The Keepsake (Love at the Crossroads) (3 page)

“That’s why I love you, because you’re unique,”
Michael had whispered often.

Maybe it was the few pounds and inches she
’d picked up, but Michael had said,
“You still turn heads, including mine.”

She frowned. That’s why his affair didn’t make sense. What if it wasn’t the first one? After listening to his few voice messages about how sorry he was and
how he had ended it, Desi began to delete them. He disgusted her. It would serve him right if he picked up some sexually transmitted disease. What if the other woman was pregnant? Then he would be a daddy. That thought caused her sorrow. Desi had been the one who wanted to carry his child. She shook her head to erase the questions.

Desi
had to move on and create some normalcy in her life, which meant going back to church. She had already missed the first service, so she had no choice but to attend late morning worship. Soon enough, she was parking her vehicle and crossing the parking lot to the entrance of Rapture Ready Church.

She made a beeline to
the sanctuary to avoid conversation. Once she selected a random pew, she dropped to her knees and prayed for more than thanksgiving that she had entered God’s house. She asked for forgiveness for the times she failed to show up. “Amen.”

While others praised and worshipped the Lord, she cried out to Him for answers to why? Despite lifting her arms in the air, beseeching Him to speak, Jesus was silent. Too soon the praise team finished the last song
; Desi dabbed her eyes.

Pastor Reed approached the podium
, greeted the congregation and welcomed visitors, then he silently prayed before opening his Bible. “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!” His declaration echoed throughout the sanctuary.

How God, how can I trust You when You
’ve let me down? You didn’t keep my husband from falling.
She sniffed.

“In heartache, I’ll trust Him
. In sickness, I’ll trust Him.  Job 13:15 says, ‘
Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him: but I will maintain mine own ways before Him
.’
To trust God means to prosper in your situation.”

But there is no good thing that can come from a cheating spouse. He did it once, and he’ll do it again,
Desi silently argued her point.

“Sometimes
, it seems that everything comes at us at once and overwhelms us,” Pastor Reed recaptured her attention. “God knows your strengths, even if you don’t. He has confidence in your trust in Him and He will deliver you. And He won’t disappoint. It’s not time for you to lose your faith now. Though He slay you, yet will you prosper in your soul because you trust in Him.”

Desi tried her hardest to connect the dots between “prospering” and “trusting”. She trusted her marriage
and that didn’t prosper.

“Go through, saints, without murmuring, or complaining, or hosting a pity party where the devil is the guest of honor.” Her pastor then began to describe a mental and physical checklist where the devil inflicts hurt on people from the most simplistic to the most complex situations. He must have touched on folks’ shoes, because when he got to their issues, “Amens” rose up. Desi waited to see
if he was going to stomp on her toes, so she could jump up with her own amen, but he never did.

“God has rest for your troubled soul. There is recovery from disappointing relationships…. as I wind down this morning, I want this point to stick. Whatever you’re going through today, it does have an end goal. For Romans 8:18 says, ‘
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
’ If you trust God, you’re guaranteed to prosper in Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Prosper?
Desi stood and climbed over a family to exit the sanctuary. She was about to have an emotional breakdown, and she needed a hiding place. Desi headed to the ladies’ lounge. The area was dark until the sensors picked up her movement and activated the lights. She went to the back corner of one of the two lounges situated on both sides of the stalls. With her hands covering her face, she released fresh tears. If God was talking to her through the pastor, then Jesus was asking her to commit marital suicide.
              “God, You said in Your Word that I don’t have to stay with a fornicating man. He’s defiled our marriage bed, disrespected our vows and lied to me. I’m so close to hating him, Jesus, his life may be endangered. This cannot be good for my mental health…,” she cried and hiccupped.

“Sister,” a soft voice
calling out to her meant she was no longer alone. “Sister, are you okay?” The cushion beside her shifted as someone rubbed soothing strokes on her back. “What’s your name?”

“Bishop…Desiree Bishop.” Her voice cracked.

“That’s a nice name Sister Bishop. Are you all right?”

“
No, I’m not. That’s my husband’s name and he cheated on me!”

“I’m so sorry,” the woman whispered. “I’m Solae
Wyatt-Palmer. I heard you crying when I walked in.”

All pleasantries were gone as Desi released her pain verbally. “Though He slay me…though He slay me
…” She shook her head and sniffed. “I feel like I’ve been dying over and over and over again. Each day, each time I imagine them, it hurts just as bad.” She looked up into the face of a very pretty lady, a younger version of Nia Long. Desi couldn’t help, but glance at her finger—no ring.

Solae watched her, then shrugged. “
Don’t let the hyphenated name fool you. It’s a family tradition. Anyway, I’m on the other end of the marriage spectrum. I may never experience it in my lifetime, because of a total hysterectomy years ago.” She became quiet. “I broke it off with my fire captain boyfriend. He won’t commit because I can’t have children. I love him so much, but I love myself more. He was the third man to reject me because of my infertility and I’m done.”

“That’s horrible.” Desi felt sorry for the woman.

“Though the Lord allows these men I meet to slay me, I pray that somehow through it all, I’ll prosper. In your case, at least you have grounds for a divorce and won’t have to live through the torture.” 

Desi nodded. “I
’ve started the proceedings, but I didn’t marry expecting to use the opt-out clause.” She sighed heavily in defeat and then snapped. “But I would rather kill him first. My sisters don’t know yet, or Michael would definitely be a dead man.”

With soothing words, Solae calmed her down, then added,
“We’re sisters in Christ. We’re all one body. When one hurts, we all hurt. I’ll definitely call your name before the Lord. Promise.”

