Betty + James: Part 5

After the summer between junior and senior year of high school, Betty and James were together again and things were better than ever. James’ parents finally seemed to accept Betty, and even had her over for dinner regularly.

On one such night, James’ mother pulled out an old photo album to show Betty. She flipped through the pages, pointing out photos of James as a child. He had glasses, which had long since been banished in favor of contact lenses, and a twin-sized bed with colorful race cars decorating the comforter. His mother told Betty stories about James when he was younger, like the time he tried out for the t-ball team but kept running the bases backwards.

Betty shared parts of her past with James as well. She told him more about her father, a careless man who had left her mom when Betty was only a baby. Being raised by a single mom wasn’t something that ever bothered Betty, but when she was in elementary school she had been bullied relentlessly about it. Those kids pulled her apart and left scars that took a long time to heal. It was only when she started middle school and met Inez, who was quite popular with her outgoing and bubbly personality and immediately took Betty under her wing, that she was able to move past those painful times.

Betty and James had a fun relationship. They spent a lot of time just being together, reading or talking. But they also went on adventures from time to time when James was feeling particularly wild. Once, they snuck into the community pool late at night to do some unauthorized swimming. The pool was surrounded by a chain-link fence, topped with barbed wire to keep out trespassers (like them); but James threw a thick blanket over it and helped Betty climb to the other side safely.

As they moved into adulthood, after graduating high school, it seemed inevitable that they would get married at some point. That point approached earlier than Betty would have expected when James proposed in the summer after they both turned 19. She was so happy that James seemed to be ready to fully commit to a life with her that she said yes, ignoring the small voice in the back of her head that told her to be careful. There was another voice, too, but this one wasn’t so quiet. Inez never hid the fact that she didn’t like James, and after the way he’d treated her at junior prom she never forgave him or blessed their relationship. She was a good friend, though, and always supported Betty’s decisions and promised to be there for her through anything.

After getting engaged, Betty and James decided to move in together while they planned their wedding. Traditionally, a bride’s family would be expected to pay for the wedding, but Betty’s mom was obviously unable to contribute financially. Graciously, James’ family was willing to foot the bill, and they wanted to throw a grand celebration for their son. Although Betty would have preferred a smaller, more private ceremony, she knew that it was best not to rock the boat when it came to James’ parents. Their acceptance of her was friendly, but still felt tenuous, and she wondered if they truly believed she was “good enough” for their son.

Even though they were extremely wealthy, their generosity didn’t quite extend to helping their son and soon-to-be-daughter-in-law financially in their daily lives. Once he moved out, James was expected to make his own way in the world as much as possible. He took a job waiting tables, while Betty was able to secure a job at a publishing house, using her glowing recommendations from her internship days in New York. They left their small town and settled into a modest apartment in a city a few hours’ drive away.

The first time moving out of their parents’ homes and into an apartment by themselves, Betty and James were excited and felt ready to take on the world together. When they first walked through the door of their new empty apartment, the air was cold, but something about it still felt like home somehow.

Over the following months, they slowly but surely filled their place with furniture and things that made it feel like their own. One night, they were lying on the couch together, and Betty turned her face toward James’.

“Can you believe it?” she asked him. “Our wedding is only a week away.”

“I know, that’s wild,” he agreed. “I don’t know how I managed to make a rebel of such a careful girl like you. Getting married at nineteen! Scandalous,” he chuckled.

“Yeah, well. I believe in us. We’re gonna make it,” Betty said confidently.

“Good,” James said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. “Because you are the best thing that’s ever been mine. And I intend to keep you.”

“Even when we’re fighting at 2:30 AM? And I run out into the street crying?” she said, referencing a memory from a few months ago.

“You remember what I said? I followed you, and I told you I’ll never leave you alone. I still mean it,” he promised.

