The Sin, The Sun, & The Shame Read online

  Sun Sin Shame

  By: Leigh McKnight

  Sun Sin Shame

  Copyright © 2015 by Leigh McKnight

  The Official Writers League™ and all associated logos are trademarks of The Official Writers League LLC.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.

  Any similarity to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Book Layout: Josh Wirth

  Cover Design: Josh Wirth

  CHAPTER 1

  If you lay down with the devil, you will more than likely wake up in hell. That thought rolled around inside Mitch Harding’s head like the numbered balls in the rotating barrel that lottery officials use to pick the winning lottery number. Mitch fumed as he sat on the couch staring at the closed door that his wife had slammed behind her in one of the worst displays of her angry tirades he had ever experienced. He had experienced many of these tirades from her, some so demeaning and vicious, they left him feeling inferior, ashamed, emasculated, but mostly those tirades left him feeling like a piece of shit. Mitch ran his fingers down over his face and let out a long, deep sigh. Clearly, he was getting sick and tired of his wife’s unfounded attacks on him but what could he do about it. He wanted his life with Kanile; he wanted his marriage to work. He loved her.

  Everyone deserves a piece of heaven on earth, even if the one you love the most is acting like Lucifer’s sister. He was acutely aware that he wasn’t living the lavish life that Kanile desired, but they were more than comfortable. His wife’s idea of vacation was a global adventure with an unlimited budget. That was not happening this year. Instead, Mitch used the perks from his firm to create a romantic getaway in one of his favorite places. This is the best-kept secret on the Atlantic Ocean. Less than 20 minutes off the coast of South Carolina, Mitch’s firm was in the process of negotiating the purchase of the Sun Isle Beach Resort. Sun Isle is a private beach resort for the elite. A 300 acre, gated property with all-inclusive oceanfront amenities, Mitch was sure this setting would bring the fire back into his marriage. Who could resist sun, sand, and sea?

  As Mitch and Kanile passed the towering palm trees approaching the entrance, it was hard to believe they were that close to Myrtle Beach. If he didn’t know better, he would have bet money that he was in some exotic locale. No one knew about this place and he knew his firm would agree with him to keep it that way. Sun Isle was a haven for singles and couples alike. The property was strategically designed to provide romantic couples with a secluded island feel, while creating the spectacular nightlife for singles. Yes, this is the place to escape. The four towers of the main complex reminded him of a giant sand castle, the seashell fountain in the front was a special touch, and they were greeted by their personal concierge with champagne mimosas.

  Mitch kept having a recurring dream that had him unnerved. Maybe it was because he was constantly arguing with Kanile when he wasn’t at work and needed an escape. Then there was that mystery lady, in the teeny-weeny, red polka dot bikini who exits the ocean in the iconic Bo Derek fashion and just when she gets to the shore, he wakes up, spoiling something that was magical in his otherwise mundane life. Maybe she was here in Myrtle Beach, but he didn’t believe in silly things like that. He was just exhausted and needed some time to relax, that’s all.

  Mitch raised both hands up to his head and scratched vigorously before he got up from the couch, walked over to the bar in their hotel suite, and angrily snatched a glass from the rack. He took several ice cubes from the ice chest, dropped them into the glass, and poured Bourbon over them. He took a large gulp from his glass and returned to his place on the couch, immersed in thoughts. He loved his wife with every fiber in his being; more in fact than he thought was possible to love anyone. For years, his biggest misconception was thinking she felt the same about him. Kanile had gone from treating him like the loving husband he was to treating him like a sugar daddy. She seemed to love Mitch when he satisfied all her lavish wants. He frowned as he began to feel like he had loved and married a stranger all these years. Coming to terms with that, Mitch’s confidence waned; his self-esteem took a major hit, much like the proverbial kick in the stomach. Kanile was the definition of evil and Mitch finally began to realize that trying to satisfy his wife’s every whim was turning his life into a living, breathing, fire-burning hell. When did our lives change so much? He contemplated, but as he began to think about it more, he knew exactly when their lives began to unravel.

