Hi there! You are currently browsing as a guest. Why not create an account? Then you get less ads, can thank creators, post feedback, keep a list of your favourites, and more!
A Pleasant Story - Chapter Two - Taking Out the Trash
Back to: A Pleasant Story Next: A Pleasant Story - Chapter Three - Daniel's New Digs




A Pleasant Story

Chapter Two

Taking Out the Trash





At work that morning, political intern Mary-Sue was finding it hard to get started on her task of going through a tedious stack of campaign-related paperwork.







She didn't like her job, but she had little choice but to keep it as Daniel's grandiose career plans never seemed to pan out. She remembered when they'd first been married and he thought he could be a professional skier. Never mind that he was appallingly bad at it and never mastered even the most basic moves on the slopes; he'd take time off from work to ski and buy expensive gear, telling her that his failure was because he needed the best skis and poles and outfits in order to be successful. And somehow he never invited HER along on his ski trips. She suspected his affairs had started long ago, and that "professional skier" was just a ruse so he had an excuse to go away for the weekends.

She looked longingly toward the tiny window in her cubicle.




She sighed. Mary-Sue had always loved music, but put those dreams on the back burner to work boring jobs to provide for the family, since Daniel wouldn't do it.

She felt trapped.






After close to 20 years of marriage, they only had 2000 simoleons saved, and she never seemed to be able to take a break from work. If Daniel hadn't been spending money on his useless skiing toys, not to mention the money he spent on his affairs, she thought they'd be in better shape. Well, at least the house was paid for!


She turned her attention back to her work. To her horror, she realized she'd started editing the documents she'd been given, not sorting them. Maybe her boss wouldn't mind?

Suddenly he walked in the door. Mary-Sue smiled nervously.






Her boss sat down and said, “Ms. Pleasant, we need to talk.”

Mary-Sue tried to make a joke.

"I've been coming in early . . . Any chance I'm about to be promoted?" She quipped.




No such luck. Her boss said, “Due to your lack of attention to detail, we are moving you back to campaign worker. You need to to go home and come back tomorrow with a better attitude!”

As he left, Mary-Sue stared down at the unfinished work on her desk–the work that she'd started doing incorrectly. The problem was that she didn't really care about political work. And she couldn't deny that her boss was right that she didn't pay attention.






When she got home early, Mary-Sue realized something seemed different. The maid's van was parked in front of her house! She couldn't believe it! Could Daniel have called Kaylynn over after she'd canceled the maid service?




Mary-Sue started up the walk to confront Daniel. Why did this have to happen today of all days? And why was that weird woman standing there staring at her?





Mary-Sue headed inside to the bedroom, mentally preparing herself.

She looked down at her side of the bed--and was not really surprised to find it occupied by Kaylynn.

"Daniel." She spoke calmly, but with ice in her voice. "I can see you didn't expect me home. But I got demoted at work, so here I am!





Daniel was thinking quickly--Was there any way out of this mess? He'd better come up with something or he'd be in big trouble!

Mary-Sue's voice woke Kaylynn. She was startled and embarrassed, but faced Mary-Sue, ready to try and defend what she'd done, but she was cut off .


Mary-Sue turned to her and said "You know, I can't even be mad at you--I know what he's like. He probably told you his wife didn't understand him and his daughters hated him. Did he also tell you he never spent time with his family because he was too busy taking his affairs away every weekend to 'go skiing?'" Mary-Sue gestured with air quotes to indicate how much skiing Daniel actually did on his weekends.





Kaylynn quickly threw on her uniform and prepared to leave the house. She was confused--Mary-Sue didn't sound like a mean woman; she sounded like a woman who'd been betrayed. But Daniel had said he loved her--he couldn't have been lying, could he?
Back in the bedroom, Daniel fell on the floor and pretended to be having a fit. "I wuv you honey, don't weave me! I don't want the maid, I want you!"



Mary-Sue was unimpressed. He'd thrown tantrums before to try and distract her.

"Stop acting like a baby and get up off the floor!" Mary-Sue said. "This behavior won't save you. I can't believe you would seduce that 18-year-old child."

