“Say something, Cathy.” Zach implored.
“Will you believe me above all that you have already heard?” Cathy asked, not sure of what Zach wanted – if he wanted more to condemn her, or if he was ready to really listen to her side of the story.
“I’m willing to listen to yours, Cathy. I want to hear your side. Tell me.”
Cathy sighed. “I thought you were dead, Zach. I was miserable, `torn, and broken. Everything did not make sense after they told me that you had died; it was worse after you had been supposedly buried without my knowledge. I hadn’t got to say goodbye to you. My heart was wrenched from within. Can you imagine the loss I felt? I had to go through all that alone. Alone, Zach, for six solid months!” Cathy sobbed.
Zach bent his head. He could not bear the pain that was expressed in Cathy’s words and eyes.
“I began spending some time at the beach.” Cathy sniffed. She paused for a while before continuing. “Dale and I met there at the beach. We became friends. We spent a lot of time together. He helped me deal with the pain of losing you. He came to visit me here and even spend some time with me here. I was considering suicide but after meeting Dale, I thought life was giving me another chance. I took it. How was I to know that you were still alive, Zach? I got involved with Dale because I thought you were dead. I thought you were gone for good. I couldn’t bear it…” Her voice choked on the tears.
Zach did not know what to say. He had literally pushed her into the arms of another man and he accused her of infidelity! He gave himself mental knocks several times, then he noticed Cathy’s left hand minus the ring. He ventured to ask again, more politely this time. “Did you take the ring off because you thought I had died?”
Cathy shook her head. “I don’t know when I lost it, Zach. I put it in my jewelry box for safe-keeping. I don’t know where it went to. I loved that ring, Zach. It was a symbol of our love…” she began sobbing again.
“Hush, hush, love. It’s okay. We will find that ring. Thank you for telling me all this, baby. One last thing: is Dale the one who is demanding the money?” When Cathy nodded, he asked, “Why?”
“I went to see him when you returned. After he came to see me. I told him the relationship was over. He did not know that I was married while we were seeing each other – I thought you were dead – and so when I told him that my husband had returned from the dead and that our relationship had to be called off, he did not like the idea at all. There were pictures, you see. He threatened to send them to you if I did not pay up in his time. I didn’t want to lose you again so I did not want you to find out.”
For all his smartness, Zach felt very obtuse. “How did you intend paying him?”
“I don’t know…”
“I have a plan. We will meet him in two days and…”
“We? You and I?”
“Yes, dear. I want to make up for accusing you when I was to blame. When we meet him, I will make him understand that there is no need for his blackmail. I need you with me, Cathy. Let me help you.”
Cathy smiled warily. Maybe there was hope for them after all. She picked up her cell phone and dialed Dale’s number with expectation and nerves. The conversation was curt: she wanted to see him the next day. She had had enough with his games and wanted an end to it. Dale agreed to this. The venue was the rooftop of the old school building near the chapel in the neighbourhood. After the call, Cathy sighed her relief. She snuggled into her husband’s arms in the couch and he stroked her back. They enjoyed this intimacy, just in case it was their last together.