  Three years ago, Kanile met and became friends with Tracy Monroe and Vanessa Covington, who were married to doctors with thriving practices and provided them with everything their hearts desired from small mansions, access to all the money they wanted to spend and all the other perks that were enjoyed by the wealthy. Shortly after their friendship began, Kanile quit her job as a dental hygienist and became a lady of leisure in imitation of Tracy and Vanessa’s lives, her two now best friends.

  Keeping up with the Joneses is never easy. Anyone who tries and doesn’t have the means to do so knows it. The Joneses could do all the things that money can buy; trips to foreign exotic locales, impulsive weekend getaways, and extravagant shopping sprees along with expensive cars, big houses, and huge bank accounts. But, for some people, those goodies were out of their reach and woe to many of those who tried. Mitch and Kanile tried keeping up with the Joneses but failed miserably and all they had to show for their efforts were overdrawn bank accounts, maxed out credit cards, and bill collectors blowing their phone up, attempting to collect overdue debts.

  Mitch worked hard to please his wife but rarely succeeded with Kanile never failing to remind him in her derisive and emasculating way, verbally tearing him down for a sport. Evan, their only child, who was 20, had graduated college and immediately moved to California, where he was now gainfully employed and supporting himself. Mitch spent every cent he earned on himself and his wife, but every cent he made was never enough for Kanile. She always wanted more. So much more. And when she didn’t get it, she would berate him for not providing her with the same lifestyle as that of her wealthy friends.

  Mitch’s frown deepened thinking about the argument he and Kanile had again last night. The majority of their arguments were about money or in their case the lack of it. Kanile had either spent too much of Mitch’s hard earned money or she complained that Mitch didn’t make enough money for her to spend. He couldn’t forget the harsh words his wife hurled at him last night.

  “If you made a decent salary, we wouldn’t have to spend our one vacation a year in this third rate dive,” she complained bitterly, in a sweeping gesture indicating their suite. “Myrtle Beach,” she hissed, tossing her hair back. “Tracy and Vanessa’s husbands take them to Paris, the Bahamas, really nice places,” she said, drawing out the words ‘really nice,’ shooting daggers with her eyes at Mitch. “Just last month Tracy and Ed vacationed in Paris, while Vanessa and Irief spent a week in Vale, skiing, shopping, and enjoying fine dining. Hell, living their lives well,” she continued dreamingly. “But you, Mitch,” she stood face to face with him, poking a finely manicured finger in his face, “The best you can do for your wife is Myrtle Beach, and you don’t even provide me with a decent five star hotel. You put me in this dump and what really gets me is you expect me to be happy about it. If you were any kind of man,” she snarled with attitude, “you wouldn’t have me, your wife, who you claim to love with all your heart, in a place like this. I just don’t get it,” her voice trailed off.

  Mitch flinched as if he had been jabbed in the stomach. Okay, so their hotel wasn’t the Four Seasons, he admitted, but their suite was exq
uisitely furnished with tasteful amenities; a Jacuzzi, a bar and a breathtaking view of the ocean, and at 200 dollars per night, their suite wasn’t exactly a Motel 6 either.

  “Give me a little while, just until I make partner. I promise you things will be different, baby,” Mitch countered calmingly, placing his hands on her shoulders, trying to end his wife’s complaints once and for all.

  Kanile wasn’t placated. “Don’t you baby me,” she roared, knocking Mitch’s hands off her shoulders and looking at him furiously, motioning stop with her hand. “How long have you been telling me that?” She screamed, waving a finger accusingly in his face. “You are a weak, pathetic excuse of a man who refuses to do right by your family.”

  Mitch’s job as the real estate developer was extremely stressful, his salary wasn’t bad, but Kanile was right, they only took one vacation a year. At the rate Kanile spends, simply because Tracy and Vanessa did, it was a miracle they could afford one vacation a year.

  Mitch looked down at his shoes. He had heard Kanile’s complaints for a long time and knew she wasn’t finished yet.

