The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

I paced the floor of the lounge, under the dim light of the decorative floor lamp in the corner of the room, my whole body trembling with every step I took. While my husband Max was standing formidably with his hands on the hips by the window, glaring at me. He evidently did not care for my feelings. In recent times, I had begun to question if he ever truly had... “I am not going to let you get your own way Autumn. This is half my house too, you know? One that we bought together; and whilst I may bot be living here right now, I still have a say in what happens with it. And I want to sell it.” His voice was angry… frustrated. Certainly far from the man I had fallen for. But, I don't think the man I had fallen for had been there in such a long time. “But this is my home Max.” I urged, hating that he was so keen to have me put out on the streets. Selling the house would leave me with nowhere to live. This place was everything to me. I could not imagine coming home here each night... Max, my husband... the man who had been everything to me once upon a time, had left only a matter of weeks ago, and he was already suggesting the sale of the house. Not just suggesting it, but pushing for it. Admittedly there was no hope for our marriage, not after I walked in on him and that fiery-haired woman in our bed... him and Bianca doing unspeakable things… for a second time too. Yes, it hadn't been the first time I had caught him. But he swore he wouldn't do it again... oh, what a fool was I for believing him... it was a shame the man I had married did not have a soul somewhere in that perfect body of his. For he thought nothing of adultery, nothing of the pain his betrayal caused me. So maybe I was naive to think he would show any consideration given his lack of faithfulness that he would have some decency about all of this. The look of disgust on his face only backed up my thoughts. “Irrelevant Autumn. You can find a new home. I have.” His voice was cold. But his words hit me hard. Of course he had found a new home. The bed of his piece on the side. Seemed she would go above and beyond for him. Let him walk all over her. More fool her. But, it also meant he had nothing to worry about, whereas me, I could very soon end up homeless. And the condescending look upon his face as he directed his frown at me only made me want to scream. “Just leave, Max.” I tried my hardest to fight back the threatening tears. I would not allow this fuckwit to see me cry again. He had seen that far too much of late, and I did not want him to know the pain he was causing me any longer. I was sure he got a kick out of it. “This needs dealing with. Bianca said…” he began, but my anger simmered… bubbling beneath my skin at the mention of her name. Why was she involved in the divorce or the sale of my home?! She had caused the falling apart of the marriage. Had she not done enough?! “I said f*****g leave!” I snapped. “I don’t give a flying f**k what your cheap little side-piece had to say. It was your decision to ruin our marriage, and the thing that hurts the most, Max, is I highly doubt she was the first. I just hope that Bianca realizes that you will soon get bored and find someone else to replace her, and she will find herself in the same position as me.” He had a smirk playing upon his lips that made me want to slap him so hard as he moved toward the door, which told me all that I needed to know. I had been nothing but a fool falling for this man’s charms when I met him, even more of a fool thinking he could be faithful to me. “This will be sorted, and the house will be on the market by the new year. So start getting prepared to leave Autumn. At least I am doing the decent thing and giving you advance warning.” Max gave me a smug look. I don’t think he knew what being a decent human being was! “Well, I hope you have a shitty Christmas and an even shittier new year. Don’t choke on a roast potato or anything.” I said with some serious venom in my voice before slamming the door behind the man I had once adored, yet now hated with a passion. The man I would soon call my ex-husband. I could not believe I would start the new year needing to find myself a new home… I felt tears stinging in my eyes. I loved this home. It had been everything we had hoped for when we bought it… dreams of our future plans… a family… a happy life together… Once again, the pain of my husband’s betrayal flooded through me, despite me saying I would no longer allow myself to be hurt by it. I had loved him so much when we had first met. He was so handsome… charming… everything a young woman in her early twenties would want. Yet here we were four years later, and I could only assume, multiple affairs later, and I felt broken. He was seemingly not giving a damn, happily moving on with the next conquest, while I picked up the pieces of my shattered life. I flopped heavily onto the soft cushions of the sofa. Not wanting to do anything else today now, regardless of the long list of things I had to do on the desk in the corner of the room. My journalism work was building and the deadlines looming, but my mindset was simply not in the right place. My phone vibrated heavily from the table next to me, making me jump. I reached for it, glancing at the screen as I did. My eyes instinctively rolled the moment I saw the name. Mum. Just what I needed. If dealing with Max hadn’t been bad enough, now I had to deal with Mum too? Seems the world was against me for sure!