Read Online Fairytales by Cynthia Freeman - Free Book Online Page A

that’s not what’s botherin’ you at this moment … no … what’s botherin’ me is that he would never face the fact that I’d pleaded with him not to get involved in politics. I said it would be bad for our home life … I told him. Did he listen? No. But I have to reiterate … it’s a man’s world, and that’s for damn sure. I’m askin’ what do you do when you try to make a man realize he’s destroyin’ you with his strength, self-importance and ambition. Well, I’ll tell you, my darlin’, you do a lot of crazy foolish things when you’re dealin’ with a fool … and I say he is a fool, because he traded me for the limelight and tried to push me aside when he could’ve had the world in me and the children. We could’ve been like a safe harbor. But here I am, ramblin’ on and on like I was losin’ my mind. I don’t know, sometimes I think I am … I get so aggravated when I think nothin’ I ever did worked … like leavin’ Dominic when he started in politics to come to the Farm … I’ll never forget the first time … I really had him … because he was frightened … a politician needs a wife and I had the advantage over him but was too dumb to see it … that was the time, yes, sir … I could’ve said, look, I’ll make a deal with you, Dominic, give up the race and I’ll come home and you wouldn’t have to be beggin’ anymore … or if you don’t, I’m through with you … Hear? But did I say that … ? No. When he called I acted just like any other woman, but I was so damned lonesome hearing the sound of his voice sayin’ “Catherine, come on home and we’ll talk about it. In fact, we’ll do more than talk. I’m taking you to Rome and I don’t want you to say no —not this time.” Maybe this just might be a new beginnin’ … except the grapes don’t get sweeter just ’cause they been hangin’ on the vine a long time … imagine, him sayin’ that just threw me into a state of complete confusion. I wasn’t thinkin’ straight. If I was, I would’ve stuck to my guns and held my ground. But no, dumb dodo that I was, I succumbed. “I don’t want you to say no …” That’s all it took and there I was goin’ home … where did it get me? Back to the Farm after that glorious Roman holiday … with my little ass in a sling. You know why? Because the trip didn’t solve a thing … and now it’s like the boy who called wolf just once too often. My goin’ away no longer disturbs Dominic like it did in the beginnin’… That’s why he hasn’t bothered to inquire about me. You don’t think it hurts? It sure as hell does, ’cause I’m just not important to him any longer in any way … and that doesn’t lift a lady’s spirits, now does it? Well, Dominic … you don’t know it yet, but I got a great big surprise in store for you. This is a new ball game. Slightly embarrassed, red-faced and plenty ashamed you’re gonna be when it comes out how I’ve been abused and mistreated. Everybody’s gonna know who I am … make no mistake about that, Dominic, my darlin’ … so you can look all you want after you’ve come to the realization I’m really playin’ for keeps this time … I won’t come back, if and when you simmer down long enough to realize I’m missin’ … not this time … not if I have to wait until hell freezes over.
    Catherine’s righteous indignation really boiled over the more she thought about it. She had to get out of here … everything was choking her. Quickly, she changed into a sleeveless dress, flats, and ran from the room … then from the building and finally into the Mercedes and away in a cloud of dust until she disappeared onto the main road where she drove and drove for miles. By the time Catherine returned to her room, she was weary, but much of the frustrations and hostilities she had felt earlier were dispelled. After drawing the bath, she poured herself a glass of wine, sipped as she went back into the bathroom and undressed,