It Cuts Both Ways

"I'm so sorry, Chris. Please forgive me. I can't live without you. I had to quit my job and..."

"Jackie..."

She sniffled and stopped, waiting for him to continue.

"I'm filing for divorce. I know this is partly my fault, for hiding things from you, but I could never trust you again, not after this."

"Please, Chris, I'll never do it again, I promise. Please don't leave me, I need you," Jackie sobbed.

There was a long, painful pause, and then he said, "I'm sorry."

Jackie fell to her knees, the ashes of her life crashing down around her.

[------***------]

Three long years, nearly to the day, and it was finally over. Chris had pushed the divorce through quickly, thanks to his connections in the firm. The threat of a sexual harassment suit got Jackie her job back at a satellite office out of town, and a generous settlement. She could tell that her family didn't quite accept the excuse of her face being pasted onto the picture with Dan, and sent by a vengeful co-worker, but things were steadily becoming less awkward with them.

Walking out of the courthouse, she breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, the man running the website with the videos of her on it was on his way to jail. She tried not to think about how many hundreds of thousands of people had paid to watch the secret videos of her. She would have never known about it if the security guard Joe had not spilled everything to save his own skin, and people would still be watching her making the most awful mistake of her life.

Lighting up a cigarette, she took a long drag and let it out slowly. So much for all that money I spent on therapy to give these up after college, she thought bitterly.

Reaching the car, she started it, and tried to decide whether to return to her apartment, or go have a drink first. She was still mulling it over when the door of a BMW a couple of rows away opened.

Jackie's chest tightened when she saw Chris step out. She hadn't spoken to him since the divorce, either too angry or heartbroken to bear the sound of his voice, let alone see him. He was smiling, and Jackie's lip quivered as she thought how handsome he looked, in what was obviously a new suit.

Maybe this is fate. We're both here, so maybe that means we're supposed to have a second chance, now that it's all over. Stubbing out her cigarette, she reached for the door handle, and then froze.

Chris opened the passenger door of the car, and Cynthia slowly stepped out. Chris' smile grew even wider as he lay a hand on Cynthia's protruding belly, while helping her stand. They shared a quick kiss, and then he aided her waddling steps, as she walked around the car to the driver's side.

Jackie watched Chris walk up to the courthouse, and Cynthia drive away in the Beamer. When they were both out of sight, she put the car in drive, returning to her empty apartment, her empty bed, and her empty life.

[------***------]

Revenge is a double-edged sword, and it can cut both ways.