your fault, who knows his reasons? You aren't going to figure that out until you get dressed, and go resolve this like a grown woman. You're always talking about how you want to be a stronger person... Now's your time to prove you can be."

Meredith wanted to blow up at Farah for that advice -- how could she say that! -- but deep down, she knew that at least part of what she said was right. The longer she let this brew, the worse it would get... But still, there was one more place she needed to go before finally facing up to her husband.



"...And that's when I went to Farah's for the night. I just couldn't stand to see him anymore." By now, Meredith had fought back most of the tears, and was mostly just confused and frustrated. "I know I need to go see him, but I have no idea what to say. I wish... I wish I just didn't even know. I don't--"

"Don't say that, Meredith, that's absolutely ridiculous." Tana was infuriated -- much more than she was ever let on to sister. "You'd rather he was cheating on you but you just didn't know about it? I can't believe that -- that's so incredibly naive!" Tana threw up her arms in disgust. "I knew from the moment I laid eyes on him, he was absolutely no good -- but you never, ever listen to me, do you, Meredith?!"




But Meredith refused to respond. Her anger intensifying, she turned away... Tana did the same, stomping off to go have a dip in her pool. Meh -- all she said was an 'I told you so'... And it was a well deserved one! "Jebidiah better hope he doesn't run into me anytime soon, though," Tana grumbled to herself as she walked away.



Meredith approached the window, wearily looking across the street at her house -- but apparently, Jeb had seen her car pull up, and was running across the street. "No... No, not now..." Her breathing began to quicken, and...



Before she could stop it, the tears began to flow again. And she thought she was doing so well... But all it took was the sight of her husband to bring his treachery all back to the forefront of her mind. She was still sobbing when he walked into Tana's house, his eyes still full of the same shock from the night before.



Meredith couldn't move, even if she wanted to. Her legs were still so weak, and no matter where she went, she knew her husband would catch her.  "Meredith," he said in the most mournful tone he was capable of. "Meredith, please, let me explain."

She shook her head, but he didn't listen. "Meredith, I know you probably won't believe me, but... That woman... I only did what I did because I thought I had to. I know it doesn't make any sense, and there are some things I just can't explain right now, but I need you to know that everything I did, I did to protect our family. I know... I know it's hard to believe... But I never felt so horrible in my life, when I had to do that... Not even you finding out was worse than that.'

"I've never loved anyone but you, Meredith." For a brief moment, she reached her hand out to touch his arm... But she instantly pulled it away. He was right to think she'd be confused -- if she was before, now she was even moreso.



"Please, I know you don't want to trust me right now," he continued, putting his hands together and pleading. "But it will all makes sense in time. I want to tell you, so badly, but I can't, right now... I will soon. Once this is all over... In a couple of days... Everything will make sense. All I ask is that you wait."

"Oh Jebidiah..." She thought silently to herself as she pulled him into a hug. "I hate you, for not letting me love you less."

---

The rest of the day was tense, but they managed. Travis kept dinner from being silent -- he had so much to talk about from his latest baseball game and team sleepover.



After they'd eaten, Travis and Jebidiah settled into the living room to play video games. Still, Jeb could not catch his wife's eye... Nothing had ever felt worse.



Not even the anxiety that finally overtook him that night. "It's tomorrow night," he mumbled to himself while going over the details of the plan once again on his laptop. "Then it will all be over. I can take our share of the money, and go far, far away from here... I can tell Meredith everything, without worrying what the Company might do to her... I can keep my family safe, and do things how I want them done." He finished up his work, shut the lid of his laptop, and went up to bed.

"Guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

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No Matter What

 "Come up to meet you, tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are

I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I've set you apart

Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
Oh, let's go back to the start"

-- The Scientist, Coldplay --

---

I can remember the first time we met... It's so vivid, in my mind. I may be forgetful, sometimes, but that... That day... Well, some things are hard to forget.

I hated him, then. Tana found it funny, at first... This little kid, always following me around, kicking dirt in my shoes, taunting and teasing me despite everything I tried to do to make him go away...

He beat up all the kids in his class, especially Bryant... I felt so sorry for that poor kid. I tried so hard, to tell him to stop... I even gave Jebidiah my username so he'd leave the poor boy alone.

But of course, it didn't work -- he continued to torture Bryant for years. And now, not only was he a first-class bully, but he was stalking me online, too. I was pretty sure that he couldn't get any creepier.

But I was wrong. He followed me everywhere... Even when I was trying to hang out with people my own age for a change. It was like trying to shake an angry chihuahua from your ankle. Completely. Utterly. Useless. The best you can do is leave it alone and hope it goes away on it's own...

