The 300th IOU

Clara’s POV 

I took another glance at my wrist watch. It was already 8:47 p.m., yet Damon still hadn’t arrived. 

My eyes kept wandering to the door, hoping he would walk in, apologise for being late, and we could then go ahead with our dinner.

I felt stupid thinking this. I mean, deep down, I knew he wasn’t coming, but I still decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

It was already 9:00 p.m., and he still hadn’t arrived or returned my calls, making me look like a complete fool.

I sat back in the chair, exhaling a shaky sigh as my mind drifted back to earlier that morning after breakfast. 

I told him about the reservation I made at La Vigna for our fifth anniversary as a married couple. 

“Seven p.m.,” I mumbled, forcing a  smile and trying my best to sound cheerful even though I wasn’t sure he cared. “Please, don’t come late,” I added, knowing fully well how he was quick to forget things that concerned me. 

He only nodded without saying a word. Grabbed his keys and walked out the door 

That was how he had been behaving for the last three years. I have been his wife for five years, and of those five years, only the first two were beautiful. 

It was filled with love, late-night talks and endless laughter. Damon would often bring home flowers for no reason and text during his lunch just to tell me he was missing me.  

After our second anniversary, everything started to change. It began with small things like missed calls, shorter replies and keeping late nights. 

It got worse when his mother started with the frequent visits. She never said it directly, but it was always clear in her disapproving looks that she felt I was the problem for our inability to have a child.

In no time, she began pressuring Damon to get another wife. The last time I saw him look at me with love was the night I told him the pregnancy test I did come back negative.  

He wasn’t upset. He only shook his head slightly, then pulled me in for a hug. “It’s fine,” he mumbled softly, though his eyes were telling a different story. 

Since then, I painfully watched him drift away from me. And now, here I was waiting for him to show up at our fifth anniversary. 

I grabbed my phone from the table and dialed his number afterwards. 

It rang once, twice, and the third time it went to voicemail. 

“Hi, it’s Damon. Leave a message.” 

Beep. 

I spoke calmly, even with the frustration I felt. “Damon, it’s me. It’s almost ten. Are you still coming? Please call me back.” 

I then hung and exhaled a soft breath. Maybe he was caught in traffic, or he had forgotten his phone at the office like the previous night. 

Once again I was giving stupid reasons, when the truth was right in front of me. I guess I didn’t just want to accept it. 

At 10:30 pm, I was still waiting, watching as the other customers move out of the restaurant with their partners. 

"Ma'am," the waiter's voice pierced through my thoughts. “Ma’am, we’ll be closing in fifteen minutes,” he said firmly with a forced smile. 

I understood it was an indirect message that I needed to leave, so with a heavy heart, I stood and made my way towards the door. 

Inside my car, I leaned back into my seat and dialed Damon’s number one last time. This time the call connected and for a moment there, I felt relieved.

Not until I heard a faint maon— a woman’s voice.  

I froze, unable to say a word. My brain was already thinking of  an excuse, but then I heard Damon’s voice, low and breathless.

“God! Ba…by, you feel so fucking good.” 

My stomach dropped, my grip tightening around the phone. Maybe it was just something he was watching when he mistakenly answered the call. 

“Damon!” The woman gasped, “Harder, baby, please don’t stop.” 

My phone slipped from my hand and clattered on the floor of the car. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe, my heart trying to rip itself out of my chest. 

He was cheating on me, the realisation hit me slowly, feeling like a stab to the chest. 

Goosebumps rose along my skin as I turned on the car and drove out of the restaurant’s driveway, through the streaking rain.

The drive was a complete blur of emotions, my hands firmly gripping the wheel in an attempt to strangle it.  

Who was she? Did he love her so much that he would choose our anniversary night, of all days, for his infidelity? 

I had been by his side all these years, through tough times, and yet this was how he repaid me. 

My mind kept pondering in thoughts until my phone started buzzing from the seat next to mine.

I turned my gaze to it, my blood boiling with anger as his name flashed on the screen. 

Returning my gaze to the rod, my eyes widened, a loud scream escaping my mouth. 

The tyres screeched as I hit the brakes aggressively, but unfortunately it was quite late. I crashed into another car coming from the opposite lane. 

The last thing I saw before everything went blank was the screen of my phone flashing with his name.