  “I don’t know why I bother,” she continued to wail, shaking her head in despair, and pacing the floor. “Talking to you just falls on deaf ears. Hell, I don’t know why I married a loser like you when I could easily have married a doctor, a lawyer, or even a politician.” She gave her husband a look when she glanced over at her husband. Mitch had noticed a sly smile on his wife’s face each time she mentioned the word ‘politician’ in her comments. “Anyone would’ve been a huge improvement over what I’ve got,” she derided him, glancing hatefully at him over her shoulder.

  Mitch tried to ignore the scathing comments on his character, but Kanile’s tongue was her greatest weapon and she easily destroyed him with her words. “My friends spend lots of money all the time and they never seem to run out, but our bank account is nonexistent. Bill collectors are calling, delinquent bills filling up the mailbox.” She lifted her hands in exasperation, spinning around in circles. “What am I supposed to do? When is my damn ship coming in? When will I get the opportunity to live the American dream?”

  Mitch had watched Kanile’s dramatics; putting her hand to her head, twirling around and rolling her eyes towards the ceiling as if the Creator would come down from the clouds and give her the answers she was looking for. Mitch had thought, a little bitterly, that she could get a job and help pay the bills that she had almost single-handedly created, but he couldn’t say that to his wife. She was the woman he had promised to always love and take care of and he took his vows serious and wasn’t going back on his word now.

  Meeting her gaze with a determined look, he paused a moment. “I am doing the best I can.”

  She spun quickly towards the mirrored vanity. “Humph, well your best ain’t good enough.” She yanked out a drawer and started fumbling through her vast amount of make-up, combs, hair products, and brushes. “ I don’t ask for much. For once I wish we could just have a fabulous time and not have to worry about how we’re gonna eat the next day,” she finished her wishful thinking by shooting her husband a demeaning look.

  Mitch didn’t say anything for a moment but when he looked at his wife and caught her expression, going to take a seat on the couch, he offered. “Maybe next year.”

  “That’s what you said last year and the year before that,” she hurled at him. Finding the desired items, Kanile slammed them on top of the dresser with a clatter, turned from the mirror, and with her hands on her hips, asked, “Should I go on?” Before Mitch could respond, Kanile flew into a frenzy again, unleashing in a rapid procession of more verbal assaults on Mitch. “You are such a freaking loser. Not good for anything. I can’t believe I married you,” she said, all the while, furiously applying make-up to her beautiful mocha complexion. Then she said, “Well, it is what it is.”

  Kanile was a pretty woman. She had an oval shaped face, high cheekbones, large dark brown eyes, and a small keen nose over luscious shapely lips. She had a beautiful hourglass body that had totally captivated Mitch from the moment he met her. Unfortunately, lately all that beauty couldn’t hide Kanile’s ugly attitude.

  Kanile had come from a middle class family. She was the youngest of three siblings; she had a sister and a brother. She received more than her sister and brother being the youngest. She was popular in high school, made good grades and she always wore the latest fashions. When Kanile went off to college, she hung out with the wealthiest and most popular students. She dated often, but after receiving a two-year degree, she was ready to move on to do something else; mainly find someone wealthy enough to provide for her and take care of her in grand style. If they weren’t able to do so while in college, she was clever enough to see their potential.

  As Mitch watched Kanile now, he studied her as she twisted her long jet-black hair, allowing it to hang in large silky waves over one shoulder. She slipped into a very sexy, very short black dress that showed off her incredible five feet six figure. Then she slipped her dainty feet into a pair of black red bottoms.

  “You’re going somewhere?” Mitch inquired, getting up from the couch, seeing how his wife was dressed.

  “Yes,” she replied without any further comment.

  “Where are you going?” Mitch wanted to know.

  Kanile turned her eyes back to him. “Out,” she snarled.

  Puzzled, Mitch stiffened visibly as he eyed his wife. “Why didn’t you say you wanted to go out?” he impatiently protested, glancing at his watch. “Do you know what time it is?”

