******
Later that day, Larry had all but driven his car into the house, braking just before he hit the steps leading to the front door.
“Roz!” he bellowed, slamming the front door, then running through the oval entryway. When no response came, he raced across the handcrafted, vintage French oak flooring in the formal living room, shouting her name. When she still did not answer, he veered right and entered the foyer with the grand double staircase leading to their private quarters. Taking the steps two at a time, he continued to yell her name.
“In the bedroom, honey,” Rozene called out, seemingly unperturbed.
Gritting his teeth, Larry moved swiftly across the elegantly decorated circular landing, and entered a softly lit passageway to access their bedroom. The door was slightly open and he kicked it, banging it against the wall.
“What on earth is …?” Rozene lifted her head from the book she was reading to lay eyes on a steaming Larry. The degree of anger on his face had her shrinking back into the pillows on the bed. She couldn’t recall ever seeing him so furious. “What is the …?”
“Is that how you treat me after nineteen years of marriage?” Larry clenched his fists in rage.
Rozene refused to let his outburst unsettle her. “Are we talking about sex, again? I tried all weekend to -”
“You gave me Chlamydia,” he hissed at her. “Who are you sleeping with?” He saw the look of guilt in her eyes and knew he was right. In a mad dash, he crossed the room, grabbed her by her shoulders, and brought her closer to him. “Who are you sleeping with, Roz?”
Dread descending, Rozene lifted her chin. “No one.”
Anger flared in Larry’s eyes, and his hands bit into her shoulders. “Stop lying to me.” He pushed her roughly against the pillows and stood looking down at her. “Fasting from sex, huh?” A hollow laugh left him. “Right?”
Tears streamed down Rozene’s face. “Larry, please. I … I’m not sleeping with him anymore.”
Larry’s features turned to stone. “Anymore?” Confused voices screamed in his head. How did this happen? Who is this man? Where did she meet him?
“His name is Chandler,” Rozene filled in. “I met him last fall at the book tour for, Letters to Husbands.”
Words failed Larry as he sank into the bedroom chair. Something had cut off his air supply and he couldn’t breathe. Even though he knew it, hearing her confess it placed him in an emotional tailspin. In the distance, he heard her droning on through tears but he covered his ears to shut out the humming sound of her voice. Leaning forward, he attempted to find his equilibrium.
He vividly recalled how he almost fell off the chair when Dr. Cerdon gave him the news that he had Chlamydia. He grabbed his head, muttering, “No! No! No!” His heart sank further when he remembered that Rozene was still on her ‘revive our sex life drive.’ Now, he would have to avoid sexual contact with her, for God knows how long. His secret would be out, and she would leave him. But, as Dr. Cerdon supplied information about Chlamydia, a light shone in the darkness.
“Did you say, ‘signs and symptoms could appear between one and three weeks after having unprotected sex with an infected person’?” Larry asked.
“Yes,” Dr. Cerdon replied.
Larry’s entire body shook as Dr. Cerdon’s response sprinted through his brain. My incident with Gabrielle was five days ago. Why then … He paused as the voices in his head settled on … Rozene. Revelations flooded his spiraling mind - Her smiling face as she whispered on her cell phone. Her refusal to sleep with him. New lingerie … for the new man. And the reason that she was taking so long to finish, Letters to Wives. “Noooo!” he shouted, covering his face with both hands.
Dr. Cerdon offered words of comfort but he just needed to go. The traffic would be heavy but he had to get home ‘quick, fast, and in a hurry.’ His body was still shaking when Dr. Cerdon asked for the name of the pharmacy where he would like to pick up his prescription.
“Larry! Larry, I’m …” Rozene cried out, transporting him back to the present.
He flinched, pushing her hands away from his knees and got up. He hadn’t even realized that she was kneeling before him. He glared at her. “You brought someone else into our marriage. Why?” he asked in a pained whisper. “Why, Roz?” He could hardly look at her. She had taken what was sacred in their marriage, and given it away.
She clutched his arm and he snatched it away. “Don’t touch me!” he roared. “Is this how it’s going be, you sleeping with random people?”
His words came out with such fury that she cringed. “Please forgive me,” she sobbed. “I found out that I have Chlamydia and started on medication. But the week after I found out, you insisted on having sex so I just gave in.”
Larry’s face etched into tight lines as he looked at her. “You should have resisted.”
She eyed him sorrowfully. “You know how you get when I say no. You have sex with me anyway.”
Tears crowded Larry’s eyes as Rozene’s words pierced his heart. He gulped, attempting to get more air as nausea blocked his throat. Am I that narcissistic? The fury drained from his body as the unsolicited memory of the incident with Gabrielle assailed him. He stood there, rooted to the spot, feeling immensely overwhelmed at what he had just discovered about himself.