Page 75 of If I Didn’t Have You

“I gave them everything. I said grace at the table every night!”

“Yes, but you still haven’t brought me home.”

“I was a loyal wife. I did everything the Bible said! I was freaking Mary Magdalene!”

“Well, aside from the healing demons thing.”

“Am I really supposed to give more? Why is it that I’m doing everything right, and my husband gets to walk around, showing off his biceps to other women?”

“Well—”

“And not even real women! She hasn’t had a baby! She doesn’t know the pain coming from birth. And I’m not talking about that fake birth where they shoot you up with an epidural. I’m talking about a real birth where you shove that kid out without any medication. I did that!”

“Five times,” she agreed. “But you still haven’t gotten me home.”

“That woman doesn’t even know the meaning of pain!” I shouted, slamming my fist on the steering wheel as I turned back down Main Street. “If I have to hear one more time about feeling the burn while she tortures me with yoga, I’ll have her head on a spit!”

“Just remember that we’re in Montana, and while the rules may be a little lax here, you can still go to prison!”

My foot pressed down harder on the gas. I didn’t even realize I was doing it. Not until Georgia called out for me to slow down. I saw red. I saw River flaunting her body in front of my husband, tempting her like the Jezebel she was.

“I can’t let this go on,” I murmured.

“Clara, take your foot off the gas.”

“She’s ruining my life!”

“Think this through!”

“I will not play second fiddle to that whore!” I shouted, hitting the gas. I turned the wheel at the last second, and the car jumped the curb, smashing through the glass of the gym, coming to a screeching halt as the front end of the car hit one of the supports.

Georgia was still screaming as the car jerked and hissed. Steam shot up from the engine, and I barely saw River peek her head up from where she had ducked as she was putting yoga mats away.

My hands shook against the steering wheel as reality washed over me. I had just rammed my car through a window, all in the name of jealousy. And I had another person in the car with me.

“Georgia,” I whispered.

“Uh-huh?”

Her voice was nothing more than a shaky whisper as her hand clutched the handle above the door.

“So…I just did that.”

“Uh-huh.”

“That probably shouldn’t have happened.”

“Uh-uh,” she shook her head slowly, still breathing heavily.

“That was bad, right?”

“Very bad,” she whispered.

“I just tried to kill another person.”

“Well, in all fairness, you didn’t actually aim for her.”

“Right,” I nodded, still staring at the wreckage, trying to piece together what I had done. “Still…I doubt this little incident will get me into heaven.”