Betty sighed contentedly. Then, suddenly, James got up from the couch and reached over to turn on the stereo. A happy song began to fill the room, and James started dancing like a goofball. He didn’t like dancing in public, but in private he was always ready to bust out the moves. He grabbed Betty’s hand, pulling her to her feet, and started leading her in an energetic dance around the apartment.

They swept into the kitchen and he casually opened the refrigerator to grab a beer, never losing his rhythm. They danced in the refrigerator light for a moment before he threw the door shut, perfectly on beat, and continued to waltz her out of the room. Next, he pulled her up the stairs to their small loft bedroom, where they danced right over the bed, spinning around until they both collapsed on the soft bedding. But James wasn’t finished yet. He rolled off deftly, then reached for her hand again and their journey continued as they boogied down the stairs and finally made it back to the couch. Finally, the song came to an end and they stopped to catch their breath.

It was moments like these that Betty treasured. Moments of James being silly and romantic and sweet and fun. She loved him even when he was less pleasant, but these were the moments that made it all worth it.

Their wedding came and went, and Betty happily settled into her life with James. They took a fall trip, a delayed honeymoon they had needed extra time to save up for, and visited upstate where the falling autumn leaves were gloriously colorful. They still enjoyed their old pastime of taking long, leisurely drives and getting lost on purpose, and that was how they spent much of the time on their honeymoon. As they drove, the wind blew through Betty’s hair and she felt that she had never been so happy and at peace as she felt in that moment, holding James’ hand and knowing that he was hers, totally and forever.

They visited an old-fashioned downtown area later that day, and stumbled upon a wishing well. The decided to throw some pennies in the pool, and Betty’s only wish was that James would always be the one by her side. Even though they were young, just at the beginning their “roaring twenties” as some liked to call it, she really did believe they could make it work.

The years passed, and as their careers grew, so did their bank account and their living arrangements. James had gone into car sales and was doing very well, earning hefty commissions that provided the two of them with everything they could need. But Betty never wanted to rely on James for money, and she was glad that she didn’t have to. She moved up the ladder at the publishing house and was secure knowing that her place in the company was steady. With their incomes combined, they were more than comfortable. When James turned 21 and began receiving distributions from his trust fund, they had more money than they knew what to do with.

Betty wouldn’t have asked James to use that money for herself, but she did ask him if he would be willing to cover the majority of their collective bills so that she could put her own income towards buying her mom a house. He was more than happy to do so, and in the end, he also insisted on covering the down payment, which Betty was incredibly grateful for.

Clara no longer had to work a minimum wage job and was able to put her time towards her passions in life, the biggest of which was acting. Even though she was older than most actors and actresses were at the beginning of their careers, she was talented enough that she quickly began to land roles in local productions at the theater. From there, she began branching out to bigger roles outside of her small town and was really thriving in her debut as an actress. She made enough money to cover her bills, now that rent was not something she had to worry about. For the first time, she was living a life that was actually about her, and Betty was overjoyed to see it.

Shortly after moving into her new house, Clara had Betty and James over for dinner. They ate a delicious meal that Betty had volunteered to cook, and drank rosé, and had a lovely evening together. At one point, James made a toast that Betty found very sweet.

“To chosen family,” James said, raising his glass. “I am forever thankful to have Betty as my wonderful wife, and you Clara as my mother-in-law. I hope you find everything you’ve hoped for in life here in your new home.” The women smiled at him and each other as they toasted to that. When James wanted to be, he could be incredibly thoughtful and kind.

When it came to “chosen family,” James only had Betty’s mom to count; but Betty had not only James’ mother and father, but his sister as well. Cassandra was a few years older than them and had graduated high school before they were freshmen. She’d also moved out fairly quickly after turning 18, so she hadn’t been around a ton. But when she was around, she was very friendly towards Betty and seemed to be a caring older sister to James. Betty was grateful to call her a sister once her and James were married. She’d always wanted a sister, in truth, and the fun part about Cassandra was that she practically looked like Betty’s twin, only older. She was the twin of her dreams, and though they didn’t get to spend a lot of time together, Betty really enjoyed the time they had.  

