UNJUSTIFIED HATRED {completed} (wattys 2015)

Chapter 26

"Dude where is your wife?" Josh asked Ash just as the first half of the game ended.

"I don't know" he replied getting up. It was another game day and Ash was again the host so his three closest friends were gathered in the living room.

Leaving the others in the living room, he walked to the kitchen to get some more drinks.

He ignored Michael when he asked him why he didn’t know where his wife was. He had no answer to the question since he didn’t see her leave. He remembered seeing her eat breakfast but hadn’t seen her since then. And of course she didn’t tell him where she was going since they didn’t have that type of relationship. They were both in a marriage where questions were not asked.
Michael joined him in the kitchen "So nothing has changed at all?"

Ash shook his head no taking a swig of his beer.

"So you still hate her?" Michael continued with his interrogation.  

"Yep. More than ever" was Ash’s answer. After Cindy’s revelation about Emily, Ash’s view of Emily changed for the worst. He now believed Emily to be the conniving whore he had always suspected her to be.

Michael tried to reason that Emily shouldn’t be the only one to be blamed for the pregnancy since it did in fact takes two.

Ash wasn’t having it though and remained adamant that she had used his vulnerability to her advantage and had gotten pregnant on purpose.

He also added that the baby wasn’t his. Even though he wasn’t 100% certain of his declaration, he knew with her promiscuous ways, there was a possibility the baby wasn’t his.

"You still believe that?" Michael asked.

"Yep" he replied before walking back to the living room.

Michael followed behind him with his own bottle of beer.

"You can't be still fanning over her mic?" Jeremy inquired as Michael joined them back in the living room.

"I'm not fanning over her. We are just friends and I'm worried about her"

Ash remained silent as Josh and Jeremy continued to taunt Michael on his juvenile feelings for Emily. Ash didn’t want to add anything since the plan to make Emily fall in love with Michael was a secret between Michael and himself.
When the argument suddenly became heated with Michael telling them to get out of his business, Ash decided that was his cue to change the subject.

“My boys are ready to make me proud” Ash boasted in reference to his team Barcelona that was dominating the game with a 2-0 win. The discussion from there went from Emily to the game.

They cheered and hollered for their teams as the game continued.

A couple of minutes into the second half, the door opening diverted their attention from the game. They turned to the door when they heard the front door closed. Ash watched to who see who it was; he knew it had to be Emily since Gladys was not working. He watched her walk inside the kitchen holding a pile of mails and a cup. She took a sip from her cup before setting the mail on the counter. Ash wasn’t surprised she was eating; it seemed every time he saw her she was stuffing something in her mouth.

She continued to look through the pile of mail, not noticing the other occupants in the room.

"Oh hey" she greeted finally seeing he had company. "I didn't know you guys were coming over" she addressed all three taking her jacket off. "Do you guys need something?  I would have prepared something had I known you were all coming over" she walked into the living room.