The first rays of light burned her swollen eyes as Kaya tossed uncomfortably in the stiff bed.

Everything in her life felt like it was churning slowly on a broken rotting wheel.

She sighed, laying in bed looking up at nothing, frozen in blankness. Her red puffy eyes dropped with fatigue and her fingers throbbed achingly as she tightly held the sheets in a tense stressful fist.

It was like waking up to the wreckage of a nightmare, everything was dismal, void, blank and empty except for the dry blistering hurt that cut her lips.

A gentle knock on her cabin door gave her just enough life to call out, "come in" her voice crackled lifelessly.

She wondered who could be coming by this early in the morning and who would crucify her today?

She had lost everything. She was buried in a cocoon of disgust and vileness. The woman she had become for the sake of love was a monster, a disaster and she hated herself for the people she had caused the most pain too.

Keith stepped through the door, he looked beaten and ragged. He had spent the night weeping, "we have a phone meeting with Dr. Drew, I called her because I believe this is a crisis" he whispered looking down at his feet.

It hurt too much to look at his wife she just reminded him of a love that had been stolen away.

The usual spark of hope that glistened in Keith's eyes were now distinguished and replaced with a dimming copper hue that reminded Kaya of dry autumn leaves.

If anyone believed that pain couldn't physically manifest, they had not seen Keith. He wore his pain like a suffocating ill-looking tattered jacket.

Keith always looked nice and pristine, but today you wouldn't be able to tell the difference between him and a homeless man sitting in a pile of garbage under a bridge.

He was still wearing the clothes from last night, a gray simple shirt that was now wrinkled and stained. His hair stood up in a deranged and unkempt matter, not to mention his body  reeked of poor hygiene habits.

Keith's eyes were full of crust and it was clear from the tiny food particles in his gums that he had not brushed his teeth either.

In truth, Keith smelled and looked awful but nothing was worse than what was going on in his mind.

Kaya quickly grabbed a robe without arguing and followed Keith out to the ship foyer where breakfast was being served.

The air was full of the rich aroma of fresh coffee beans and pancakes as the lively clank and clatter of dishes filled their eardrums and people trickled into the dining commons.

Kaya looked out on this particularly sunny day and marveled at how beautiful it was. She forgot that the world moved on despite one's problems. Life and nature looked upon humanity with indifference, as it kept the pace and despite the pain of yesterday, time would love and forget all...

The seas were calm and playful and people were laughing and yawning as they slowly awoke to enjoy life. Even the birds stretched their silver feathered wings against the sky, playing with the fleecy white lace of the clouds as the dipped and dived in the universal cyan blue playground.

A nice sea breeze refreshed her senses, wiping off some of the self-loathing and imbrue that stained her heart like old metallic blood.

As they walked down a hallway Kaya tried to stand close to Keith, the top of her shoulder bone grazed him. She looked into his eyes hoping her touch would register but he was leagues away, she might as well have touched a stone.

Keith moved robotically, in truth he didn't notice her. His mind was frazzled and elusive. The only way he could describe how he felt was, as if someone was on strong painkillers while walking through a dense fog. He was numb to his surroundings but sensitive to the pain.

"Where are we going?" Kaya asked breaking through the unspoken tension like a pick does ice.

Keith cracked his knuckles tensely, "to the conference room, it's a private space where we can talk and not be overheard. There's coffee in there but you already know that..." his voice trailed off with the residuals of hurt and harshness.

Kaya gulped her mouth becoming as dry as cotton. She was familiar with the room but it looked different at night. Also, she had to admit when she was with Ben she hadn't paid much attention to the details.

Keith swung open the door to the conference room and walked quickly ahead of his wife without even looking back.

Kaya stopped abruptly as a look of surprise and shock hit her head on, "What's Ben doing here?" she squeaked.

Keith took a seat around a small circular table, "you invited him into this marriage so I thought it would be best to have him here to discuss any family related issues" he responded curtly.

Kaya took a sit slumping down in the hard chair, "I know you're hurting, I know what I did was wrong but this isn't you..." she tried to reason with Keith.

Keith put his hand up to shush her, "Shut up, I'm calling Dr. Drew now" he said coldly while dialing the number on the telephone.

