Chapter 110

“Meghan Renfrewd, will you please explain what this is doing in the trash?” Matt started at his wife’s bellow. He hurried downstairs to find her waving a box around.

   “What are you talking about?” Meghan asked.

   “This!” She shoved the box toward her daughter.

   “That’s not mine,” the girl denied.

   “Re-ally? If it’s not yours, whose is it?” Ariel demanded.

   “How should I know?” Meghan said, crossly.

   “Don’t lie to me, young lady.”

   “I’m not lying!”

   Matt rushed in and caught his wife’s wrist as she was about to bring her hand down on Meghan. “What do you think you’re doing, Ariel?”

   “I’m punishing your daughter for lying to me.”

   “By hitting her?” Matt countered with disgust. He’d never raised a hand to his children and as far as he knew neither had Ariel. He’d promised himself that he would never treat them the same way he’d been treated.

   “If that’s the only way to get the truth.” Ariel defended her actions.

   Matt shoved her away. He wiped his hand on his pants. Up close he could see the object in question was a pregnancy test. The one he’d thrown away unopened. The one he no longer needed. He shoved his disappointment down and turned toward his wife. “Don’t ever raise a hand to our children again. She isn’t lying.” He took a deep breath. “The test isn’t hers. It’s mine.”

   “Yours!?” Ariel stared at him. “How long has this been going on? How long have you been screwing your own daughter?”

   Matt felt his jaw drop. He’d been prepared to admit that he’d cheated on her with another man. He’d never dreamt that she’d assume he was having sex with his daughter. “I haven’t touched her. What makes you think I’d do something like that?”

   “You haven’t touched me in weeks. I always have to fend off your advances. All you think about is sex.”

   Matt stared at her, “Always fending of my advances? All I think about is sex? Where are you coming up with that? We have sex about once a week at most! I barely touch you otherwise!”

   “Precisely! You admit that you’re a sex-crazed fiend. Now you’re using your own flesh and blood to slake your unnatural urges.”

   Matt fought the urge to strangle his wife. He raced out of the house and peeled out of the drive. Eventually he wound up at the beach. He leaned against the rail and watched the waves come in.