Author's Note: Mascara was around in the Victorian Era in America. It was developed by Eugène Rimmel (yes, Rimmel the makeup brand) and it was made of Vaseline and coal dust. I'm saying this so I don't get comments telling me tHiS iS hIsToRiCaLlY iNaCcUrAtE. I know what I'm talking about you moldy fried oyster skins. Now back to the story!

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Angelica sat on her velvet futon with a glass of red wine in her hand. She stared into the fire and dusted off her attire even though there was nothing there. She looked stunning in her red dress and red lipstick as she waited for her husband to come home and ruin his entire existence. She put down her glass and grabbed her hand mirror and fixed her mascara

Alexander walked into the living room with his head held down in shame. He looked up and was at a loss of words as he looked at his wife

"A-Angelica?" He stuttered

She looked up from her mirror and put it down with a sweet smile.

"Alexander." She grabbed her glass of wine and stood up to face her husband. Angelica walked toward him in large strides

She stopped in front of him and her eyes transitioned from their usual chocolate to eyes as black as coal

The Devil's Eyes

"Did you really think that I would stand by and let you ruin our lives?" Angelica seethed

"I—" Alexander tried to interject

Angelica slapped him hard in the face, resulting in him falling to the floor

"I'M SPEAKING DAMMIT! DO NOT INTERRUPT ME! Now I know what you meant by 'growing up buck wild' you had no mother to bring you up right. Oh wait, you didn't have a father either..." Angelica sneered

Alexander stood up and glared at his wife, grabbing her wrist

"Angelica. Do not. Bring up my family," the grip on her wrist got harder, and when he saw her wince he let go

"Angelica, I'm sorry. I don't want to hurt you , just please...please...don't talk about my family..." Alexander said in defeat

"What family?" She replied

Angelica slapped him again

"Don't ever touch me again. How dare you! Pathetic. You're just a little broken boy who can't handle the truth...I loved you! I...I still love you... to think after everything you've done...I still love you."

Angelica picked up a box of letters. She took one out, crumpled it and threw it Alexander

"Look at what you wrote. The lies you fed me...how dare you..." Angelica refused to cry in front of him, so she struggled to hold her tears

"Angelica...I never wanted to hurt you...I love you..."

"Then why...," Angelica started, her voice cracking "WHY DID YOU DO IT! IT WAS A RUMOR! Just a rumor...why did you make it worse..." Angelica said, looking at the wedding portrait above the fireplace

Alexander tried to speak, but she put up her hand that meant 'don't'

"You know, I'm not stupid. I've seen women around you and they're always throwing themselves at your feet, begging for attention...what made that woman so special? Why did she get your attention, but your children didn't? You told the whole world what she said to you in those letters. Why would you do this to yourself again—" Angelica gasped and clamped her hand over her mouth and looked at Alexander with wide eyes

Alexander was unfazed "I deserved it. Yes, don't worry. I know we went back in time. This all went wrong, even back then. I did it again. But it's different, Angelica. It's not the same..." Alexander answered in shame

"Well congratulations, you ruined our lives. So scared of what the public will say of you, but you've not even a care what your children think of you, while I stay here raising the children alone, you're out having an affair with a woman down the road!" Angelica yelled

"I made a mistake..." he said

"Then why did you do it." She replied

"I-" He tried to explain

"WHY?!" Angelica screamed

"BECAUSE IT WAS A FRAUD! DON'T YOU SEE?! IT WAS ALL A COVERUP!" Alexander screamed as he held Angelica's face softly in his hands, like she was porcelain

Delicate and Fragile

"W-What...?" Angelica asked

"It...was a fraud...a man named James Reynolds got a divorce from his wife because she was abusing him and being a terrible mother. I met her, and she's just god-awful. So, the man payed me to ruin his wife's reputation...I wrote the pamphlet but I wrote making me the bad one for a reason...the reason was because of some choices I made in the past...during the war..." Alexander started to sob

"I-I'm not supposed to cry in front of you! Why...? Why am I such a disgrace...You're right, my love...I really am just a little broken boy...Angelica...I need to tell you the truth once and f-for all." Alexander felt on his knees and grabbed onto his wife's dress again

Angelica fell to the floor with him and held his cheeks in her hands, forcing him to look at her. She saw his violet eyes that held pain within them and wiped his tears with her thumbs. She felt herself start to cry with him

"Please, tell me what happened." Angelica whispered

"D-during the war. I—I was missing you and I was highly intoxicated one night. John and I were walking to our tent and—w-well He was getting a little...handsy. I didn't protest however and—and—y-you can imagine what happened next..." Alexander explained in shame

Angelica looked at her husband in shock. She knew he and his best friend were close but not that close

"Go on, mon chére." Angelica smiled

Alexander, no longer crying, smiled back with a new bit of confidence in his voice

"So...someone found out and they forced us to pay him so he wouldn't tell anyone. He died during battle so we decided to steal our money back from him. We did. Now, we're here and I'm helping Mr. Reynolds. He pays me and he says if I didn't "expose"his wife with the payment I was receiving, he'd tell the world about John and I. I don't know how he found out, but he did...now here we are..." Alexander told his story and pulled Angelica into a tight hug

"Oh, Angelica, please...please forgive me...I'm so sorry...I've ruined everything..." Alexander said

Angelica felt the anger she previously held slowly melt away, but she was still a little upset at him for what he did with John before they had married

"Alexander, I-I love you...I think I understand a little better. Am I still angry? Yes. Do I want to kill you? Absolutely. However, I think I can understand now." Angelica said

"Oh my dear Angelica, I love you so much!" Alexander held her and tried to kiss her, but she put her hand on his lips

"I don't forgive you yet, Alexander...I don't know when I'll be ready to forgive you...but I will try to be civil with you. I love you." Angelica smiled as she held him tight

"I love you too..." Alexander replied

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Love,

Kennedy Brown❤️