But it was just wishful thinking. Having a tag along made it difficult to make -- and keep -- any friends (not that I didn't have that problem on my own)... And by now, Tana was no longer amused by his shinanigans. Once he was in our class, it made things even worse -- I couldn't avoid him at school, after school, and finally, one day, he stayed on the bus with me all the way home, and followed me into my house! I had no idea what to do.

But at that point, it finally became clear why he had been badgering me all this time, what he had misguidedly been trying to express...

... And part of me, so lonely, such a nervous wreck about everything in my life, was flattered that someone actually liked me... of all people. Incredibly shy, neurotic, childish... No one ever liked me. But Tana called the cops to get rid of him, and he was gone before I could even figure out how I felt about this. About him.

My sister thought she was protecting me, but against all her wishes, I decided I'd go out with him, just once, if only out of curiosity. Tana knew how shy I was, how neurotic I was with everything in my life, but she never realized how badly I wanted someone who understood what it was like to be afraid of everything in my life...

... Or how bad I wanted this.

Not only had he learned everything I loved, from all those years of treading in my shadow, but he endured the things that bored him the most just so that he could see me smile. He knew exactly what made me happy, all the right words to make me laugh...

... and how to be there for me when I wasn't sure I could handle it all anymore. With no one else to turn to, I ran to him the day my parents died...

... and he never turned me away. As terrible as he was to everyone else, never once did he treat me poorly... Never once did he show me anything but adoration, affection.

When things with my foster parents became too much, he asked me to come live with him once we both finally grew up.

And once we did, there was no doubt in my mind what I'd do. After all that time, I'd finally realized that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. Part of me wasn't sure why, when I knew how cruel and untamed he could be, but deep down, I knew he was the only person that could ever understand me, take care of me, comfort me, the way that I really needed. As much as it upset my sister, there was nothing she could do -- I knew I loved him.

That I'd always love him...

... No matter what.

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Absolutely Criminal

The day of the job was approaching. At the old warehouse, devices were whirring, gear was being double -- triple -- checked, and Jebidiah had drilled the plan into his head with endless repetition. Tameka's rouse to get the Strummer's out of their home was in place, Cody could cut the right security wire in her sleep, and Mimi knew all the exit strategies by heart, ready to zip the getaway car out of harm's way before anyone had the faintest of ideas what was happening.

But Jebidiah was still unsure. The leak had been plugged -- somehow. Tana hadn't heard anything suspicious in some time, and was confident that however the information had gotten to the cops in the first place, it had stopped. "The only leads the office has had in over a week is a car theft and some topiary arson, most likely the work of some kids... Any trace they had of your tracks is gone."

What had done it? A promise to Cody to keep her 'entertained'? Tameka not finding it amusing anymore? Perhaps Mimi, realizing that they were all on her tail? But what worried Jebidiah most of all was that it could be Tana, feeding them false information, to keep herself important... That it was all just a joke from the beginning.




"I'm just fine, Meredith. Everything's alright. I know I can't trust Wayne anymore, but it could be worse. I know he still loves me, and that's all that matters."

Trista did sure seem happy -- in fact, much happier than the other day, before she'd heard of her husband's treachery. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright, you were so upset the last time I saw you," Meredith said, still worried.

"Things couldn't be better. My husband knows I've got my eyes on him, now, and he's too sheepish to do anything when he thinks I might find out. I know how to control my man!" Who knew, the town thug, afraid of his wife!



But across the room, someone else was chuckling for an entirely different reason... "Yes, but someone else doesn't know how to control hers..."

The countdown? 2 days. Things at the Company had became tense under the pressure, and Dallas decided that it was about time they all got together outside of work. "Let's do it at your house, Jeb," he advised in a way that Jebidiah could almost consider guilt-tripping. "Your wife does seem to enjoy holding get-togethers."

"No, she doesn't dislike anything more," Jebidiah thought to himself. "And the last thing I want is any of you around my family." However, Jebidiah agreed -- if there was anything he wanted less, it was for his boss to get sour, just before the time came for this job to go through. Meredith did agree, over the phone, but she was going to be late -- Trista and her were planning on catching up at the library for a while, so Jeb would have the house to himself for the work party. "At least that works out alright." Jeb considered. "As long as she's not around..."

But what he didn't consider was what would happen when they showed up.



He'd almost completely forgotten what had happened between him and Cody... Not to mention Tameka. At least they all had more on their minds than broken hearts -- there was profit to be made soon, and everyone was curious what each other was going to do with the huge payoff.

As the rest trickled on in -- Cody's husband Stacey, the town casanova, along with Mimi and Dallas -- Jeb quickly changed into his formals and tried to keep his guests entertained... As much as he could, with how awkward things were steadily getting.



