Three is a crowd: Why Julie chose David over Kenneth 

(Continued from last issue)

David and Diane have been married for years; then there is Julie, the young secretary whose axis collides with the couple’s in ways none of them saw coming.

JULIE

On the last day of our ‘weekend getaway’, we went shopping at a nearby mall. The plan had been to pick a few outfits for Junior, but once we were there, David insisted that I pick a few for myself as well.

Because David and I had never gone shopping together before, I quickly noticed that we had very different shopping styles; he picked items based on what they looked like, and the quality of their fabric, while my choices tended to be determined by their price tags.

He noticed this difference in our shopping styles as well, as after I had moved to walk away from a third dress after glancing at its tag, he stopped me.

“Do you like it?” he asked directly, while picking it off the rack.
“Yes, but have you seen its price? It’s almost two hundred thousand shillings! I could never spend that much on a dress!”

“Maybe you can’t, but I can,” he answered firmly, then pointedly added it to our trolley.
“You don’t need to!” I protested.
“I know, but I want to; it’s been too long since I spoiled you and, besides, two hundred thousand for a dress isn’t that expensive,” he answered dismissively.

His response was a stark reminder of how different our economic backgrounds were; while I was working, two hundred thousand was the amount I would spend on four or even five outfits; needless to say, they would be secondhand. David, on the other hand, had probably never bought, let alone worn, a secondhand outfit his entire life!

I appreciated his generosity; it was one of the things I loved about him, and to be honest, ultimately, one of the main reasons I had chosen him over Kenneth.

At the same time, each time he gave me money, or bought something for Junior or me, a small nagging voice at the back of my mind asked what I would do without him. His generosity was comforting and provided me with a sense of security, but it was scary as well; it reminded me of just how completely I depended on him.

DAVID

In an attempt to cheer up Julie, I decided to take her shopping; it was a strategy that always worked with Diane, who loved few things more than shopping, especially when it was with my money – but I was soon reminded that Julie was not Diane.

Although she was fairly comfortable with picking out clothes for Junior, when it came to selecting anything for herself, she rejected one outfit after another, because she felt they were too expensive.

Although one of the things I loved about her was that there was not a materialistic bone in her body, and I appreciated that she was being frugal with my money, I loved looking after her as well; I loved the way it made me feel like a ‘bigger’ man to provide for, and do things for her, and on this particular trip, she was fighting me every step of the way.

I finally got her to accept a few items before she insisted on us returning to the resort, and seeing how uncomfortable she was, I caved in and we headed back for lunch.

Since the shopping trip had failed miserably, I decided to try something more toned down after lunch, and suggested we spend the afternoon at the beach, which she readily agreed to.

Watching her build sand castles with Junior, or prance barefooted along the shore, I was reminded of how almost childlike she was in the simple things she found joy in; it was refreshing to see, and another of the things I found so attractive about her.

There was a purity about her that one did not see too often these days; the kind of purity that made you want to envelope and shelter it from the rest of the world, so you never lost it.

Apart from the obvious reason of keeping our affair secret (at least in the beginning), I think this was the other reason I kept Julie asn sheltered from the outside world as I did.

I wanted her to stay pure and almost ethereal; so, being with her would always be a haven and escape from whatever else was going on in my life.

DIANE

On the day before David was due to return, I woke up feeling almost panicked at the thought that David was going to be back soon and I still did not have a plan for how I was going to respond to the way he had treated me.

He still had not answered any of my calls or texts; so, I was not even sure how he was going to act when he returned. Since he had not even tried to deny that he was with that whore, I was no longer confident he was even interested in trying to fix our marriage, and I had no idea what that meant for us, going forward.

Still trying to maintain the façade of a healthy marriage, I could not talk to my mother about what was going on, but Tracy knew about the problems David and I had, especially those that revolved around his affair; so, I decided to call and get her opinion on what I should do.

“First of all, are you absolutely certain he’s with her?” she asked, once I had filled her in on everything that had happened.
“Of course, I’m certain! He would have denied it if he wasn’t.”

“Well, in that case, I can only give you the same advice I’ve given you throughout – forget about what David and she are doing, and focus on you and your children! As long as he continues to provide for you, and your kids have everything they need, don’t stress yourself over the rest,” she answered, her tone matter-of-fact-like, like we were discussing a business deal rather than my marriage.

“I can’t just stand by and let him keep messing around with her! What if he leaves me for her?” I protested.

“We both know David would never do that; he might be horny, but he’s not stupid. If it makes you feel better, build yourself a comfortable nest egg – with his money, of course – and that way, you’ll have the security and satisfaction that if he ever goes absolutely stark, raving, mad, and does leave, you and the children will be protected.”

As usual, Tracy made a lot of sense, and as usual, it was not what I wanted to hear; it was not enough for me for David to cater for the children and me. I needed him to come to his senses, dump that whore and be the man that I had married; the one who belonged to me – and only me.

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