The New Husband(68)

“You can’t help,” Simon said, softly and dejectedly. The fight was out of him. The storm had passed, or so Glen thought.

Simon stomped out of the box and over to the television. He hoisted up the TV, unmindful of the cord plugged into the wall, and with a grunt, lifted it over his head, his face clenched in anger. Glen cowered, shielding himself with his arms, afraid the appliance would become a projectile.

Simon had highlighted how this particular TV was glass-fronted, as if it were a selling point. Glen pictured shards of broken glass gouging out an eye as it crashed down on his head, but instead Simon brought his arms forward slowly, and set the television down gently. There was an audible exhale as Glen let go of his breath.

“You can’t help,” Simon said, crumpling to the floor, hiding his face in his hands.

Glen tried to clear away the blood pouring from his nose, managing only to smear it all over his face like war paint.

“Get me some bandages,” Glen said, lying facedown, panting hard. He used his stained mattress to soak up some blood. “Get me some bandages, and let’s talk. Let me help you figure it out, whatever it is.”

Simon went upstairs and returned with a first-aid kit, along with a paper cup of water. He spent several minutes cleaning Glen’s many wounds and applying bandages to all the injuries, including the gash to the ankle and a cut to his chin. The beard caught more of the blow flow, so Simon crumpled up the soiled bandage that wasn’t sticking anyway and tossed it aside. He gave Glen the cup of water. Sitting cross-legged on his blood-soaked mattress, sipping the water, Glen watched as Simon surveyed his handiwork.

“I’m sorry I went off on you like that. It was uncalled-for,” said Simon, slumping on the floor nearby.

Glen gingerly rubbed the back of his head, feeling the tender lumps that had formed. “Why did you attack me?”

“I was angry. Needed a release.”

The weather …

“What happened?”

“I’m not going to say.”

“Is it Nina?” Glen sounded panicky. “Is she all right? Maggie? Connor? Are they okay?”

“Yeah. They’re fine, Glen. Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt them.”

Glen considered Simon almost impassively. “You know I don’t believe that’s true,” he said. “You can’t control yourself. Look at what you did to me.” He pointed to his numerous injuries. “You’re a sick man. You need help.”

For a moment there, Simon looked like he was about to agree. “Nina’s seeing a therapist,” he said in a low voice.

Glen was taken aback. He had expected so much worse. “What’s wrong with that? She’s been through a lot.”

“No, you don’t get it. She’s talking about me. I know it. She’s talking about me and she’s going to leave me.”

Glen understood that would be the worst decision for everyone. It was strange for him to want Simon with his wife, sleeping in his bed, to be a part of his children’s lives, because the alternative was too horrible to consider.

“You don’t know that for a fact.”

“I do. She’s looking into my life, searching Emma’s name. She’ll figure it out. It’s that damn therapist. She’s making her doubt me.”

Glen closed his eyes, thinking. When he opened them, he fixed Simon with a pointed stare, his expression serious and reserved. Now was the moment to make his request, and Glen thought: NICE GUY, a secret message, hope.

“Let me talk to Maggie. By phone this time,” Glen said. “Listen to me, Simon, this therapist business is about Maggie. Your plan to use her to make Nina quit her job is causing the problem. I know Nina better than you. Trust me. If we can get Maggie on your side, Nina won’t have any reason to see her therapist anymore. We’ll come up with another way to get Nina to quit working if we have to.”

Simon mulled this over.

“Why would you want to do that?” Simon sounded skeptical. “Why help me?”

“You know the answer.” Glen understood it was a risk to suggest he could coerce Nina through a proxy, but he had to make his case; he had to convince Simon to trust him, to follow his lead. “I’ll do anything to protect my family, and you told me you wouldn’t hesitate, not one second, to harm them if Nina rejects you, or loses interest. Tell me it’s not true.”

Simon couldn’t deny it.

“Look, I’m trying to save their lives.” Desperation leaked into Glen’s voice. “You can do away with me. I don’t care anymore. Kill me if that’s what has to happen. But I can’t let anything happen to my family.”

A thoughtful look came to Simon’s face, but the darkness in his eyes lingered.

“So admirable,” he said. “Such conviction. Nina’s told me time and time again how you were unavailable to the kids, how you were so work-obsessed. I don’t get it. How do you stay so strong for them?”

“They’re my children.” Glen’s voice was shaky.

“You have regrets, right?” Simon’s expression brightened. He loved feeling superior to Glen.

“Who doesn’t?”

This seemed to interest Simon, and Glen sensed his opportunity.

“Tell me about them,” Simon insisted. “I can’t make the same mistakes.”