**Betrayal**
Peter raised his hand in farewell:
“Right then, Rosemary, Im off! Ill transfer Mums money, dont worry.”
The door clicked shut behind him, and Rosemary sank onto the stool, suddenly overwhelmed by tears.
“Mum, whats wrong?” Her son appeared in the kitchen. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” she said, ashamed of her weakness. “Just feeling low, thats all. The boys bore me sometimes. John and Christine are with Gran.”
“No,” Daniel insisted, voice firm. “People dont cry like this over a bad mood, and you talk to them every day on the phone. Im not a child anymore, Mum. I understand things.”
Rosemary looked at her sixteen-year-old, already taller than her, and before she could stop herself, she voiced the fear shed barely admitted to herself:
“I think your dads about to leave us.” At his stunned silence, she added, “Hes been lying to me. For nearly six months now…”
Daniel didnt know how to react. Hed thought she was upset about work or a row with a friend. But thishis dad? How could that happen? Anger surged in him, and his mother noticed.
“Daniel, dont. These things happen between adults. Youll understand one day. Your dads a good man, but hearts dont follow rules.”
Even as she spoke, Rosemary didnt believe her own words. She wanted to scream, smash thingsyet here she was, telling her eldest son to forgive and understand! But the boy clenched his fists.
“Let him go then! Well manage without him. Why bother coming home at all?”
“Daniel, you say youre not a child, but youre acting like one. Everyone makes mistakes, dont they? Your dad will realise this is just a fling. His family matters most”
“Mum,” Daniels voice broke. “Why would he do this? Ill never respect him the same way again.”
“Itll sort itself out, love,” Rosemary said softly, patting his hand. “Dont tell your brothers, alright?”
“You too,” he wiped his eyes. “We dont want them doubting their big brother.”
Rosemary glanced at the clock.
“Dont you have training?”
Daniel jumped up.
“Blimey, Im late!”
Alone, Rosemarys composure crumbled. Talking to Daniel had kept her steady, but now, the hurt overwhelmed her.
“How could he betray everything we had?”
When shed first met Peter, hed been carefree, always surrounded by girls he called “little birds.” When she told him she wouldnt be just another one, hed said seriously,
“Why another? Youd be the only one. For life.”
And shed believed him, the fool. For seventeen years, shed thought herself lucky! And him? Despite their three children, through all theyd weathered together, hed still strayed.
It started six months agoor maybe sooner, and shed missed the signs. At his cousins wedding, where Rosemary couldnt attend but urged Peter to go, shed later scrolled through the photos online. One woman kept hovering close to Peter. Something twisted in her chest, and she mentioned it, but hed brushed it off:
“Who? Oh, the brides friend. No idea why she kept lurking. Honestly, Rosemary, are you jealous?” Hed grinned. “Shes not even my type!”
Shed believed himthe woman *wasnt* his type. But a week later, odd calls began: silence, then breathing. Shed joked to Peter,
“Getting prank calls. Must be one of Daniels admirers!”
After that, the calls stoppedbut she didnt connect it to their conversation. Not until later, when Peter, a jeans-and-jumper man, suddenly started wearing suits, proper shirts, even cologne instead of that cheap aftershave. And then the late nights. When she asked, hed said breezily,
“Massive project at work, love. Once its done” Hed closed his eyes dreamily. “Well holiday wherever you like. That fur coat you wanted? Done. Daniels getting a scootermaybe even a quad bike!”
After that, Peter didnt just work late. Sometimes, he vanished on weekends. A trip planned, thena call. That guilty look.
“Rosemary, work needs me. Pressures mad, you know how it is…”
Shed wanted to hunt down that woman from the wedding, drag her by the hairbut pride stopped her. She wouldnt even learn her name.
Six months of this had left Rosemary frayed. Around others, she held it together. Alone, she crumbled. After speaking to Daniel today, she resolved:
“Ill confront him. For Daniels sake. He mustnt grow to hate his father.”
But Peter beat her to it. That evening, he called.
“Rosemary, we need to talk. Somewhere the kids wont hear.”
She smiled bitterly. He knew shed never make a scene in public.
At first, she considered going in her gardening clotheslet him be embarrassed! Then she reconsidered.
“Ill look my best. Let him see what hes losing.”
The cabbie watched her in the mirror. As she paid, he said suddenly,
“Pretty thing like you, so sad? Dont worryitll all work out.”
The unexpected kindness lifted her mood. She entered the restaurant smilingonly to freeze. Peter held a single rose. Why bring a flower if he was leaving? A farewell gift? She almost laughed at the morbid thought.
Over dinner, they chatted about nothing. Tension coiled inside her. Finally, she snapped.
“Peter, you said we needed to talk.”
He nodded.
“Right. Put simply” He hesitated. “Howd you feel if we skip the holiday, fur coat, and quad bike?”
She braced for devastationbut he continued.
“Got nearly double pay today. ThoughtDaniels sixteen now. Soon hell want his own place. What if we put this towards a flat for him? By eighteen, itd be his. Good plan?”
“Understood,” she said calmlythen faltered. “What? A *flat*? What flat?”
“Youve not heard a word, have you? Lately, youre miles away. Rosemary, whats going on?”
Later, Peter shouted. In the restaurant, hed kept calm. Outside, restraint vanished.
“Have you lost your mind? An affair? After I *explained* the project, said I might be stuck? You never complainedI bragged about my understanding wife! And all along, you thought I was cheating?”
They walked home, Peter fuming, Rosemary smiling. His outrage was music to her ears. At their doorstep, he finally stilled.
“Didnt I say once you were the one? Have I *ever* lied to you?”
—
Daniels day had been ruined. His mums confession knocked him sideways. Late to training, scolded by the coach, off his gamehed nearly punched a teammate. Roamed the streets after, wishing someone would pick a fight, so he could unleash his rage. No luck. Returning home, he spotted his parents kissing by the door. His mothers coat was unmistakable. His blood boiled. Accusing his dad of betrayalwhile *she*
Fists clenched, he stepped forward.
“Oh, son,” Peter said, slightly awkward. “We were just”
“… Alls well that ends well, eh?”
