The Broken Benefactor

~12~ (UPDATED 02/14/2020)

(THE COUPLE)

The small town of Kaufman, Texas had a population of nearly seven thousand people. The predominantly white rural city was only thirty-five minutes from Dallas, Texas. As diverse and progressive as Dallas was, Kaufman was a little more conservative. Quite a few people gave the couple displeased glares when they were out and about.

          Unfortunately, some people weren't as accepting as they should be.

          As the couple walked around the grocery store, people stared at them in the most disrespectful manner.

          "Baby just look at me. I love you and you make me happy, so who gives a fuck what these people think." He smiled as he turned her to face him. Valerie focused on his lips and the glimmer in his crystal-clear eyes. Ethan leaned down and kissed her with love and adoration. He wrapped his arm around her waist as they continued on with their shopping.

           "Ethan." A shrill voice called his name. Even though it seemed familiar, he had no idea who it could've been since he only associated with some of the people he met at the local V.A. and a few of his Marine buddies. His arm tightened around Valerie's waist as he kissed her forehead and continued in the direction in which they were headed.

          "Ethan Nelson Raye." The voice came from straight ahead. The only person he saw was a tall woman with two very small children in a shopping cart. She had brassy red hair that looked like it hadn't been washed in weeks. The woman was a little on the heavy side with some adorable strawberry blond kiddos. He looked at his wife and then back at the lady he suspected of calling out his name. Ethan shook his head signaling he had no idea who she was.

          "I guess now that you went and married little miss goodie two shoes you don't know me?" That smart-ass mouth of hers gave him the clue he needed to put two and two together.

          "Hello, Charlotte. How's life been treating you?" The question was an intentional dig at her. Ethan saw with his own two eyes that she wasn't doing too good. Everything about her had changed. Gone was the woman who looked like a runway model. The person who stood before him was a terrible mess.

          "Ha, ha, ha. You always was a funny motherfucker." She cackled back at him. The couple stopped long enough to hear what she had to say. If looks could kill, Charlotte would already be in jail because of the way she sliced through Valerie with a single glance. Anyone with or without eyes could she the mess of a woman hated the sight of Valerie with Ethan's arm wrapped protectively around her.

          "What can I do for you?" He asked his ex.

          "Can I talk to you in private?" She attempted to use what little was left of her feminine charms to encourage him to send Valerie away.

          "Valerie is my wife now in case you hadn't noticed." Ethan made sure he pointed to the wedding set on his wife's finger and the matching band on his own. Charlotte responded to the statement with a huff. The silly woman opened her mouth to say something but stopped in her tracks when Ethan's eyes told her not to even try it.

          "Whatever you need to say, you can say it in front of my wife." He said with enough emphasis to piss her off. The fact that Charlotte would dare try to disrespect his wife after everything she did to him made his blood boil. Ethan pulled his wife closer and turned to walk away.

          "No. Don't leave, please. I'm struggling really bad. Please. Can you help me out? Please." She begged him as she grabbed his free arm. Ethan wrenched his arm out of her grasp. The only thing he had for Charlotte was anger and hate in his eyes. He didn't want her lying cheating ass to touch him ever again.