Tempting Karma

By Jala Summers

Karmen and Kelvin are working on getting over a past relationship challenge. But Karmen is finding it harder to get over her resentments than she'd anticipated. 

When Karmen is presented with a tempting opportunity, will she take it and risk deepening the chasm between her and husband?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Summers Publishing
• Release date: Apr 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781513038575

Book preview

Chapter One

I SAT ON THE PLUSH leather couch, with my arms folded and body pressed up against the armrest, as far away as I could possibly get from Kelvin.

Lydia Watson, our marriage counselor, eyed me and then turned her attention to my husband, Kelvin. Once again, she was stuck with the task of figuring out how to get him to open up and communicate during our hour-long session. Now, she could see what I’d been dealing with for nearly six years.

She rubbed her chin with a finger, watching us, and assessing the situation.  When she’d formulated her next statement to her satisfaction, she finally spoke. Kelvin, if Karmen has insisted that she needs to know what happened in your affairs in order to move on, why are you resisting telling her?

I looked over to my right to see him looking down at his lap and fidgeting with his pants. He wiped his palms on his pants legs and folded his hands together. He glanced over at me and finally back to Lydia.

"It’s just...I know if I tell her everything, she’ll lose it," he told her.

And if you don’t tell her, don’t you think it will only further exacerbate the situation for you?

Yeah, but...she thinks she wants to know, but when I tell her... his voice trailed off.

I think I know what I can handle, I told him. "And I want to know exactly what you did, so at least I don’t have to spend my nights coming up with all of the hundreds of things I can imagine you’ve done with her. At least, I can know."

He turned his hazel eyes to stare into my own cinnamon brown ones and I could see that he was considering, contemplating, what to tell me. I didn’t like the way he looked as he paused and stared at me like that.  Almost as if he was fabricating the best, most convincing half- truth he could think of.  

"I want to know it all, Kelvin. And I want the truth," I said, hoping to beat him to it before he attempted to give me his watered down version of what had happened.

Kelvin shifted his weight, and leaned his elbow on the armrest opposite mine, resting his forehead in his hand.

Lydia chimed in, How about I help you out, Kelvin? If it’s easier for you, I can start off by asking you the questions that I think Karmen would like answered.

Kelvin nodded meekly, clearly still not completely on board with it.

How many women, total, were you involved in affairs with? Lydia asked.

Three, he said, and I could see his body tense up, as he looked at me out of the corner of his eye, waiting for my reaction. He’d told me that he’d been with only one woman when I’d asked him last month.

What?! I exclaimed, and turned my body to face him.

I told you one, because...

Yeah, I know, let me guess—-because you thought I couldn’t handle it.  I shook my head in disbelief. I can’t believe you.

Would you like to continue, Karmen? Lydia asked.  Are you sure this won’t be too upsetting? If so, we can stop now.

I raised my hands, No, no.  I’m fine.  Continue.

And how long did each of these affairs last?

The first two weren’t long. Of those, the longest lasted about a month.

I felt my breathing rate pick up and was suddenly light-headed.  Maybe I can’t take it after all, I thought, but I refused to speak it aloud and admit that to him.

And the last? Lydia asked. How long did that one last?

Over a year.  

I closed my eyes, hoping to steady the room which now seemed to spin wildly around me.

Are you alright, Karmen? I heard Lydia ask beneath my dizzy haze. I opened my eyes and looked in her direction until her face eventually came back into focus in front of me.

Yes, yes.  I’m fine.

We can stop, if you’d like, Lydia offered.

No, I said quickly. I have more questions I need answered.

I turned to Kelvin, whose face was contorted in a frown.  His leg shook involuntarily, as it always did when he was nervous. So would you have even ended it, if I hadn’t caught you? But after I’d asked the question, I realized I didn’t really want to know the answer.

He paused, looked down and finally mumbled. Yes.

I was quiet, and Lydia asked, What are you thinking, Karmen?

I’m thinking that he’s lying his ass off.  I don’t think he would’ve stopped it on his own. If I hadn’t found out about it, I think he would have been with her right now, and not here with me, in this counseling session.

No. I was going to end it, he snapped his head up to look at me.  I was.  I just...had to figure out the best way without hurting her.

"Are you kidding me?  Without hurting her?  I threw my hands in the air.  I was done with this. So, what about hurting your wife?!"  I exclaimed.

Alright, Lydia chimed in, attempting to calm my rage. How about I ask the questions again? she asked, looking at me with raised eyebrows and waiting for my permission to continue. I nodded my consent.

Kelvin, we’re only going through this because it seems that Karmen, she motioned her hand in my direction, needs this for closure.  Please understand that this is part of her healing process. It may be the only way that you two can come together again and meet in a place of honesty, so that forgiveness may begin.

Kelvin’s elbow was on the armrest, his hand covering his face in an expression of exasperation.  He let out a huge sigh.

Lydia continued, I think Karmen would like to know, if all of these affairs are over. Are you still in contact with any of the women?

He answered quickly, No.

And did this last affair end the day Karmen found out about it?

He was quiet for what felt like forever, and I watched his body tense up again. He didn’t have to say anything.  His body language communicated what his tongue would not.  No words were needed.

Kelvin? Lydia asked, prompting him to answer.

No.

Do you mean that, no, you didn’t end it that day? Lydia asked.

No.  I didn’t.  I saw her a few times the month after that.

Oh my God, I said, and leaned forward, my hands covering my face as I collapsed into tears.

But it’s over now, I heard him say next to me between my sobs. I ended it three weeks ago. She knows it’s over.

Okay, I can see this has gone off track, Lydia interjected. How about we re-direct, so that...

But I snapped my head up and cut her off. I wanted to take advantage of this while I could, since he was finally talking and answering questions.

There was a question that had been eating away at me for the past week, since I’d learned of his infidelity. Did you even use condoms with them?

He hesitated and then said, Yes.

I eyed him.  He was lying.  The look of guilt was as all over his face. "With all of them?   Every time?"

He sighed, and rolled his eyes upward, then back down to stare ahead as he spoke. No, not every time.