The cold, freezing rain stings Nelly's skin as she makes her way to the bus shelter. She rests her weary bones on the metal bench. It felt as though she was sitting on ice, but she didn't care. She was soaked from head to feet, her body shaking like a leaf. Her brown eyes stare off into the night as she watches a few cars wiz by. The electric buzz of the flickering street light draws Nelly's attention. Numb, she felt nothing. Everything seemed unreal. She looks down at the blood stained shirt which clings to her person. Her eyes trail down to her shivering hands. Much of the thick, crimson fluid had washed off, but traces of blood could still be seen in the bed of her nails. She spreads her fingers apart and tilts her head to the side. Maybe I should paint them red. It is a nice color. The sudden thought brought a smile to the woman's lips. A woman in her situation would have been racking her brain with escape routes, coming up with an alibi for her whereabouts. But here she was, sitting out in the open for all to see. She even made eye contact with a few of the passer byers who wore concerned frowns on their faces. What if they called the police? She would be caught for sure. But Nelly was not troubled.

This lack of urgency did not alarm the drenched woman one bit. He deserved it. He brought it on himself. This was her rationale. That is what she planned on telling anyone who asked the question "why". She would tell it to the judge, her mother, and his family. She would tell it to her Maker. But most of all, she would tell it to herself in the same manner in which she screamed it at him as she repeatedly stabbed him in the neck with his fancy pen. It was truly a magnificent fountain pen. Nice grip and weight. Sleek and black with the letters N.L.S. carved in gold. At one point, she thought the pen was meant for her (they shared the same initials and he did give it to her, after all). But now, there was no doubt in her mind that his mistress gave it to him.

Nelly had a feeling that her husband, Professor Nathan Santiago, was losing interest in her. That feeling constantly gnawed at the back of her mind every time she attempted to get him into bed. Half of the time she failed at that, but when she succeeded, he did not lavish her with kisses from his sweet pout. He did not hold her or caress her like he had done so many times before. Instead, he avoided eye contact with her, often times taking her from behind and finishing before she reached her peak. It was moments like that which made her feel cheap and unappreciated. Negligee and candle light were wasted resources when it came to capturing the man's affections. He was into his work; his eyes were constantly glued to the computer screen. And it was that very same computer which confirmed her fears.

One night, while he was hard at work, Nelly slips into the office to bid him goodnight. She makes her way to the sitting man, her footsteps soft and soundless. The closer she got to her husband, the more she was able to what he was so focused on. "Querido?"

"Damn it, Nell!" Nathan closes out of the window and shuts his laptop, but it was too late; the damage was done. The Professor swivels around to come face to face with his wife. "What are you doing sneaking up on people?" Nelly blinks. She was not trying to be stealthy, it was never her attention to sneak up on him; she just did not want to disrupt him.

"I'm sorry. I was..." Nelly shakes herself free from the guilt trip he tried to pull over on her. "Who was that?"

"Qué?"

The brown freckled faced woman frowns. "I said ‘Who was that'."

Nathan places a hand on the lid of the computer. "It was nothing."

"It was a woman. A naked woman."

He sucks his teeth, "So what? I was looking at some photos! What does it matter?!"

"It matters, Nate! I am your wife. I am here for you. I want to be the one to please you!"

Nathan stands to his feet, his 6'1" frame looming over her. "You think that I want this?! You think that I enjoy coming home to a frigid woman who does nothing but nags me to death?!"

"Nate, you will not talk to me like this!"

"Talk to you like what?! Talk to you like someone who doesn't have a job? Talk to you like someone who does nothing but spend the hard earned cash that I bring home?!" He pushes past her, bumping her shoulder in the process. "Nell, I gave you everything that you could want, and you can't do the same for me? The only thing I ask for is a little bit of peace and quiet when I get home, but you can't even do that."

"How dare you say that! I prepare a hot meal for you every night! I clean the house and wash your clothes! All I want to do is spend time with you when you get home from work! --Don't walk away when I'm talking to you!" The woman follows the Professor into the living room. He puts on his jacket. "Where are you going, Nate?"

"Out."

"In the middle of the night?!" He does not answer. "Nate, don't," she grabs his arm but he snatches it out of her grip. "Nathan, stay! Let's talk this out!" Nelly was on the verge of tears. She feels her heart rate accelerating along with her breathing. Once again, she goes in after him and hugs his arm to her chest. "Please," she snivels, the word coming out almost as broken as her heart. "Please Nathan. I won't nag you. I'll give you your space."

