A/N: So this story was a plot bunny that randomly attacked me. This is my first published story, be gentle :-)
Special thanks to RoseArcadia for her awesome support on this. Luv ya lots!
Had a Bad Day
The door slams behind Bella as she leans her back on it, weary from the absolute nightmare that would count as a bad day at work. So bad, in fact, that she'd left halfway through. Sighing, she remembers the look on her rival, Tanya's face when she got the promotion over her. A look she wanted to slap off, along with her pancake makeup.
"Congratulations, Tanya", she said, not meaning a single bit of it.
She remembers all of the hard work she put into the last 6 months of programming. Successful programming that took so much personal time to create.
Successful programming for the young adults of the community; a group no librarian wanted to get involved with out of fear, but who she knew needed her guidance and support.
Successful programming that boosted the library's patronage by nearly 45%, which was practically unheard of.
Successful programming that apparently didn't mean jack shit to her director. Apparently spread legs and late night booty calls in the office are what weigh more. And Tanya was a pro at both, making her the victor.
After that huge blow to her ego, she headed to her desk, where she had a nice pile of paperwork waiting for her. After a few minutes, Bella realized that nothing productive would get done having this attitude, so she requested a mental health day. It was only when she got outside did she realize that she dropped the car off to the shop to get some minor repairs, but it was too early to have been done.
"I guess a cab it is, today", she said, not really wanting to ride in a cab for a second.
She closes her eyes, and after several deep breaths, she walks upstairs to the master bedroom.
Coming home after that disaster of a meeting was sure to be theraputic, for her 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath Victorian home was her dream home. One that her loving husband had built as soon as he sold his first book.
With that thought she smiles while walking up the stairs. The thought of her husband Edward always did that to her, for he was truly a gift from above. For her entire adult life, Bella thought she was destined to fulfill the librarian stereotype; a single spinster with only a pet cat or five at home to keep her company for all of her days. Never in her life had she imagined bumping into Edward at one of her "Meet the Author" programs. From the moment their eyes met, they had been in a bubble of true love.
Edward knew what he wanted and went for it. Within a week of talking, he asked her to be with him. After 8 months, he proposed. A few months later they were married, and the past 10 years have been truly remarkable, with their children Angela and Riley as physical proof of their love. Although the pace of their relationship seemed very accelerated, it withstood time and trials, and they are walking proof of love at first sight.
Although she'd wanted to strip off her horrible day as she made her way upstairs, Bella waited until she reached her destination to do so. After luxuriating in her glass-encased, state-of-the-art shower with waterproof speakers, she felt marginally better. Hair in a ponytail and dressed in her pale pink oversized sweater, leggings, and some fuzzy, wooly socks, she figured a glass of wine would help even more, so she headed to the kitchen. Walking down the hall, she heard voices.
"Can you at least wait until the door is closed before you pounce" a chipper female voice said.
"I can, but it's so hard to keep my hands off of you, baby. You're so beautiful," a male voice said jokingly.
"But Eddie, we don't want the neighbors to see, do we? I'd hate for your wife to find out about all this right now." the female bantered.
"She'll find out soon enough, but not before I'm ready for her to know. She won't understand." the male says, now serious.
"I think you don't give her enough credit. She probably suspects something already."
"How can she when she's never home? I've had more than enough time on my hands lately to do what I want, she's none the wiser."
"She's going to be mad when she finds out, but not for what you think."
"What are you talking about? I know what I'm doing."
"Eddie, wait, this is big. I understand your intentions but she shouldn't find out that way. She should be the first to know."
"The first to know what?" Bella said from the top of the stairs.
That bastard she thought to herself. After all of these years, he has the nerve to cheat on me, with some…preschooler nonetheless!
The look of shock on her husband and his assistant's face was just more on the pile of looks she wanted to destroy today.
"Honey…you're home. You're home?" Edward said, his hands behind his back.
"YES I'm home. And look, so are you…with Jessica…in the middle of the day."
"Baby, it's not what it lo-"
"Oh don't you DARE call me baby when you were just calling her that!"
"What? I didn't call her that!"
"Do you think I'm stupid? Or deaf? I KNOW WHAT I HEARD!"
"Listen, please let me explain."
"I don't want to hear it. Get out. You and your whore need to get out"
"Whore?" said Jessica, "wait a minute, Mrs. Cullen, I think you should-"
"Don't you speak to me, you tramp! Get the hell out of my house before I kick your ass!" said Bella, as she made her way to the den.
