The Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth - Sex Stories

The Seven Deadly Sins: Sloth

... even the price of a burger for dinner? The poor man was humiliated when he tried to check into a motel, only to be told none of his credit cards would work."

Jane had been listening to her own justifications and was beginning to get a fuller realisation of just how shallow and mercenary they were making her appear. Thus, she withheld the primary reason, which was to restrict Dave's access to quality legal advice.

"Peter said it increased my chances of getting sole custody."

"Stop hiding behind that arsehole, Jane. He couldn't force you to do anything. It was you who applied for the restraining order, and you who cut your husband off at the knees, broke his soul, and beggared him. YOU!"

The near scream, with its implied disapproval, stunned Jane. That was something else her mother rarely did. Raise her voice? That was rare, scream, never. Jane was incapable of speech while her mother regained her breath. Jane clutched at any straw to help ease the condemnation coming from the other end of the line.

"But, Mum, when I saw him in the park, I told him how to get access to money to live on. I even offered to bring him some food. He refused. What more could I do? He won't help himself."

"Yes, I know what you mean, Jane. I offered him money as well and he refused it. I didn't understand why until your dad explained it to me. I should have realised; after all, I've known Dave for twenty years. He's a proud man, Jane. For his entire adult life, he's supported first ...

... you, then his entire family. Sure, maybe it wasn't to the standard you think you deserved, but you never starved or seriously went short, did you? In essence, he's a man who supports other people. The idea of accepting charity is against his very nature. Accepting anything from you would be charity. He may no longer have a family to support, but he's damned well going to support himself. With no access to money, the only way to support himself is to live on the streets and scrounge food from bins, so that's what he does."

Jane's mother broke down crying at this point which was undoubtedly the worst sound Jane had ever heard. Whether all of it was in empathy at Dave's plight or disappointment in her, she didn't know. Until she'd seen Dave in the park that first day, she'd been so focused on the goal of improving her life that she'd thought little of others' feelings. The thought of only having to swallow her principles a little, and some unchallenging acting to achieve a life free of worry and full of luxury, was just too seductive. Now it was thrust past all her internal defences that she'd completely lost the respect of her mother and father and destroyed a good man. A loyal man whose every waking moment had been focused on one altruistic goal - THEM. Her and their children.

She'd repaid that loyalty, that commitment to the family, with a meat cleaver in the back. Her conscience was on the point of collapse. She needed time to think. Speaking loudly to penetrate over her ...