The Dutiful Wife [COMPLETED]

4.

The same day...

1:32 p.m.

Shiloh "Lo" Mackey

On my break, I sat in the break room where me and my coworkers normally kicked it. Normally, I'd run out to get something to eat and would come back here to eat and talk my shit, but I didn't have much of an appetite. My boy BK was supposed to call me with some information, but he hadn't done so yet, and I was an impatient muthafucka. When I wanted something done, I expected it to be done ASAP.

On top of waiting on that call, I'd left the house this morning wondering if I needed to be worried about Ann remaining loyal to me. I knew the truth about our marriage had crushed her, but it was better to know rather than keeping my distance from her and treating her like a stranger like I'd been doing. I wasn't shit in the husband department. I knew that. I'd accepted that long ago. However, her knowing who I really was could either bring us closer because I didn't have to hide it anymore, or it could push me to make a decision I wasn't trying to make. I'd known this woman almost half of my life, and I didn't want to have to cut ties permanently.

I'd left the house this morning and hadn't called her to see how she was doing. To me, dealing with a woman was like dealing with a child at times. You couldn't baby them. Sometimes you simply had to let them tough it out and get themselves together. I needed Ann to pull herself together and understand that although I wasn't in love with her, she'd always mean something to me. She was a fragile woman, but I was hoping she could be strong for once in her fucking life. People lied. People played on people's emotions to their advantage. It was life. It was what it was.

There was a knock on the door and a coworker of mine by the name of Shawn poked his head into the room, catching my attention.

"Aye Lo..."

"Wassup?" I asked, standing to my feet.

"BK out here waiting to see you." He told me. Making my way out of the break room, there he was sitting down talking on his phone as if I hadn't told him to call me.

"Y'all ain't got no chips or nothing? A pop or something. I'm a lil parched." He said, looking around the shop at everybody who worked here.

"You also a lil slow. Come on." I nodded towards the exit so we could head outside and talk in private. He followed me to my car, and we got inside. He told whoever he was on the phone with that he'd call them back before turning his phone off and tucking it into his pocket.