"Get off," he grunts as he shoves his wife off of him.

"Nathan!" Nelly lets out a cry when he slaps her hands as though she were his child. And like a child, the woman stood in silence as she watched the man she loved (and who claimed that he loved her) walk out of the door without so much as a second look or a goodbye.

That night, Nelly cried herself to sleep only to be awoken two hours later by her husband's manhood pressed against her backside. "I'm sorry Nelly," he whispers. The man gives another small encouraging thrust. "Come on, Baby. I want you..." She did not want him; but, in order to fulfill her wifely duties, she would allow herself to be used by him.

Nelly slightly parts her thighs when his strong hands lift up her night gown. She remains on her side as he slides into her. He grabs her hips, his movements becoming more frantic and jerky as he plummets in and out of her. He's too rough; he's hurting her, but she remains quiet. "Te amo," Nathan sighs as he relieves himself. He kisses the nape of her neck and rolls her over until they are face to face. "Mi Amor." He pushes back Nelly's wavy hair and kisses her face.

Everything between the couple seemed to calm down after the blow up. However, it isn't until months later when their peace is compromised.

***

Nathan places a gentle hand on the small of Nelly's back, escorting her into the ballroom of the university. Her eyes look up at the grand ceiling. Chandeliers sparkle and shimmer and the sound of orchestrated music fill the atmosphere of the bustling hall. All of these people were here to celebrate her husband's accomplishments, but the sad part was that she had no clue this was going on until about a week ago. "Ahem." Nelly looks up at her husband who proudly offered his arm to her. "You look exquisite," he whispers as he moves closer to her. Smiling, she slips her arm into his, hugging it tight as he leads the way towards a few of his colleagues.

After a brief introduction and exchange of words between Nelly and her husband's peers, the woman takes the backseat as Nathan and the others carried on amongst themselves. Her mind wanders off as she listens to the group drone on about politics. Every once in a while, someone would try to bring her into the conversation, only to have her drift off again. Politics just wasn't her forte. Now, if they were talking about literature and art, she would have something of interest to say.

Seeing that she was now outside of the loop, Nelly politely excuse herself and sets off to get some punch. When she turns around to rejoin the group, she is surprised to see a younger woman standing in her spot. A sense of deja vu hits Nelly as she closes in on the small gathering. I know that look. I know that face. A slight frown crinkles Nelly's eyes when the girl laughs a little too hard at one of her husband's jokes. "Oh, Vicky. You have yet to meet my wife, Nelly." When the young lady turns around, Nelly sees a bit of her smile fade. "Nelly, this is Vicky Bryant. Vicky Bryant, my wife Nelly."

"Mrs. Santiago," Vicky offers her hand, "it's nice to finally meet you. Professor Santiago talks about you all the time."

Nelly knew this was a lie, but she nods and smiles at the comment that was meant to be a compliment. "Well, thank you Vicky. I hope it wasn't anything too bad."

"No, not at all. Only good things."

Nelly's eyes watch as Vicky continues the conversation that she and the Professor were having. It wasn't until a few giggles and head tilts later did the wife realize why the girl looked so familiar.

***

The ride back home was a long and quiet one. Nathan could sense the tension in the air, but he chooses to keep his mouth shut. He wasn't going to let her mood ruin his night. When Professor Santiago pulls into the drive way, his wife hops out of the car and heads for the door. He watches as she fiddles with her clutch before pulling out keys and entering the house.

Minutes later, the man enters the home to find his wife pacing back and forth in the living room. "I know who she is, Nathan."

He lifts an eyebrow as he undoes his tie. "Of course you know. She is my student. I introduced you two, remember?"

"Don't patronize me! You know good and well what I'm talking about. That's the bitch on your computer!"

Her husband sighs. "Nell, this again..."

"Are you screwing her, Nate?"

"Nelly..."

She retracts from his outreached hand. "DON'T touch me Nate! Answer the question. Are you sleeping with her or not?"

Santiago's emerald eyes harden. "Yes."

Nelly gasps for air as she tries to fight back the tears that surfaced. "Why Nate? How could you do this to me, to us?" He looks away. "Tell me!"

"Damn it, I don't know! She's just different."

"Different how?! What does she have that I don't? What does she do for you that I don't?"

"Well she's young and ambitious. She's spontaneous. She doesn't badger me about her needs and wants. There is no need for foreplay because she is always wet and ready for me. She likes to fuck."

Nelly's mouth hangs ajar as she listens to her husband check off his list as if they were grocery items. She blinks away a few tears. "You are a bastard."

