One thing about secrets is that it always gets exposed. Another thing about them. Their always dirty. Dirty secrets. Things that you hide and lie about. Someone wishes that they were told that…
But they were told. If your gonna make a secret or a lie. Always come prepared for it to come undone.
What's said. Cheaters always get caught.
A game turned into a decision a month ago. Jughead was running late for school and then quickly realized he had forgotten his book bag at home. He quickly turns his bike around and gets on the nearest highway.
When he finally arrives at the trailer. He shuts off his bike and starts walking up to the front door. He jiggles his key into the lock and he turns the key.
And what he sees makes all his blood rush to his brain and legs. He feels feels every vein bulged out. He never thought that someone could destroy his life so much. He blinks his eyes for a second to reframe the image and sees a familiar women lying in bed on top of some guy. That didn't look anything like his father.
"Alice…"
Alice quickly jumps off the guy and scrambles around the room looking for her discarded garments. She sees Jughead's face and tightens the bed sheet around her frame. She knows that anything she says will just make it worse.
"Jughead!" She screeches as she shooed the man off the bed.
Jughead's jaw clenched. He can't believe Alice was having an affair. His father and Alice got married three months ago after he saved her from Polly's cult. He wasn't happy with the idea of his father marrying his girlfriend's mom. That even sounded weird thinking about it. The wedding was sweet and all. He can't deny that. He was happy for his father. His father was the happiest he'd ever seen his father. Which really made him accept Alice. He grew to like them together and it was no longer weird anymore.
That was until now. He was still standing by the front door with his jaw clenched and very heated. He sees her trying to get by him and he puts up his hand.
"What the fuck, Alice?!" He shouts at her with his hands thrown up in the air.
Alice rolled her eyes at him and spat, "Young man! You don't talk to your stepmother like that!" She scolded pointing her finger.
Jughead couldn't believe she was yelling at him. She was the one fucking around in the first place. "Oh no no! Oh no no! Don't try that! I just caught you red handed, Alice!" He raises his voice as he glared at her direction.
Alice's face turned pink. "Please don't tell your father." What? He can't even with this woman.
"What! Are you kidding me?! Alice, I'm not going to lie to my dad for you! You might've just burned him to the ground. I've never him so happy since he's gotten with you. He's stopped drinking! Are you trying to ruin him!" His eyes brimmed with fire.
Her eyes brimmed with tears. Jughead shakes his head at her. She's now dressed and the guy was no longer there. Jughead couldn't believe what he had witnessed. And he was also not amused. He was going to have to shatter his father's heart.
"Juggie—"
"No! He loves you and you just fucked that up. He married you and thought you were going to be faithful! He wants a future with you! He doesn't want lies, betrayal and his heart broken!" His screaming at her.
"Please Jughead! Just don't tell him! He's having a good day." And what's a faint whisper. "And, I'm pregnant. You can't tell him. He'll leave me, Jughead." Her voice was in cries.
Oh this is just great. She's pregnant. "How long has this been going on?" He asks through gritted teeth.
"Four months." His jaw and eyes burn cold.
"Are you fucking kidding me! Since before you guys married! Alice! I just can't believe you! I trusted you! Jellybean trusted you! And he trusted you!" He screamed out as he snatched his backpack off the floor by the door. He throws it over his shoulder and glared. "And just to let you know. You have to tell him." He watches her eyes flicker before he lets out,"Or I will." And then he slams the door behind him.
The rest of the day at school was unbearable for him. He can't believe his day came to this. He's holding a earth shattering secret from everyone. Not just his father. This secret will bring his whole life to shambles. Everything he worked so hard to get back. His mother would visit every once and while. Jellybean was back in his life. Him and His sister are closer than ever.
As his lunch period striked to a start. He decided to work in the Blue and Gold news room and eat lunch. He wanted so much to write an exposé about a cheating wife. But he kept his cool. After every failed attempt to form a sentence. He shoved the crumpled up papers on his work space and onto the floor. "Woah… Hobo that's not how to write an article." He hears Cheryl Blossom's voice from the door.
He looks up at Cheryl's confused expression on her ivory skin complexion. Cheryl could see that something wasn't right. There was no snarky comment back. Which surprised her. "Jughead." She softened her voice and sees his eyes. They were angry and she could see also betrayal.
