Cheryl suspects her husband of cheating and seeks revenge after his daily disappearances to his garage. But when the truth of her husband’s actions comes out, Cheryl takes drastic measures to clean up her mess, ruining her entire life.
“Where are you going? I thought we could watch a movie tonight, Frank,” Cheryl frowned at her husband as she saw him heading toward the front door after dinner.
“I’ve got a few things to do at the garage,” he replied, wearing his shoes. “I won’t have time later, honey. I’m paying good money to rent that space, and I gotta use it as much as possible.”
“And when do we get to see your car finally?” she asked, containing her anger.
“When it’s ready.” He gave her a kiss and left the house.
Cheryl turned to their daughter. “Have you ever seen Dad’s car?” she asked.
Annie was 21 and in college but lived with them as her school was close to their home.
“Just let it go, Mom,” she shrugged. “Dad’s got a hobby, and you should get one too, Mom. I’m off to Sandra’s. We have a chem test coming up.”
Cheryl appeared to be relaxed, but she was frustrated. It was weird that a man who was never interested in cars would suddenly buy and restore one.
So Cheryl discreetly followed Frank that night, thinking how he wasn’t the same man she’d married. He would get home, eat, and rush to the garage most nights, returning at odd hours. Once, she thought she caught a whiff of a woman’s perfume when he got in bed.
Cheryl parked away from the garage rental and sat in her car, observing. She noticed Frank’s car and how he looked back when he entered the garage.
Cheryl would need proof of Frank’s betrayal, so she decided to burst into the space with her camera on. But the garage door opened just then, and a woman in a bright sequined dress with blond hair came out.
Cheryl’s mouth dropped. There was no point bursting into the garage and yelling as the mistress had left. She contained her rising emotions and drove home, deciding to take revenge on her husband.
A few days later, Cheryl met up with her ex-lover at a posh bar. “I can’t believe you called me,” he smiled at her as a waitress delivered their drinks.
Cheryl flipped her locks in a flirty manner. “Well, it’s just been so long,” she said. “I had no idea what I wanted back then, but I now realize I made a mistake when I didn’t pick you,” she paused. “Are you married to someone? Was this the wrong time to call?”
“No, no, Cheryl. I’ve dated here and there, but no one has ever compared to you,” Adam revealed sincerely. “But…what about your husband, Frank?”
“Our marriage…it’s not working,” she sighed sadly, all her expressions being a part of her plan. “He’s boring and awful. I would’ve left him sooner if we didn’t have a child.”
“So you’re getting separated?” Adam asked.
“Yes, and I know it’s been years, but do you think we could—” Cheryl started, but Adam said “yes” before she could finish. And Cheryl smiled seductively at Adam.
A week after their bar encounter, Cheryl had suggested meeting at the rental right at dinnertime, knowing that Frank would appear shortly afterward.
As she had always suspected, there was no car inside, but there were drawers, boxes, a vanity table, a closet, and a shoe shelf… with high heels. She turned to Adam, extending her arms like a showgirl from a competition program.
”This is Frank’s garage. He apparently comes here to work on his vintage car. Don’t know where that is, but I’ve had this fantasy about having a little tryst in here,” Cheryl said, her smile seductive.
”Really?” Adam asked, starting to smile.
“You remember how I was when you worked on your motorcycle,” she recalled, getting closer to Adam. ”How I would sneak up behind you and touch your back…your shoulders…” She mimicked all her words, and her hands felt Adam’s trembling body.
He was convinced almost immediately because his strong hands grabbed her body and pinned her to the garage wall in a scorching kiss. Adam liked power, roughness, passion, and urgency.
Cheryl needed things to take a while so Frank could get there in time. But soon enough, she heard a car outside, and even Adam noticed.
“It must be for another rental,” she said, distracting him and pulling off his shirt to be “caught” in a more compromising position.
“I know where you keep your shoes,” a voice said, and Cheryl’s body froze. It was Annie!
“Oh, God! No! Get in the closet! It’s my daughter!”
Adam entered the closet as best he could just when the garage door opened, and Annie’s eyes widened in shock.
“Mom? What are you doing here?”
“I came here coz I know your dad is hiding something!” Cheryl blurted out. “Where’s the car? And what are women’s shoes and vanity doing in here?”
“Well, I’m—I came here to pick up shoes for him,” Anne sighed, rubbing her forehead.
“So you knew? You knew he was cheating?” Cheryl gasped.
Annie shook her head. “You need to come with me, Mom. He’s not cheating on you.”
An hour later, Cheryl and Annie were at a club. Annie had ordered Cheryl a few drinks, and they watched several shows.
”Annie, I still don’t understand why we’re here,” Cheryl nudged her daughter, but Annie pointed to the stage.
”This is why we’re here,” she said, and Cheryl turned to see the lights changing, and surprisingly the same woman she had seen the other night appeared.