Nathan smiles, "Yeah, I know." His grin widens as he watches her frown deepen. He takes a few steps forward. Seeing her this way gave him a twisted pleasure. He wanted to see how far he could go.

"Get back Nathan!" He brushes a strand of hair from her face. "I said ‘don't touch me'!" When he kisses her lips, Nelly pulls away from him and slaps his face.

Stunned, Nathan wipes his lip with the back of his hand. It was busted. Nelly jumps when he suddenly turns to face her. He then grabs her arms and presses her up against the wall. The more his wife struggled, the more aroused he became. He gives her rough kisses and pushes his firm body onto hers, giving her very little room to wriggle her way from under him. "Vicky is a freak, but this side of you is irresistible. She is too easy. She gives into me whenever and wherever I tell her to. She knows all the tricks. But you?" the 42 year old reaches his hand up his 35 year old wife's dress, ripping the fabric that covered her delicate parts. "You are a fighter. You resist me. And I love that. But what I love most about you," he hikes up her struggling leg, "is that you are so innocent and naïve; more so than the girls I see running around. You're my good girl... And I--."

"Nathan, please... Please stop..."

"--want to turn...you out."

Nelly stares at the mirror located over the mantle as her husband did his business. She focuses on her reflection, her vision becoming blurry as tears filled her eyes.

***

"Tia Nelly!" The woman stoops down to her knees and scoops up the little boy. She showers him with kisses before releasing him.

"My Jo-jo! How are you doing? How's school?"

"It's good..." the six year old looks around "Where's Tio Nate?"

The smile slowly dissolves from her face. "Well, he's um..."

"Joe, go clean up your toys. My kitchen is not your playground."

"Yes Mommy."

The mother stops her son and gives him a kiss on the top of his head. "Tell Daddy to get you ready for bed. Mommy's going to be outside with auntie, M'kay?"

"Yes."

The women watch as the little boy disappears into the kitchen. Nelly gives her sister a sad smile before walking into her outstretched arm. "Thanks Maria."

Maria pats her little sister, "Let's go."

The two women sit in silence. A few birds fly by. "I'm pregnant."

Maria looks at Nelly. She would have said "congratulations" if it wasn't for the grim undertone that hung in her sister's voice. "Wow. That's... that's news." She falls silent. "Jo-jo is gonna be excited... I know Nate is."

"I'm divorcing him." The shocked look on her older sister's face did not phase Nelly one bit.

"What? Why? I thought you two were perfect for each other? You both seemed so happy."

Nelly shakes her head. "It's just... I have my reasons and I don't feel at liberty to talk about them with you right now."

Maria leans in when she sees her sister's head drop. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Nelly wipes a tear, "I'm fine. I'm good."

Maria grabs Nelly's hand. "You know that we're here for you. Anything you need you let us know, alright?"

Nelly is quiet for a while. "You're still going to visit Mommy, right?" Maria nods, "...Would you pick me up at the bus stop over on Brusly Avenue, the one across the street from Lilith's Shoppe? I need you to be there Tuesday at 10:00 PM. Nathan won't be home until Wednesday afternoon... I don't want to be around when gets those papers."

Maria's eyebrows furrow. "Sure but... Why so late?"

"Because I want to leave while everyone is sleeping. I don't need any nosey neighbors in my business."

"Did you need help packing?"

"No, I got that under control."

***

Nelly pulls her hair back into a pony tail and glances at the clock. 8:45P.M. She would have to leave in 30 minutes in order to make it to the checkpoint in time. If she wanted to vanish without a trace, she had to pack light. Nelly slips her ID and passport into her back pocket. She hurries to her jewelry box and pulls out a wad of rubber banded bills from the secret compartment. She stares at the green paper. To think, if she had not start putting away some cash all those months ago...she would be up shit creek without a paddle right about now.

Nelly shoves the money into her front pocket and pulls her white blouse down in the front to conceal the bulge. She makes her last rounds, being sure that the house is tidy before leaving the premises. She enters the study. This used to be her favorite room. He would sit in his leather chair working while she sat across from him writing or reading a book. They shared some good times in here. Nelly reaches for the pen that rests on the middle of the wooden desk. She remembered the day he gave it to her. It was this past year. He said that every great writer needed a great pen. It was not the romantic gift she was expecting, but it was the thought that mattered to her.

Nelly is about to place the pen down when something catches her eye. She stares at the lid of the pen. Carved on the very top of it was a heart with the initials V.B. in the center. Vicky Bryant. Nelly purses her lips together. If she had any doubts about leaving him they were all gone now.