"The fucking nerve of you, telling me what to do, right after I caught you about to have an affair in MY HOUSE! Are you insane?"
"Please, Mrs. Cull-"
SMACK
Bella couldn't contain her rage anymore. She stared at Jessica with wild eyes, examining the woman she'd known since she was fresh out of high school, looking for a summer job. She'd asked Edward if he'd needed an assistant to help him at the publishing company, and he'd relented. Since then, Bella has helped her register for college courses, celebrated birthdays, even allowed her to babysit her children.
"After all this time, this is what you really wanted? He is what you really wanted?" Bella said.
"NO" Jessica sobbed, "I don't want him. You have to listen to him."
"No, you need to listen to me" Bella said. "If you don't leave my house in the next 10 seconds, I will hurt you. You're getting a head start."
"Not until you hear what Eddie has to-"
"His name is EDWARD, didn't you scream that out enough while you were on your BACK?!"
"BELLA! ENOUGH!" said Edward.
"I gave fair warning" Bella said, as she pulled her sons baseball bat from behind her.
"Oh my god!" Jessica screamed, as she ran out of the house, with a crazed Bella following.
"Bella, STOP!" Edward yelled, as he picked her up from behind and drug her in the house, kicking and screaming.
"Don't you ever bring your ass back here, you slut! I'll fucking kill you! You better hope I don't run into you on the street! Your ass is mine! "
Edward put her down once the front door slammed. "What the hell is wrong with you?! If you would just listen to me for a sec-"
Bella turned her back to Edward, walking toward the kitchen and dragging the baseball bat behind her. "I just can't right now. Leave me alone before I knock your fucking head off. I need a drink."
Placing her bat on the counter, she opened the wine cabinet. Then closed it, turned around, and opened the liquor cabinet, pulling out a bottle of Johnnie Walker Gold scotch whiskey. She unscrewed the cap, taking several liberal gulps before she slammed the bottle on the table, grimacing at the taste she just inflicted onto her tongue. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"She was right. I should have listened to her."
Cracking open one eye, Bella looked at her husband, scoffed, and said "Listen to whom? Your whore? About what? I'm just dying to know."
"Jessica has been telling me to tell you about this for a while now. She said you would be upset that I didn't just tell you-"
"Tell me what? For God's sakes just spit it out!"
"I wrote a book."
Bella stares incredulously at her husband.
"…you….wrote a book? That's what this is about? A book?!"
"Yes, a book." Edward lifts his hands to reveal a square package, partially torn open.
"I was so excited and nervous when it arrived at the office today that I couldn't contain myself. I was so nervous, in fact, that I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and I slipped on some wet floor. I hit my head a little hard, so Jessica drove me home."
"You expect me to believe that?" Bella said skeptically.
"Yes" said Edward "I do. Because you know me. You know I'd never do anything like that. I love you."
Bella burst into tears, covering her face with her hands. "I don't know what I know anymore. How can I know you're telling the truth?"
"Because this book…the one in my hands…is our love story. I love you so much that I wanted the entire world to know. That's why I didn't want to tell you. I wanted to surprise you when I published it. But I realized I'd made a mistake. I was so wrapped up in surprising you that I didn't stop to think how you would feel to have the world look into our life so intimately. However by that time it was too late, it was accepted by HarperCollins and they were in the process of publishing it."
Bella stopped crying and looked at Edward. "You should have just told me. You know that I would support you no matter what. Good lord, I just chased Jessica out of here with a bat! Is she going to call the cops! Oh my god I'm going to jail!"
"Calm down honey, we'll call her later and try to smooth things over, but for now, I want you to just read this book. At least the dedication."
"Mom! Dad! We're home!" two young voices called out from the front door.
"In the kitchen!" their parents replied.
Taking another deep breath, Bella looked at her husband, and began to laugh hysterically. After a few seconds, he began to laugh too. He then picked up his wife face, and kissed her.
"I love you, so much. I'm sorry I caused all of this grief." he said.
"I love you too, and I'm sorry I made an ass of myself and assaulted your assistant."
"Ill have the bail money ready" Edward joked.
The sound of footsteps rang down the hall.
"Hey, where's my lucky baseball bat? I have practice in an hour! I need some luck after the crappy day I had today" their son, Riley wailed.
"Crappy day?" Bella said.
"You have no idea" the boy said doubtingly.
"Try me."