”You brought me to see your dad’s mistress?” Cheryl shouted angrily at Annie over the music.
”God, Mom!” Annie rolled her eyes. ”Look closer!”
Cheryl looked at the woman again, and finally, it clicked. Beneath all that makeup, the dress, the high heels, the shoes, and the wig…was her husband.
”Frank?” she asked, widening her eyes at Annie, who nodded knowingly.
”How long has this been going on?” Cheryl asked.
”Well, the show has only been happening for a few months, but I think it may have been a latent desire or a hidden talent,” Annie answered carefully.
Cheryl’s mouth opened and closed several times through Frank’s musical number. “Frank’s a drag queen?” she gasped. “Oh god!”
Annie nodded. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Mom. But I only discovered it by chance when I was here with my friends one night.”
Cheryl could see how the guests seemed to love Frank. He did a great job, and she clapped when his show was over.
“Can we meet him?” she asked Annie eventually, and they went backstage to see Frank, who was shocked. He began removing the wig nervously as if that would hide anything.
“Keep the wig, Frank,” Cheryl said, patting his shoulder. “God, you scared me. I thought you were cheating. But I’m glad I know the truth now.”
As they drove home, Cheryl broke the silence. “So, did you wear my shoes?”
“At first,” Frank answered. “But they didn’t fit. Your feet are too small.”
“Does this—whatever you’re doing—so are you a woman now?” she asked worriedly.
“No! Jesus!” Frank gasped. “Drag queens are not transgender women, honey. That’s their identity. I only dress as a woman and perform for entertainment. But I know I’m a man and love you and Annie and our lives together.”
“But how did you end up in that club?” she asked as they arrived home.
“Money has been tough since Annie started college,” Frank said. “Initially, I took the job of arranging the stage and handling equipment like a roadie. But then I was entranced by the shows, found myself singing along, and guess the other queens told the manager. He offered me the job, and I couldn’t say no. Better pay and we don’t have to worry for a while now since people seem to like me,” he chuckled, opening her car door.
”I didn’t know we were in trouble,” Cheryl expressed, grabbing his arm to stop him on their porch. “Besides, why didn’t you tell me anything at all? I thought you were cheating and went crazy. Compared to that…this is pretty great. I can accept this.”
“I never knew you’d be so open to this, Cheryl. And hey, we’re not in trouble. But I was just dying at my regular job. But now, I can enjoy it because I get to do something amazing at night, and I’m earning more for our family. It gave me peace of mind, and it’s like a whole new world opened up.”
“That sounds exciting,” Cheryl smiled. Annie arrived in her car right then, and for a while, they all just hugged and stood in silence.
The next morning, they were having breakfast when the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” Cheryl walked to the door and stared through the peephole in shock.
“What are you doing here?” she slipped outside and sneered at Adam, who looked flabbergasted and upset. “Look, I’m sorry we forgot you in the closet, but just leave. We can’t be seen here together.”
“Don’t send me away again, Cheryl! You told me he was the wrong choice…unless it was all a lie? Were you manipulating me?”
“Shush…they’ll hear you! Okay, let’s meet later. Give me your address,” she said and calmed down when Adam left. She lied to Frank and Annie that it was a neighbor and went to Adam’s apartment later.
“Getting a divorce is hard and expensive. I’ll pay for the lawyer,” Adam began, not letting Cheryl get a word in.
Cheryl backtracked. “I love you, Adam. It’s as if I can’t live without you. But Frank is my daughter’s father.”
“Hey, I was just worried… that you wouldn’t pick me again if the divorce were too hard,” he smiled and got closer to her. “We can get to know your daughter…figure something out.”
”That’s a good idea, baby,” Cheryl touched his face, keeping the charade. Then she suggested they could have wine together and excused herself to the bathroom.
After opening his medicine cabinet, Cheryl immediately spotted a bottle of sleeping pills. Fortunately, the pills were the kind with powder encased in gelatin, so she opened as many as she could, dumping them into his wine and stirring it to dissolve it when he didn’t notice.
They sat on his couch, drinking, and Cheryl sipped, observing him. They talked for a while until Adam’s words started slurring, and his eyes spun. He fell from the couch, and foam slipped from his mouth, but Cheryl left him alone, deciding not to call 911.
A few days later, Frank and Cheryl booked a trip to their favorite cabin getaway and were at the airport check-in.
”Let me help you with your carry-on,” Frank said and grabbed her stuff with one hand, putting his other on her waist to guide her toward the security area.
An unexpected commotion stopped them as several police officers ran with airport security.
”There she is!” an officer suddenly pointed directly at Cheryl, and all the others swarmed towards them.
“Mrs. Smith, you’re under arrest for attempted murder,” a cop said as he grabbed both her arms to put her in handcuffs. She didn’t fight, but Frank was frantic as other officers pulled him back. Adam had survived and testified against her, and Cheryl couldn’t escape the consequences of her actions.
