It was at this point that Marie began to utterly detest him. She loathed his weakness as she listened to him now, his pleas like those of a dying sinner before the eyes of god.  He begged to be forgiven, to have his conscious decisions re-labeled as mistakes.

  “Marie, I know I’ve done a terrible, terrible thing, but we can still survive. I realize now how wrong I’ve been all along. I just wanted something new, something fresh, and now I know that it wasn’t worth it, that you are all I need- you’re all I’ll ever need Marie.”

   “No,” said Marie. “Just stop talking. Just stop now.”

  “I love you Marie, just as much as I always have! Believe me Marie!”

   “Just stop now, Walter.”

  “I love you Marie,” he said. He stood up straight and moved in towards her with arms outstretched. “I swear. I’m so sorry…”

    Marie moved towards him, but not to return his embrace. Instead she took advantage of his tender approach by charging into him firmly and knocking him aside in her stride. She darted down the stairs.

   “Marie, wait!” he called as he followed. She reached the bottom level as he reached the landing. She turned back towards him and bellowed: “Leave me alone Walter. This is over! Our marriage is over, and it is all your fault. I loved you, but I will   never love you again! Never!”

    “You stop! Don’t you say that! I know you love me Marie! This hasn’t ended our love!”

     “Yes it has Walter! Never again! I will never be able to love you the same way again!”

       But she stopped her screaming once she noticed that he was looking beyond her, his gaze falling somewhere around the front door. An old fashioned doorbell honorably did its duty of alerting them of one’s presence:

      Bzzzzzz! Bzzzzzz!

      She whirled towards the door.