  She turned and glared at him. “I don’t care what time it is. I’m not on a time clock. I’m on vacation. If you want to call it that,” she said, getting a quick dig in. “And, I’m going to find some fun.”

  Completely exhausted from all the hours he had spent working before going on this trip, Mitch slumped his shoulders in surrender, moving over to his wife. He smiled at her and said close to her ear. “Just give me tonight to pull it together and we‘ll do whatever you want tomorrow. I’ll make it up to you. Come on,” he pleaded. “I’ll put on some music, make us a couple of drinks, then we can make love like two crazy kids the way we used to.” He grinned sexily.

  Kanile inhaled sharply and met his gaze. “You’re so predictable, no spontaneity,” she said before giving herself a final look. Satisfied with what she saw in the mirror, she said, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Then she walked toward the door.

  Since Kanile insisted on going out tonight and Mitch knew she wouldn’t settle for an evening in their hotel suite with him, he decided to accompany her. “Alright, let me throw on something and I’ll go with you.” He was about to make a move toward the bedroom to change when Kanile stopped him in his tracks.

  “No, no, no, you get your rest. I don’t need you to go with me. I’m going out alone, and if I’m lucky tonight, I’ll find a real man this time around.” Ignoring the pain on her husband’s face, Kanile walked up to the door and paused, calling over her shoulder. “Don’t wait up, dear.”

  Mitch frowned deeply. “Kanile,” he called out as the door slammed shut behind her. He tightened his lips in anger. Throwing both hands in the air, he walked over to the couch, slumping down hard. He stayed there for a long while before making his way to the portable bar where he poured himself some Bourbon over ice cubes and took several huge swallows. Mitch nursed one drink after another and had quit counting after the third.

  ***

  Wanting to calm down after leaving Mitch alone in their suite, Kanile inhaled sharply as she walked down the brown carpeted hallway to the elevator. She had no idea where she was heading but knew she had to get away for a while. Truth be told, she also knew she’d been a bitch toward Mitch, even more so lately. He didn’t deserve to be spoken to in such a vile way, the cruelty she heaped upon him. But she was too angry, too frustrated, and too disappointed how her own life had turned out to admit that to Mitch’s face.

  If only Kanile hadn’t gotten caught up wanting to live the high life. Only she
knew how much she regretted quitting her job, and now she was just too old to try to make it in the rat race. The younger generation and the veterans would be too much competition for her to find a good job that paid good money. Many of them had at least a four year education when she had a two year education.

  Kanile knew eventually that she would have to apologize to her husband for her behavior, but not right now. She was still too upset; frustrated with her unemployment status and Mitch’s inability to provide or maintain the lifestyle she demanded.

  Of course it wasn’t all Mitch’s fault, but he was the easiest one to blame. Surely, she shouldn’t have left him the way she did and she really should be giving him the respect he deserved but just look at tonight for example. The vacation was already a cheaper version of what she had envisioned, but even more infuriating was that Mitch wanted to spend their vacation cooped up in a hotel room…and not even an elegant, expensive room. Hell to the no! She wasn’t some old woman to be put in a corner and expected to stay there. She was not that girl. Kanile intended to have fun and a lot of it on her vacation, regardless of what Mitch wanted.

  When the door opened, Kanile entered the semi-crowded elevator with a noisy group of people who were talking about going to some nearby club to party. When the elevator doors opened on the first floor, the group exited and walked through the hotel lobby out onto the street. Deep in thought, Kanile exited the elevator and began to walk slowly. Seeing the group from the elevator standing on the corner waiting for the light to change, Kanile picked up her pace and followed the group into a nightclub.

  ***

  Around 1:00 a.m. with no sign of his wife’s return, he went to bed. When he awoke at 3:45 the next morning, laying across the bed fully clothed, he realized he was still alone in their suite. Mitch didn’t wake up again until late morning. He looked around the room. The dress Kanile wore last night lay on the side of the bathtub, and her shoes were on the bathroom floor but she was not there.