One such time was when Betty and James went to visit Cassandra and stayed for the weekend at her house. It was a pretty home in a picturesque neighborhood, and it snowed during their visit, dusting everything in delicate white powder that made the whole scene look fit for a postcard. Betty remembered that visit fondly.

In the weird way that memories work sometimes, the part she remembered most vividly was a seemingly small detail. Cassandra had complimented her scarf, which was a rusty orange silk Hermès with a floral pattern; it was a rare and incredible find from a thrift store, and one of Betty’s favorite accessories. But being the generous and thoughtful person she was, Betty decided to gift it to Cassandra. She didn’t say anything, just left it folded neatly on the bed with a note on top, which simply read, “For my sister, whom I love.” Cassandra called her later to thank her and promised to think of her every time she wore it.

For a few years, life was good, and Betty enjoyed a happy marriage with James. But as time passed, Betty began to notice a change in her husband. More accurately, it wasn’t so much of a change as it was an increase in some of the negative behaviors and attitudes that he’d always had, along with a decrease in some of his better qualities. He became more withdrawn and less romantic toward her.

After a time, she began to worry about his faithfulness to her. She noticed that he was often flirtatious with other women, even right in front of her. She tried to take these indiscretions all in good fun, but they got to her. When he quit his job one day out of the blue and told her that he was going to pursue a career in the filmmaking industry, she was confused and concerned. He said that he had so many ideas in his head that he wanted to turn into real stories. He had worlds to build, and he was going to do it.

She supported him like any good wife would, and listened endlessly to his ideas that he wanted to turn into movies. But as time went on, she felt less and less important to him. It felt as if James was merely tolerating her love, and she was begging for footnotes in the story of his life. She had made him the center of her life, a mural with him as the focal point. But the more she watched him and noticed everything that he did or didn’t do, the less he seemed to see her at all.

He clearly wasn’t blind to other women, however. He used his family connections to form a cohort of sorts, a group of like-minded individuals who wanted to start a filmmaking company with him. Quite a few members of this group were attractive women, and James made no attempt to disguise his unrestrained flirtations with them. He often went out at night surrounded by his new friends and came back in the early hours of the morning smelling of alcohol. Betty was sometimes invited to these outings, but she always politely declined. Going out drinking at night was not something she had any interest in. Only sometimes, when they went out at a more reasonable hour to have a nice dinner, would she join them.

On one of these occasions, Betty was politely listening to the conversation at the dinner table. She had nothing to add to the discussion, which was narrowly focused on film editing techniques, but nodded along and made thoughtful sounds when appropriate. The dull chatter was getting quite old, if she were to be honest, and it provided very little distraction from the upsetting display that she couldn’t help but notice across the table.

James was having a quiet side conversation with one of his female friends, and it looked shockingly intimate. Their heads were bent low and close together, as if they were sharing secrets, and the way that James was looking at her was far more than friendly. When he reached up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear, and then she laughed and placed a hand affectionately on his cheek, Betty was so shocked that she started choking on her water. She stood up abruptly and excused herself, heading toward the restroom. James barely glanced up as she walked away, and then his attention went straight back to the other woman.

Betty went to find the waiter after that, asking for the tab for her portion of the meal. Even though her food had gotten cold before she’d even taken a bite (because she couldn’t seem to find her appetite when her husband was flirting so blatantly in her face), she didn’t want to be rude and leave her bill for the others to pay.

After paying for her meal, she went home, taking the car and knowing that James would have no problem getting a ride with someone else. She didn’t even bother telling him she was leaving because she knew he wouldn’t care. That realization was like a stone settling in her stomach. If this was the state of their relationship, what was left for her to stay for?