Kaya snuck a glance at Ben, unlike her and Keith he looked rather happy and content. Ben sipped his morning coffee and ate his bagel.

He smiled at Kaya with his delicious baby blue's but said nothing. As usual, Ben looked like he just stepped out of a high fashion magazine, with his black hoodie and ripped designer jeans.

"Dr. Drew we are here," Keith said putting her on speaker so everyone could hear.

Kaya crossed her legs uncomfortable and took a deep breath, "I'm here" she affirmed weakly.

"I was informed briefly about this emergency meeting but I want to give everyone a chance to speak and give their perspective starting with Mrs. Magono" Dr. Drew said calmly.

Kaya covered her face in her hands as she shakily spoke, "I really fucked up badly and that's all" she sobbed.

Dr. Drew's voice came in clear and sharp through the line, "No that's not all. You deserve a better explanation and more importantly so does your husband. I'm not buying this sideways excuse that you stepped out of your marriage simply because you were afraid" Dr. Drew pushed a little harder for the truth.

"If the marriage was built on trust, love, and honesty then this would have never been an issue. A big part of this puzzle is missing. If neither of you can be honest than I can't help" she explained.

Keith jumped in, "I loved her and I tried my very best to build a relationship based on good morals when I married her" he explained with frustration.

Kaya rolled her eyes banging her hand on the table, "Oh shut up Keith, you married me so you could get a job promotion!" she yelled the words slipped out before she could grab them.

Kaya was tired of being the only villain in this marriage, and she was sick of all the pity parties Keith threw. If he wanted to lay all of their business out on the table then she would.

She gasped covering her mouth quickly, regretting what she had just said.

Dr. Drew cleared her throat, "explain....Kaya" she encouraged.

Kaya sat up bravely holding her fingers up as if she was counting, "We've been married for exactly seven months, we dated for two before he proposed to me...and" her words trailed off.

Keith interrupted, "I knew that I wanted you to be my wife from the first date. What's wrong with that?!" he asked defensively.

"How the hell do you know someone after dating them for two months? I've been alive thirty years and I'm still learning about myself" Dr. Drew chuckled.

Kaya shook her head, "No the truth is Keith at the time was trying to own the company he now has. However, at that time the boss was very family oriented and insisted on giving his company and its profits over to a married man. I truly believe that's why Keith rushed to tie the knot with me. He wanted the company, it's legacy and the huge pension it came with." Kaya shrugged unapologetically.

Kaya could almost imagine Dr. Drew raising her eyes and scribbling away, "Is that true?" Dr. Drew asked.

Keith scowled, "No, I loved her and would have married her anyway, it's just the timing of that business opportunity was helpful" he shrugged looking oddly uncomfortable.

Dr. Drews voice was calm but assertive, "I'll only ask this one more time,...is it true Keith?" she emphasized heavily on the last words.

Keith sighed giving in, "yes" he mumbled letting the truth spill out like beans on the table.

"Hmmm" Dr. Drew paused before speaking again, "So you decided to rush into a marriage and you got what you paid for...You didn't take the time to know what type of person Kaya was. For all you know you could have married a serial killer" Dr. Drew pointed out the obvious.

Kaya interrupted, "Honestly, Doctor during the engagement phase I wanted to tell him my secret but it was hard when I only saw and spoke to him in person twice" she sighed.

"Excuse me?" Dr. Drew inquired politely.

Kaya ran her fingers through her curls remembering back to those moments, "He was in the process of moving across the state, and I had to take care of Nana. So we were in a long distance engagement and he was so busy with work he only texted and visited me twice" she shrugged.

"I feel like I'm listening to an episode of CatFish" Ben whispered to himself under his breath.

"So during the duration of dating and engagement, you only saw him twice?" Dr. Drew repeated in disbelief.

Kaya clarified, "no I apologize, I forgot that he did webcam me once" she explained.

Keith sighed, "that's correct but in my defense, I was busy laying down the foundations for our new life together" he tried to explain.

"So you married a stranger, no big deal," Dr. Drew said sarcastically before continuing "However, that does not excuse your behavior Kaya, despite the unconventional and rushed methods you still agreed and vowed to marry this man. You should have been honest, marriage is built on a promise of security and truth, no one forced you to say "I do".

