Page 124 of Everything She Wanted

I’m reckless but I’m tired, so very tired, of everyone’s shit—especially his.

“What’s going on?” he asks gently. I’m sure he’s more concerned that I’ll total his precious car than he is about why I’m upset. I continue speeding.

“Why don’t we call Sonia and find out what’s going on? Maybe she’s up for a threesome seeing as you’ve been fucking her for so long and she’s probably bored out of her mind.”

“What are you talking about? I told you we didn’t do anything.”

“Stop the shit, Shaan. I ran into her at lunch today with my mom and Bhua, and guess what? She hauled me outside and showed me your texts and photos.”

I take an exit onto a quiet farm road and drive even faster.

“Nish, pull over. Let’s talk about this calmly.”

I want to drive into a telephone pole, but I know that’s the rage talking, not me, and I try to get a handle on myself.

I stop the car in a field in the middle of nowhere and we both step outside. He walks over to me, and for once, he has nothing to say. No lies to spew. He’s quiet as he looks at me.

“I just can’t believe this. All those times you made me feel like shit if a guy even looked at me.”

He shakes his head and gives me a cold stare that would have me apologizing profusely before. The nerve of that look when he knows he’s in the wrong.

“What did you expect? You’re off every other weekend at some conference or working late most nights. And don’t even lie that those guys never tried any shit with you.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. He’s trying to put this on me.

“I didn’t fuck anyone, Shaan, ever, but guess what, you did and not just once, but multiple times. For months.”

He gives me a cocky stare, and I just can’t stop the rage that’s coming up.

I slap him and he grabs my arm so hard it throbs, and then he releases me like I’m a rag doll and I almost fall backwards into the car.

I stand there motionless.

“Nisha, shit. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” His face softens as I look at him incredulously.

He comes closer.

“Stay the fuck away from me.” I hold my aching arm. “We’re so done.”

“Look, let’s calm down and talk about this.”

“I’m done talking. I’m done with you.” I enunciate every word as if he’s a toddler.

“So that’s it then? We just walk away from all of this?”

“What did you think would happen, Eshaan, really?”

He looks at me as if he’s weighing everything I’ve said. He’s quiet for a while, and I am too. The fight goes out of him. “What are we going to tell our families?”

I hate that question. He’s been cheating on me for months, and all he cares about is what mommy precious and daddy dearest are going to think. “Why don’t we do a slide show, and we can just do a run-through of your texts and pictures?” I smirk at him. “Or better yet, I’ll send it to the fam group chat.” I cross my arms. “What is it that they say?” I look at the sky with my pointer finger tapping on my chin. “A picture is worth a thousand words?”

“You wouldn’t.” He gives me a pointed stare.

“She already sent them all to me,” I lie. “Every last one. And I would.”

“What do you want me to do then?” He caves, my erratic behavior probably showing him that I’m not beyond this.

“You leave me the fuck alone and say it was all your shit. Otherwise, your family finally gets to learn what a dickhead you really are.”