When he got home very late that night, she was in bed, and although her mind hadn’t let her get any sleep, she pretended to be sleeping soundly. He got into bed and was snoring within minutes. Without a second thought, Betty climbed out of bed, snatched up her pillow, and went to sleep on the couch instead.

The next morning, she woke up to the hushed voice of James on the phone in the kitchen. Something about the conversation seemed wrong. She didn’t want him to know she was awake just yet, so she stayed quiet and listened as closely as she could to what he was saying.  

“Yes, mother,” he whispered. “That’s what I said, she just left without saying goodbye to anyone. It was rude, and embarrassing.”

Betty’s eyes widened at the realization that he was talking about her.

“I know,” he sighed. “Cassandra said the same thing. She has never been shy to share her opinion that Betty lacks class. She wasn’t raised in our world. She doesn’t have the manners or the discipline that my wife should display,” he said, sounding frustrated. “I’ve tolerated it so far, but the truth is, I don’t think I can do it much longer. I need someone by my side who will enhance my image, not detract from it.”

Betty felt frozen in disbelief at what she was hearing. She could not comprehend that her husband would speak so poorly of her, and so unfairly. She didn’t have manners or discipline? How could he think that? She knew she wasn’t perfect, but she was always thoughtful and considerate of others, always respectful and kind. She had enough discipline to work her way up in the world from nothing. And she had enough discipline to stay for years with a man who treated her like this; because she’d wanted to make it work, more than anything. But this was far from working anymore.

As James finished his conversation and hung up the phone, Betty felt tears springing to her eyes. Not only had he just shown her exactly how little he cared for her anymore, but he’d unknowingly revealed that Cassandra felt the same way. Her “sister” was not who she thought she was. She was a crook, faking and sneaking her way into Betty’s heart, and now she’d been caught. Betty had never had a sister, and never would.

When James came around the corner into the living room and saw that Betty was awake, he froze for a moment. She looked at him, not sure what to say. Her anger and terrible sadness were all swirled up together, making it extremely difficult to form a coherent thought.

As it turned out, she didn’t need to say anything because James started the conversation for her. His face went from surprised to angry in a flash.

“Were you just eavesdropping?” he asked, indignation in his voice. “And do you realize how rude and inappropriate you were last night, leaving without saying goodbye?”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping, James. I was sleeping on the couch in my own home when you decided to wake me up by making a phone call in the next room. And believe me, it wasn’t anything that I ever wanted to hear.” She stood up, stuffing the throw blanket she’d used back into the basket next to the couch and picking up her pillow.

James opened his mouth to speak again, but Betty cut him off.

“As for last night, I think we both know which one of us was being rude and inappropriate. Did you think I couldn’t see you flirting with your girlfriend across the table from me?” Her eyes were full of fire.

James looked at her indignantly. “My girlfriend?” he spat back. “Oh come on, Betty, don’t be childish. She’s my friend. You know that.”

“Friends don’t look at each other like that,” she replied simply. “Or touch each other like that.”

“Sure they do,” James insisted. “There’s nothing wrong with being close with your friends. If you weren’t so insecure, maybe you’d understand that.”

At this, Betty knew that there was nothing more to say. This was a winless fight, and she was too tired to continue it after her sleepless night, not to mention the years of being subtly (and then not-so-subtly) broken down by the faithless love of a man who was supposed to be her one and only. She now realized in a moment of perfect clarity that her relationship was a hoax. She knew without a single doubt that it was time to go.

She looked at James for a long moment, remembering the good times that they had and the love they once shared. It brought tears to her eyes, but she hastily wiped them away. That was something for her to think about and process later. Right now, there was only one thing to say, and she didn’t hesitate to say it.

“Goodbye, James.” Betty turned away from him and went upstairs to pack her bags. And either because he knew that he had finally taken things too far—or maybe because he truly didn’t care for her at all anymore—he didn’t try to stop her.

Songs used:

Mine

All Too Well

the 1

tolerate it

it’s time to go

hoax