"What do you want, Cheryl!" He snapped as he shoved his laptop back into his laptop pouch.
She rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her and walked up to him. "I can see that you're not okay, Jughead. What's bothering your writing instincts?" For once Cheryl sounded compassionate and that confused him.
"Like I'm telling you!" He snarked as he rolled his eyes and grabbed the door handle.
"Jughead Jones! I'm the queen of hiding! Sit your little ass down and speak like normal to me!" She ordered her voice dripping with annoyance.
He glared at her and turned his body around. He didn't want to tell Cheryl. She would just tell the whole school about Alice's affair. And then his father would be angry with him.
"Fine. Why do you care so much?! All you ever did was pick on me and tell me what a southside trash I was! And now that you're a serpent! You think you can act like you care? No you don't care! So why start now!" Cheryl could understand his point. She was a bitch to him for years and now she wants to change.
She sighs as she takes a seat." I do care." He rolled his eyes and she nearly slaps him. "Roll your eyes all you want. Just know… I'm actually trying to be nice and I do like you, Jughead!" She snapped as she started heading towards the door.
"Cheryl wait!" He shouts and she stood just at the door. "Fine, I'll tell you." Her lips quirked into a smile. "But you can't tell anyone. And I mean no one." Her smile falls from her lips and she nods her head.
"I'm all ears." She said as she walked back to the chair and sat down.
Jughead takes a breath and looks away from Cheryl's now warm eyes. He can feel her eyes boring into his soul. He wasn't used to this normal conversation talk. They would bicker. Never were civil and hated one another. So this was just damn uncomfortable for him.
"I was almost to school and I realized that I left my backpack at the trailer. So, I turned my bike around and headed to the trailer. And when I got there. I opened the trailer door and I found Alice in bed with another man. Who was definitely not my father." Cheryl's eyes soften and she does something that was unexpected.
Before He could comprehend what was happening, Cheryl's arms were around him and he was being hugged. Jughead knew Cheryl wasn't this nice ever. He wondered what was up her sleeve.
"Jughead… wow. I can't believe she did that to your father. And they just got married too. I'm so sorry and you have my condolences." She wasn't sure how to react. She told Betty when she found Hal floozying with her mother. But she never thought Alice could burn Fp's heart.
Cheryl wasn't a person who expressed her emotions. Like ever. She still didn't like him for being part of the clean up of her brother's death. But she knew that Fp wasn't a bad man. And since she joined the Serpents; she knew that he wasn't.
"Yeah… me either, Cheryl. She confessed to me that it was four months since she started this affair. And that she's pregnant. And I doubt that my father's the father. I trusted her, Cheryl."
"I know what's it is like to trust someone and they break your heart."
"What should I do? I know telling him it's the right thing to do. But… I know how it's going to end and I know it will never be the same. Ever again." Cheryl could hear the sadness in his voice.
With a gentle hand. She held his hand. "You have to, Jug. Otherwise your father will just be angry at you for not telling him." She stated before closing the door behind her and left him to growl in frustration.
When Dinner was served, Betty, Fp and Alice were seated at the table. Betty was telling them about her day and Alice was listening in despair. She knew that the affair was out in the open. And only one person knew. And he was glaring his eyes at her. She knew that he hated her and wouldn't blame him. She was an adulteress.
Fp was enjoying the time he had at work. He and Fred were back in business and nothing could ruin his mood. Betty still wondered where Jughead was at lunch. "I learned something interesting today at school." Jughead piped in as he snatched his chicken bite into his mouth and snapped his jaw shut.
Alice's spine froze by the tone is his voice. And it was disguised with humiliation. She should've known that Jughead plays dirty. Fp eyes his son with curiosity and Jughead felt a pang of guilt. He was about to ruin his father's whole day, not just his day. His whole life longed dream. All because someone was unfaithful.
"Oh really?" Fp asked his son and he nods. "I would like to know what knowledge my son has cooked up in that brain of yours." Again guilt ran through Jughead's body.
"Yes. A lot of heat I would say." Alice feels a blush of embarrassment and humiliation grow on her cheeks.
"Juggie, you don't have to if you don't want to." She tried to redirect him.
Jughead shook his head and chuckled, "No I think I'm fine. Actually more than fine." Fp starts to notice something.
