Betrayal

Betrayal
He discovered his wife had two timed him with one of her firm's members after sixteen years of giving everything up for her.

It was the text messaging that nailed it for me,
Seeing her thrust the damned phone under the pillows
When all I had done was come in for a tissue
To wipe my running nose.
She hadn't realized that I had slowed the treadmill down
So I could hop off without having to start it from zero again.
Then she lied about it,
Saying she was just being there with the cats,
Denying what I had seen with my eyes,
What I should have seen six years ago
Instead of waiting for her to come home
Late again, night after night.

Remembering what my daddy taught me
I mustered my feelings
And stopped the moment from ruling me,
I choked back the anger, and the tears that rose
So close to bursting.
In that moment I knew that she was dead to me,
That she was gone, all the loyal years blotted out
Uncared for, tossed aside for a thumbing callus paramour,
And my heart is ripped aching,
Out of the chest that had breathed as one with hers
So long ago now,
Leaving me with a ring that I do not know
When to take off forever.