“I only love you, Mary-Sue!” Daniel wailed.

Kaylynn heard this and paused at the door.






He'd called her "the maid?" He hadn't even used her name? And he was claiming to love his wife? She suddenly felt stupid and used; he'd never loved her, he'd only wanted a conquest. She ran from the house and jumped in her van and drove home.

Daniel was panicking. The last thing he wanted was a divorce with evidence of an affair--he knew public opinion in Pleasantview would not look kindly on him after that! He tried his smooth talk on his wife, but Mary-Sue was having none of it.

"Don't even try it. I've had enough of your lies. I want a divorce and I want it now." Mary-Sue spoke calmly. She almost felt like it just didn't even matter anymore.



Luckily, divorces in Pleasantview were a simple matter, only needing a statement of the desire to break up, so Mary-Sue got her wish immediately, with no tedious lawyers required.

Daniel turned from her and pretended to cry, but Mary-Sue was out of sympathy.





Suddenly, Angela ran into the room, having returned from school and wanting to share the good news that she had received an A+ on her report card, but instead she was just in time to see her parents getting divorced.

Daniel tried one last ploy. “How can you divorce me? Don't you care about what this will do to Angela?”



Mary-Sue shook her head at him. “Don't try that. You barely notice your daughters because you're so busy finding young girls to seduce!”

Daniel turned to run. He was too rushed to even bother to put on clothes, so Angela's boyfriend Dustin Broke, who'd come home with her after school, was a little surprised by the half-naked man who came running out of the house when he was heading in to visit with his girlfriend.





Angela ran outside to chase after her father, but instead found Dustin standing in her flower beds. She loved nature more than anything else, so this infuriated her!





"What are you doing?" she yelled. "My mother just dumped my father! I wanted some comfort from you, and you are ruining my prize flowers? Just go home, idiot."






Mary-Sue was emotionally exhausted and laid down on the bed to think about what had happened. She suddenly realized where she was and jumped up, just as the doorbell rang.

It was her childhood friend, Cassandra Goth. Mary-Sue was glad to have her show up right when she needed her!

Cassandra had seen Daniel running down the street in his underwear, so she suspected what had happened. It made her think about her fiance, Don Lothario. She loved him, but was he trustworthy? She'd think about that later--it appeared Mary-Sue needed her.




Mary-Sue greeted her friend and told her about Daniel and his latest conquest as they sat on the couch.

"Can you believe this, Cassie? That poor girl is only 18 years old! The man has no scruples!"


Cassandra replied, "Listen Mares, don't let this get you down. You should do what I'm going to do--I'm on the way to the mall to get some new clothes and a makeover. Worrying about Don Lothario's not going to get me down, and you shouldn't let Daniel get you down, either. Take charge of your life and become a new you!"







Mary-Sue thanked her for the offer, but said she'd rather stay home and just do a little thinking.

"It's still a bit raw right now, but thank you." She chuckled and added, "At the moment, the only thing I can think about is how much I'd like to see Daniel as a ghost."






Cassandra laughed along with her friend.

"All right--but let's do it soon, okay? I think we could both use makeovers! I'm going to talk to Don and decide if I really want to marry him. I can't get over this suspicion that I'm not the only woman in his life."


Mary-Sue looked troubled as she said, "I didn't think anything of it at the time, but I saw Don and Nina Caliente together at the park one day last week. They weren't really doing anything, just eating chili, I think, but they did look pretty comfortable together. I hope it's not what you suspect--but if it turns out to be true, you know I'll have your back."





Cassandra wrinkled her forehead. "Eating chili? I'm not sure--he never ate chili with ME!"

She shook her head as though to clear it of troubling thoughts and gave her friend a hug.


"Never mind--right now we should focus on US, not MEN! Call me tomorrow!"





Mary-Sue said goodbye to Cassandra, then realized she was starving. She had never learned how to cook anything since she had always been so busy supporting the family, so she settled for boring lunch meat on boring white bread.

"That looks like my life," she mused. "Maybe Cassandra was right--maybe I should look at this as a chance for a new beginning."




