Read Online When Sunday Comes Again by Terry E. Hill - Free Book Online Page A

gullible that they can’t tell when someone is acting? she questioned silently. How could they not see her for the horrible, conniving bitch she is? she thought, staring at her reflection in the screen.
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    It had been two days since Scarlett confessed to her husband that Hezekiah was the father of her daughter, Natalie. Two days of David avoiding eye contact when they passed each other in the hall. Two days of sleeping in separate bedrooms, and two days of wondering whether he would leave her life as quickly as he had come. Scarlett loved her husband, but her grief over Hezekiah’s death made it difficult for her to worry about her domestic troubles.
    Her sleep had been fitful, and there was no appetite. The little strength she had was used to comb Natalie’s hair before school each morning and to greet her with a smile and a kiss every day after school. There were stretches of time during the two-day period that she didn’t even know if David was in the house. Her thoughts rarely strayed from memories of the brief time she had loved and made love to Hezekiah, or the hurt she had endured at the hand of Samantha after she had learned that Scarlett was pregnant with his child.
    David felt betrayed when he learned of the years of deception and lies. The pain was compounded by knowing Hezekiah Cleaveland had shared the secret with the woman he loved. His stomach churned when he thought of all the times he had shaken Hezekiah’s hand after church with Scarlett standing by his side and Natalie in his arms.
    â€œYou outdid yourself with that sermon, Pastor,” he had said to Hezekiah on several Sunday mornings. “You’ve made me want to be a better husband to my wife and a better father to our daughter.”
    The hurt festered in the silent home. Every time he saw Scarlett standing in the bathroom mirror or sitting and looking out the living room window, he would imagine Hezekiah groping her delicate body or making love to her in some cheap motel room. He could almost hear her gentle moans of ecstasy when he thought of Hezekiah pounding away at the woman he loved.
    He wanted Hezekiah to feel the hurt he felt. How do you hurt a dead man? he had thought more than once. If he wasn’t already dead, I think I would kill him.
    Scarlett stepped from the marble and glass enclosure after a long hot shower. Beads of warm water rolled from her dripping hair, over the curves of her breasts, around her hips, and onto the carpeted floor. The water glimmered on her naked body as she wrapped herself in a plush pink towel. The room was filled with steam, leaving only a ghostly reflection in a wall of mirrors that stood before her.
    The bathroom door opened, and David stood in the threshold as she dried her hair. “Does Samantha know about this?” he asked coldly.
    Scarlett jerked her head in his direction. “You startled me. Why didn’t you knock?”
    â€œNow you want me to knock when I enter my own bathroom,” he replied with a hint of irony.
    â€œYes, considering you haven’t said a word to me in two days.”
    â€œCorrection, Scarlett. We haven’t spoken to each other in two days. You haven’t answered my question. Does Samantha know about Natalie?”
    Scarlett wrapped her damp hair in a towel as she spoke. “I told you she did. David, don’t torture yourself over this. It doesn’t concern you. This is my problem. I’ve handled it alone up until now, and I will continue to do so.”
    â€œWhat do you mean, it’s your problem? You’re my wife, and Natalie has been like a daughter to me.”
    â€œI appreciate that, David, but now that you know the truth, you don’t have to worry about us anymore.”
    David looked confused. “How can you be so cold to me? I love you, and I love Natalie. Do you expect me just to turn off my feelings?”
    â€œI don’t expect you to do anything. I apologize if I’ve hurt