“I’d like that. I
’ll need a lot of prayer to get through this.” Desiree’s stomach growled. She blushed. “Sorry, I really haven’t had much of an appetite.  I guess it’s catching up with me.”

“I’m hungry too. Service is about over. Want to grab a bite to eat and we can talk more?” Solae smiled.

Desi couldn’t resist the balm Solae had brought to her. In a better mood, Desi returned to the sanctuary and gathered her things. They decided on a Chinese buffet not far from the church.

Twenty minutes later with their plates piled high, they scooted into a booth at Ryce Restaurant. Solae was a captive listener as Desi unloaded her burden. “I didn’t want to suspect my husband of cheating, but something inside of me, maybe it was the Lord, told me something wasn’t right, so I hired a private investigator to trail my husband for a few weeks while he was away from home.”

Solae gasped. “I’m so sorry. I’m sure you were devastated to see the evidence.”

Desi nodded. “I was, but before I could say anything I had to gather my dignity. I didn’t want to have a Waiting to Exhale moment. I was proud of myself. I basically dared him to deny his infidelity because if he had, I would have dumped those pictures in his lap.”

“So, he admitted he had?”

“Somewhat. His guilt was revealed when he said, ‘Let me explain’.
I moved out almost a week ago.”

“Your family doesn’t know or suspect anything?”

Desi picked at her food. “I’m sure they suspect something. Because whenever they ask about Michael, I talk about something else. I think they’re waiting for me to say something, but I think Tracey and Halcyon would be more crushed than me. My older sister would probably shoot to kill.” Desi chuckled at the thought.

“I feel ashamed for even thinking, ‘woe is me’
,” Solae said. Then she explained how her ex-boyfriend seemed to back off once they confessed their love and she believed him enough to tell him she couldn’t have children. “I had multiple fibroids and the pain was unbearable. It took me a while to accept I would never have children of my own.”

Reaching across the table, Desi patted Solae’s hand as her new friend’s eyes began to tear up.
“From what you’ve told me, Michael isn’t the only jerk, so was your Captain Kavanaugh.” Changing the subject, they both agreed to enjoy their meal without any further discussion of their woes.

Before parting ways, the two hugged, agreed to stay in contact and pray for each other.  As Desi got into her mini SUV, she smiled. If Solae could bounce back after a life-altering experience, so could she. “Yes, I can do this.”

CHAPTER ~4~

After more than a week, Michael was no closer to knowing Desi’s whereabouts. He missed her so much. He hadn’t prayed this hard in his life for anything, but he needed Desi to forgive him and come back home where they could work things out.

“I’m trusting You, Lord.” Michael strolled out of his office to the sales floor that was teeming with customers, which meant a nice size quarterly bonus. To back up the sales team, Michael signed on to the nearest available work station and looked up. A man opened the door and glanced around. Michael smiled and nodded a greeting to the customer who walked toward him.

“Michael Bishop?” The gentlemen didn’t look familiar, but in a high traffic store, Michael couldn’t remember every face.

“Yes, may I help you?”

Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out an envelope and handed it to him. “You’ve been served to appear in court. Have a good day.”

Stunned, Michael’s heart dropped. The moment seemed frozen in time. He swallowed and remembered to breathe as the man turned nonchalantly and left the store as if he hadn’t just ruined Michael’s life. He fingered the package. Court? Had Zachary been right? Had he truly lost Desi to divorce?

He looked up and caught a couple of his employees watching him. Straightening his frame, he gave the pretense that all was well as he quickly logged off and retreated to his office in the back. Behind closed doors, he unsealed the envelope and opened the folded paper. The words seemed to leap off the page and slap him. Petition for Dissolution of Marriage in regards to the marriage of Michael Hunter Bishop and Desiree Marie Bishop. He gritted his teeth. Losing self-control had cost him everything.

The more he stared at the petition, his mood changed from hopelessness to anger. Desi never even gave him a chance to explain why he cheated, or did she read his messages and discard them? How could she just throw away their marriage without any forgiveness? One mistake and she was throwing in the towel. Well, he was going to fight this divorce. He loved her!

As he was internally venting, his business line rang several times, which meant his staff was too busy to pick up. He answered with the standard company greeting.

“Michael, this is Brenda—”

Not now.
Michael huffed. “Listen—”

“No, you listen!” she snapped. “I can’t believe your silly little wife has the nerve to sue me! Is she crazy?” The woman was livid.

“Watch it. I was the crazy one to ever cheat with a woman that wasn’t worth breaking up my marriage.” Michael practically growled into the phone.

“It takes two, baby. Of all the married men I’ve had affairs with, not one of their wives took me to court because their husbands stepped out on them. If they’re not pleasing their hubbies, then men look elsewhere and I’m always available.”

So Brenda stalked her prey, and he had played the fool. How had he become so weak-minded that he fell for the bait? Michael was disgusted with himself. How many marriages had she destroyed? The more important question was how many wives forgave their husbands and took them back?  “Well, deal with it. She’s suing me for a divorce. So we’re even. Don’t ever call me again.” He disconnected.

Michael pounded his desk so hard with his fist that everything shook, including the forgotten bottle of water that splashed on his report.  Leaping to his feet, Michael reached for the paper towels. Not cooperating with him, the paper towels rolled across the floor, adding to his irritation. Michael berated himself as he cleaned up the mess.

But could he clean up the mess he had created when he failed as a Christian and a husband? Some drastic changes had to be made. His brother had been hounding him about a new franchise venture that had a better commission pay scale and would reduce his working hours from sixty-plus to fifty. That would give him more time at home to rebuild his relationship with his wife. Now was the time to act.