Mary-Sue called the twins to come eat, and then explained the situation to them. Surprisingly, Lilith seemed sympathetic and told her mom that she was well rid of her worthless Dad.





"Marriage just isn't right for some people!" she declared. "Dad was never really focused on our family--he always wanted to go off for the weekend and ski. And did you notice he NEVER invited us to go with him? For two people to make a successful marriage, they both have to be committed. He just wasn't." She turned back to her sandwich and took a big bite.


Mary-Sue was stunned. Her relationship with Lilith had always been rocky; Lilith had resisted anything she tried to teach her--including potty training!--but here she was showing sympathy and, taking her side?

Mary-Sue said softly, "Thank you, sweetie. I appreciate it."





As usual, Angela could only think of herself and wanted to discuss the new curtains she was going to get for the window in her bedroom.

"If we don't have Dad's simoleons anymore," she whined, "Can I still decorate my room?"






Mary-Sue explained to them that she was still employed, the house was paid for, and they had a bit in savings. “Things should be fine, simoleon-wise. You don't need to worry.”




Angela looked relieved as she headed up the stairs to go to bed.


Mary-Sue suddenly felt exhausted and headed off to sleep, but when she saw the bed where she'd caught Daniel and Kaylynn, she looked at it in disgust.




“No way I am going to sleep there!” She went into the living room and laid down on the couch instead. Despite the turmoil in her mind, she fell asleep quickly.




Cassandra's advice to make a new start seeped into her dreams and she suddenly awoke and regarded herself in the mirror.

She was 55 years old, but still looked pretty good.

"I'm not too old to start over," she thought. "Maybe a fresh start IS just what I need."

"Operation New Mary-Sue starts tomorrow!"





Up in her room, Lilith was gazing out the window, thinking about how she wasn't going to miss her Dad.

"He wasn't around much anyway--I barely know who he is," she said to herself.




Suddenly she heard a strange sound from outside--a scraping noise. When she peered carefully out the window, it was too dark to tell for sure, but it looked like her Dad was digging a hole in the front yard. She blinked and shook her head, and looked again. It sure seemed like her Dad was digging holes in the yard.





"What is up with that?" she wondered. Her Dad's hobby of digging holes all over had started about a year ago, and when questioned, he'd say he just enjoyed the exercise and gaining cleaning skill.


"What a jerk!" Lilith said, and went to bed.





Mary-Sue awoke before the sun the next day and started step one of Operation New Mary-Sue--getting in shape! She'd start by swimming laps in the pool! That should get her fitness up in no time--as well as being so much fun!





As the sun rose, she heard a shriek from the front yard. It was Angela! She jumped off the diving board and ran to the front yard to find her daughter yelling in dismay.




The front yard was full of holes! What the heck? She knew Daniel liked to dig, but she couldn't believe he would have come over in the night to do it. It must have been his last revenge. Or at least, she hoped so.

Lilith was stunned. So she HADN'T imagined her father in the yard last night! What a jerk!




Mary-Sue then noticed something small and purple on the ground. She studied it as Lilith continued yelling about the mess.








What WAS that? She looked closer. Was it a cow? Did Daniel leave it there? She shook her head. Nothing he did could surprise her anymore.





She and the twins worked together to fill in the holes in the yard, and the girls went off to school. Mary-Sue then discovered that Daniel had left one final unpleasant surprise. The jerk had kicked over the trash can and now bugs were infesting the yard.





Mary-Sue took a deep breath and cleaned up the mess. As she picked up the garbage she said to herself, "That's it Daniel. I am throwing you out like this trash!"





She carried the trash to the compost bin, brushed off her hands, raised a fist to the sky and shouted, "As God is my witness he's not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never pick up his garbage again. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill, as God is my witness, I'll never be Daniel's trashman again!"

Click Next: A Pleasant Story - Chapter Three - Daniel's New Digs to continue...

 
Back to: A Pleasant Story Next: A Pleasant Story - Chapter Three - Daniel's New Digs
Reply With Quote

Click here to view comments, or to add your own.