"Uh Jughead what's going?" Jughead chooses to ignore his question and looks around.
"No. I read a study about Adultery. That more than half our population commits these affairs." Betty almost choked on her apple juice.
"Jughead! I don't think that's a family dinner topic." She scolds gently as she pinches his leg underneath the table.
He winces and swatted her fingers on his leg. "No! I think that should be changed! If more adulterers confessed to their affairs. Maybe less lies would be told." He directed his eyes at Alice. Alice can feel her stomach bubble. And it was far from good.
Fp listened his son's words and found it quite odd coming from his son. Sure he knew his son was smart. But this was like he was A
an human encyclopedia. He looks over at his son and his mouth was gaped. He never heard such words. "Jug, Where's this all coming from?"
Jughead just keeps on going." I just think it would happen less. Maybe if they were more faithful and loving. And not unfaithful liars. That it would be better for everyone." He stated through locked eye contact with his food. Not before adding, "Right Alice?"
Eye Contact locked with her unfaithful eyes. And for the first time she felt like she was under fire. "What the Hell's going on here?" Fp blurted out astonished by what just exited his son's mouth.
"Why don't you ask your wife Alice?" He looks directly at his wife and wants to know. Damn right now.
"What? Alice what's going on?"
Otherside of the table," You tell him or I'll tell him what I found out this morning." Alice's eyes start watering. She could see the raged in both Jughead and Fp's eyes as they looked at her.
Fp's heart shattered, his lungs stopped working and he felt like he was going to die. He never felt so betrayed ever in his life. He trusted her and she hurts him. "What the hell Alice?!" He snapped as his eyes brimmed with tears and anger.
Betty couldn't believe her mother. She pushed her seat back and stood up. She could see Fp's heart shattering and almost wants to hug him. "Mom! How could you?! I moved in with you and your new life. While on the side you were shackling it up with another man!" She screamed at her mother, betrayal burning deep.
"How long!" Fp shouted.
"Four months."
His heart broke again. His happiest moment of his life was a lie. It was all built on betrayal. He never felt so broken in his life. She lied to him. Made him believe that she was faithful and she would never hurt him.
"I can't even look at you, Alice. Or even say your name without wanting to throw something!" He shouted as he grabbed a plate and threw it across the room.
Broken shards were thrown across the room. Jughead and Betty watched speechlessly as Fp threw all the wedding Chine off the cabinet shelves. Shattering screams could be heard across the trailer park. "Please don't leave me!"
"I can't even believe you! I love you so much and you broke me. This isn't fair! I want a divorce! I will not stay married to an adulteress whore!" He yelled from the bedroom.
He shoved her stuff into a suitcase and stormed back into the living room. Alice was in tears. And Fp was heart broken. Jughead and Betty hated Alice at the moment. Fp was fighting his heart break. He never felt so unwanted. He never wanted a drink so badly before now. Alice saw a suitcase and a door held open for her. She knew that she was alone and she fucked up.
"Please don't. I'm pregnant!" She cried out. Fp didn't flinch. "We haven't had sex in months, Alice. I'm not dumb and why don't you ran into your fuck buddies arms!" He snapped as he threw her suitcase out the door and slammed the door in her face.
He heard her cries as the rain soaked her. He didn't care. He stormed into his room and slammed the door harder than ever before. He faceplants into his bed and lets out heart-wrenching sobs as he cries. Nothing could undone the pain and humiliation that he's been caused.
A short while later, He hears the door open. He doesn't move or breathe. He just stares at the side wall with all their pictures. His eyes red rimmed from all his crying.
"Dad, I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you as soon as I found out. I hate how much pain she caused you." He heard his son's voice. He can he hear the sorries in his voice.
He doesn't move an inch. He just continues staring at the wall. "I know you are, son." He mutters as his eyes close.
He's tired of crying and fighting. "Dad—"
"Jughead, I'm not mad at you. I know you were in a tough predicament. I just wished it wasn't interfering with my love life. That's all son."
Jughead quickly comforts his father and holds onto as he cries. "I'm so sorry."
Nothing could be done to take away his pain. No drink would numb him enough to forget. He loved her so much and she broke him. She burned him to the ground and he'll never be the same. What's always said, Cheaters always get caught.