And nothing was more awkward than seeing none other than Holly McFarland, the town gossip, walking in through the door. "I heard there was a party?" she asked, oh-so-innocently.

"Ah... Molly," Jebidiah said with a wave, flinching at the sight of the intolerably nosy woman. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Business party and all, and as far as I was aware, you weren't invited."

"You don't have to be rude," she choffed at him, although realizing she had no choice but to leave. "He could have at least bribed me," she thought to herself on the way out. "With a house like this, he must be making much more than Meredith says he is..."



"What was that all about?" Dallas asked, approaching Jeb in the dining room, where the criminals were receding to escape from their spouses, and actually talk business.

"That woman somehow slipped in, no idea how she even knew we were having a party... Probably heard something offhand from my wife. That woman is no good..." Jebidiah shook his head. "At least I got her to leave without a fight."

No one was entirely at ease about that, but, nothing had been said that the woman could have overheard -- she snooped and she saw a gathering... That's all. Right? Right. The five of them began to chat... About the jewel, the heist, the anxiety-- and Cody did her best to try to ease the tension by making jokes about what she was going to do with her share of the money. But while everyone was slowly starting to relax and do what they actually came here to do -- de-stress -- Tameka was doing anything but.



"Look... Tameka... Are you alright?" Jebidiah pulled her away as soon as they were in private. "I... The last thing I wanted to do was upset you. I really need you to cheer up. The others are starting to wonder why you're so down, when you usually aren't so..."

"But... But Jeb... I... I thought you... And I wanted so much for it to be... No one ever..." Snifflesniffle. "Oh dear plumbbob," Jeb groaned to himself. "What am I supposed to do?"



Well... He found his own way of cheering her up, against all sane thought (and his master madly trying to 'x' things out of his action queue, nnnggh), and miraculously, Tameka was happy again.

But no one else was.

Apparently, Jebidiah forgot about the psychic voodoo cheating radar that every Sim is born with. Immediately, as Jebidiah walked into the next room, Cody slabbed him across the face, and began to blow up at him.




"What the bloody builder are you doing?!" Cody yelled at him. "I... Tameka? Are you serious?! I've had it with you!"

Jebidiah tried to escape, but the only way to go was in the path of his boss. Well... At least Dallas would be understanding, right?




"But I thought you said--" "I didn't mean for you to take me literally, Jebidiah. I can't believe you... Cheating on your wife... Didn't you ever think to listen to your wedding vows, boy?"

Jebidiah was frantic. His mistakes were catching up to him, and now, the only person that was happy with him was Tameka... Great. And she's the one person that probably mattered the least!


"I just beg of you," Jebidiah said, with Dallas still pondering his employee's treachery to his wife. "Don't tell Meredith. The last thing I need right now is for my wife to know. I was just doing what I thought you wanted me to..." Jeb thought back to all the threats, the stolen photos... All he'd wanted was for those things to end.

Dallas, however, left his answer open-ended. He saw Tameka and Stacey dancing in the background, and he wanted to join them -- he came here to relax, not deal with... This.



Out of the corner of his eye, Jebidiah saw Meredith arrive. And, was that a new dress? He got up to go meet his wife, but he was beaten to the punch. Before he could catch her, she was dragged into the kitchen and out of sight.



And before Jebidiah could intervene, before he heard the treacherous words come out of Dallas's mouth, she heard the distasteful news first-hand. (And for the record, I barely caught this screenshot, because I wasn't paying attention to what these two were talking about. I had absolutely no idea that other Sims could actually tell someone their spouse was cheating on them... I guess they can!)

There was no words for the instant heartbreak that shook Meredith by surprise. Her first reaction was rage -- pure, bitter, rage... And since Jebidiah was nearby, she didn't have to go far to express her pain at his betrayal... And it had barely even registered in her mind.



"I... I can't believe you! Has this marriage meant nothing to you?! So little that you're off kissing other women in front of your coworkers, in our own home?!"

Jebidiah opened his mouth to answer her, but she instantly threw up her hands.



"No, I don't want to hear it. I have nothing else to say to you, Jeb. I'm leaving... And don't wait up for me."

She turned and charged up the stairs, stomping her heels so angrily that a piece of her stilettos came tumbling back down the stairs...


And Jebidiah couldn't be more confused. One second, everything was better than they had been in so long... And the next, everything was ruined, faster than he could have imagined.

He stood there, flabberghasted, for some time...



And upstairs, the reality finally sunk in. Still holding the handle to her dresser drawer, Meredith couldn't muster the energy to open it. Nothing could stop the tears pouring down her face... Not now.

"Why?"

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