Then you met your husband, fell in love and was too scared to tell him about your HPV. So you faked a mental illness in order to distract him and used it as an excuse to avoid intimacy. Yet you ended up sleeping with your art teacher, correct?" Dr. Drew asked making sure her facts were straight.

Ben who had been listening quietly in the corner sat up, "wwwwhhhhattt?!" he screamed spitting out his coffee all over the place as he coughed and choked.

"We used a condom," Kaya said weakly knowing that didn't help the situation.

Keith laughed completely satisfied with the look of horror on Ben's face.

Dr. Drew addressed Ben, "you might want to get checked" she suggested. "I am curious to know how or why you went after Kaya," she asked.

Ben was still recovering from the news, he groaned, "I don't care about her marriage. I saw her, I liked what I saw and I wanted to fuck her. It's that simple...I didn't know all this..." he muttered angrily.

Now it was Dr. Drew's turn to laugh, "You have a type Kaya, you seem to attract similar men. Although Ben and your husband may look different they both have impulsive personalities. They are both selfish, lazy, and don't respect you. Neither of them wanted you for the right reasons" she critiqued.

The veins on Keith forehead looked ready to pop as he snapped at Dr. Drew, "I AM NOT LAZY!" he argued.

"You are, because you thought you could speed through the marriage like it was a toll road and you skipped past the parts that involved building a bond with your spouse" Dr. Drew stated calmly taking a moment to let her words sink in, "Do not interrupt me again" she said getting back to the conversation.

Dr. Drew was a cut and dry therapist who believed in telling people the truth without sparing anyone's feelings. Keith and Kaya listened quietly but her words stung like a sandpaper slap.

Dr. Drew fixed her glasses as she addressed Mrs. Magono."This may sound mean Kaya but realistically you were both of their one night stands. Yes, Keith married you, but that's all he did, he didn't invest in you or even stop long enough to enjoy the pleasures of understanding you.

Kaya flinched as Dr. Drew continued to rip her apart with her lecture.

Dr. Drew cleared her throat, "Don't misunderstand me, I don't condone any of this behavior. You both are wrong, and both of you are responsible for where this marriage is at the moment.

Keith, you have to understand that marriage isn't a business deal or a shortcut it takes a lot of work.

Kaya, you need to work on self-love and fixing the brokenness inside you that causes you to be self-destructive, toxic, and a perpetual liar.

Now the real question is what do you two want to do now? Fidelity is a horrible blow to a marriage but not necessarily the end. If you love each other and believe you can fix this then I will help you" Dr. Drew offered.

Keith blurted out without hesitation, "I want to fix this marriage because I love my wife" he proclaimed.

Kaya's heart leaped like bouncing coils of joy. At least she knew Keith didn't hate her enough to quit or divorce her.

Ben stood up, his chair made a loud screeching sound as it moved against the tile floor, "well I want her too!" he said crossing his arms.

"Ben sit down, you are a third party to their marriage you don't have a say," Dr. Drew said sharply.

Kaya squirmed uncomfortably as she looked at Keith's and Ben's eager face as they waited for her to say something.

"Keith, I implore you to think slowly and rationally about all decisions, including this one. You are still hurting don't ignore those feelings" Dr. Drew advised.

Dr. Drew continued, "also I think until both of you make a final decision about your marriage. You guys should separate, so that emotions don't cloud judgement. Make sure it's truly coming from the heart and not from the fear of being alone". The line clicked off as Dr. Drew hanged up.

Ben stood up and reached for Kaya's hand "I'm not mad. I accepted you and I knew from the start that you were broken. All I ever did was try to fix you and help you. Unlike your husband I never put anything before you. Just know I care for you and baby you will never have to change or pretend around me." He said smoothly.

Keith looked enraged as he towered over his wife protectively curling his fist, "how dare you say you care for my wife, after sleeping with her once?! he yelled.

Ben smirked, "It was a few time, and didn't you do the same thing when you tried to make a sham marriage to benefit yourself? At least I got something from her" he taunted.

The words Ben said got under Keith's skin and ignited a new rage. He was angry for being such a bitch in the relationship. He was angry that his wife called him out today on his wrongs. And he was enraged by the smug grin on Ben's face.

