Waiter there's a Flake in my Cereal! Part 4

Quaking in my boots I picked up the phone.  "Hello?"  The silence on the other end was  deafening. "Hello-oo? 

"Camille, this is Jody Mar..."

"Yes", I quickly interrupted. "I know.  You're Lou's wife." Not giving her a chance to respond, I quickly blurted out, "Oh Jody, I am so sorry.  Please know that I had no idea you were alive.  Lou told me you died of Leukemia six years ago."

There was a long pause and then, "Camille, I have Leukemia.  I just haven't died - yet.  I'm in remission right now, but prognosis for the future isn't good."

My Lord.  How could a man be so cold-hearted.

As I began sharing the events leading up to Jody's phone call, assuring her that this was all as much of a shock to me as it was to her, Jody's tone of voice began to soften.  She told me sadly that this wasn't the first time Lou had done something like this.

"You mean he told someone else that you were dead?"

"Yes.  There was another woman. Lou promised this one a trip to Hawaii."

Feeling confused I asked Jody, "Why would you put up with this? How could you remain with a man who would do this to you?"

"Camille, at this point in my life I have no intention of dating again and with my current health situation, what would I do? Where would I go?"

I had no response. Walk a mile in my shoes, as the saying goes. However, I truly believed that were I in Jody's shoes, I would have waited until Lou was sound asleep one night and...well...you get the idea. 

Believe it or not, Jody and I parted friendly and I assured her that if she ever needed to talk, I was here to listen.

Little did I know that within a matter of days Jody would take me up on my offer. And what she had to say only added fuel to the fire that was already burning out of control.