FLOOD 

By Tessa Harvey

    The man and woman stood alone in the relatively small sunlit lounge. They were about a metre apart, but it could have been a chasm - and it was.
    "Why?" he asked again, trying not to cry, trying and hoping for an answer, one that would help, that would perhaps heal, eventually.
    Eliza thought hard. If she had been cheated in such a way, could she ever understand or even forgive!
    "The man I married was a brute." The explanation came, haltingly. "He seemed romantic, adventurous, but it wasn't real. Our child was school age, and I was pregnant by him with Theodor who was a baby with problems. Often I thought of you, wishing you had cared more. I had no idea if you cared or not. Your work was always a priority."
    "Karl dominated every aspect of our lives. He was more than a narcissist. He was a criminal and dangerous. And I did not know how to contact you. I am more sorry than you can ever imagine." She turned to face him. "Can you ever forgive me, John?"

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