Keith lunged at Ben tackling him like a football player. Papers, chairs and other items flew in a chaotic array as both men scuffled. Ben was quick, he grabbed Keith and body slammed him against the table with a loud, "BAAM!" as they continued to try to go blow for blow.

Keith's fist connected with Ben's side, giving him a nice hook as his bones rattled from the painful impact.

Ben fell to his side spitting through a scraped and swollen lip, "I'm a lover not a fighter" he groaned getting up slowly to ram Keith into the nearest wall, "ask Kaya" he winked.

Kaya screamed when she saw Keith's bruised knuckles and Ben hunched over in crippling pain."STOOOOP FIGHTING OVER ME! IM NOT EVEN WORTH IT, I'M A PIECE OF SHIT" she sobbed coming between them.

Ben's face softened as he lowered his fist. He realized at this moment that it wasn't about him or Keith but about someone who couldn't give love that she didn't have in the first place. Kaya had to learn to love herself first.

Ben straightened out his collar and wiped a fresh cut of blood off his lower lip.

Ben turned to Kaya and gently pressed a thumb to her face, peering into her cinnamon eyes with love, "I'll respect whoever you choose but please know that we must talk about the little gift you gave me" he whispered.

Ben rudely shoved past Keith and plopped down in the corner to massage his throbbing temples.

Keith stood by his wife side, panting as beads of sweat dripped down his brow, "I'm sorry that I messed up in this marriage too. However, I love you and although it hurts right now I want a future with you" he pleaded grabbing her hand.

"The doctor's right for the rest of the trip we will do our own things. I want this to be real this time and our decisions to count. I'll see you around" Keith murmured awkwardly as he kissed Kaya's forehead and walked away.

Kaya cried out as a new and painful question entered her mind, but she knew she had to ask.

She grabbed Keith's arm before he could slip out the door, "Did you sleep with Esme last night?" she stuttered. She held her breath and bit her lip waiting, "I know I don't have a right to ask and it's fine if you did but..." her words trailed off.

A tiny smiled crept upon Keith's face as he recalled the moment her shared with Esme last night.

(Flashback)

Esme wiped away his stray tears with her soft lips, grazing him with soft affections and the taunting tease of a well-needed kiss.

"No don't stop," Keith said grabbing her waist and hoisting her up in his arms.

Esme kissed Keith passionately, it surged through his body like a huge suction. It was new and different feeling.At first, he tried to pull away but then he got swept up in her swaying hips enjoying the way her lips evaded his body and mind.

Her nature was spicy but sweet like roses, it was little things with her that made her seductive. Like the way, her nails gently trailed down his spine raising his hairs or her sweet nibbles between kisses as their teeth clashed.

Keith groaned feeling himself grow hard and excited under her soft but rough persuasion.

His hands ran down her back loving the outline of her dip that arched like a silver spoon as her eager breast pushed up against his chest.

Her fingers explored his body begging for rawness as she tried to undress him.

Keith pushed her away gently tearing apart their lips as his mind and body fought, "not like this!" he gasped.

Sadness lingered between them, despite this very sexual moment all he could focus on was the way he wished he was kissing Kaya.

Esme shivered with lust, her eyes blazed with a thin sheet of desire. She reached for his junk scoping it in her hands as she tried to rub him down.

Keith quivered little whimper and groans escaped his lips as he weakly fought to avoid her advances, "No!" he yelled holding her wrist.

Esme looked as if she had been slapped in the face, "this is the last time you reject me!" she said blushing. She pushed past him and ran out the door.

Keith broke out into a cold sweat, quickly running to the bathroom. His groans filled the bare cabin walls as he grunted loudly and released his seeds.

(present)

Keith looked at Kaya gazing into her worried eyes, "no we didn't sleep together, but we did kiss and still to this moment, it's nothing in comparison to the way I want you" he promised leaving her with silent thoughts.

Kaya nodded biting her nails worriedly as she glanced at Ben who stood behind her like a shadow.

She now had so many choices...

choices...

Authors note: Wow can Kaya and Keith really save this marriage and do the right thing? I hope so... Do you even want to see them win? Is it possible in your opinion for them to have true genuine love and a better marriage at this point? let me know <3 comment, vote share.