Wham! "Nelly!" The woman spins around upon hearing her name. "Nelly!" She leans onto the desk when her husband pops up into the doorway.

"Nathan? What are you doing here? I thought you had a trip?"

"The hell it matters what I'm doing here?! What I need to know is what the fuck is this?!" he hollers, waving a stack of papers in the air. "After all that I've done for you?! You tryna leave?!"

"I-I didn't want it to go down this way."

"How the hell did you expect it to go down, huh? You thought that I would just leave knowing that you were going to divorce me? You thought that I wouldn't take care of this?!"

"What is there to take care of?! All I need for you to do is sign on the dotted line and I will be out of your life!"

"The fuck you will!" Nathan chucks the papers at her feet. "I know you, bitch! You are after my money!"

"I don't need your money, Nathan! I was there for you before all of that! I supported you! I gave up on my dreams so that you could pursue yours! And what do you do? You cheat on me! You mess around with a girl that is 20 years your junior! And you have the nerve to storm in here like I am in the wrong?! Fuck you and your money! I don't need you or it!"

"Well that's good then, because you aren't gonna see a red cent, my dear! How do you expect to support yourself? No one is going to hire a woman who's been out of work for nearly eight years!"

"It doesn't matter, Nate. I've been saving up."

"You what?" Nathan grabs Nelly's arm as she attempts to push past him. "Come again?"

She stares him in the eyes. "You heard me. I've been saving up. Ever since I saw that whore on your laptop."

"You've been stealing from me?" He jerks her arm, "Answer me, woman!" When she does not respond, Nathan throws her on top of the scattered papers. "So you wanna leave?" Nelly scoots back when he takes a few steps towards her. She watches in horror as he takes his belt off. "So you just gonna throw 10 years away because of a little bit of pussy?" Nathan pounces on his wife as she attempts to make a run for it. "You want to leave? Fine by me. You can even have that money, but I will get my worth from you."

"Nathan! Stop!"

"Shut up! You know fighting makes me want you more. Besides, I want to show you a new trick that Vicky taught me." Nelly's grasp around the pen tightens. "I swear I'm gonna give it to you so good, I'll have you screaming my name just like she's been doing all these years."

Nelly's eyes widen. Years? He's been sleeping with her...for years?

Nathan's lips move closer to her ear. "Now let's hurry up and do this. I don't want to keep her waiting at the airport..."

In that instance, the fragile woman snaps. Nelly's vision fades into white and she loses control of her body. She hears yelling. It was coming from both his and her lips. He was pleading for her to stop and she was screaming Spanish obscenities at the top of her lungs. "You deserve this, you fucking bastard! Sadistic motherfucker! You brought all of this on yourself! You cheated on me! You hurt me so many times! You're heartless! You deserve nothing but death!" She crawls on top of him and drives the pen into his jugular. "DIE! DIE! DIIIIIE!

Roaring thunder booms into her ears followed by the crackling of lightening. The sound of the pouring rain slowly brings the woman back to reality. She looks down at herself, her hand trembling as she stares at the red that painted them. Blood, it was everywhere! It was on her face, in her hair and clothes. It was on the wall and in the carpet! Nelly's chest heaves in and out as she begins to weep. She wipes her hands off, using the murdered man's clothing as though it were a paper towel. "Oh God, what have I done?" She looks at the clock. It was going on 9:20. Nelly stares into the dead green eyes of husband before hopping off of him. Another rush of tears fills her eyes. She smooths her hair down with quaking hands. "What have I done?" Her fingers massage her tearful eyes. "What did I do?!" He deserved it. All of this could have been avoided if he just left. If he just kept his dick in his pants! Now it's time to go! Run! Leave now! Listening to the voice in her head, Nelly does just that and flies out of the back door like a bat out of hell.

"Nelly! Nelly!" The woman looks up at the black car that stopped for her. She could see her sister's faces through the rolled down window. "Get in the car! It's freezing out there!" The woman lifts herself off of the seat and casually walks to the car door. She hears her sister gasp when she takes her seat on the passenger's side. "Nelly... Wha--?"

"Don't ask any questions, Maria. I am fine. I'm not hurt. Just relax and drive, okay?"

Maria nods. "There's a jacket, in the back seat." She watches as her little sister puts on the article of clothing. "Do you need anything else?"

Nelly shakes her head. "We just need to get to Ma's. The sooner we get the hell out of here, the better."