Author's Note: Elliott is not necessarily a bad guy, but someone had to be divorced in this story, so sorry it's him.
"Look Elliott, today wasn't what it looked like," Christian began to explain as soon as they entered his study.
"Famous last words," his brother chuckled as he plopped down on the leather chair opposite Christian's ornate wooden desk.
"God damn it Elliott! Quit making light of this. The bitch got naked and propositioned me, and I rejected her ass," he snapped, pouring himself a tumbler of scotch.
Elliott narrowed his eyes. "And I happened to walk in at an inopportune moment I suppose?"
"YES," he roared, slamming the glass onto his desk, nearly shattering it. Christian began tugging on his hair in frustration, the day's events taking a toll on his sanity.
"Whoa brother," Elliott placated him, both hands in the air. "Fine. Fine. I believe you. Chill out."
"There never should have been any doubt. Beyond the fact that I'm your brother, you know me — and what type of man I am. I'm not a fucking cheater. I'm not that stupid. I love Ana and would never jeopardize our marriage for a worthless fuck," he spat out, engaging in a silent staring contest with his brother. The innuendo was clear. Christian didn't know if Elliott cheated on Kate and he preferred being kept in the dark, although he made his views about the sanctity of marriage clear over the years.
"You know what Christian, get off your sanctimonious high horse. For your information, I never cheated on Kate either. Yes, after 10 years of marriage, I became a shitty husband who took her for granted. Yes, I went to the occasional strip club and kept thinking the grass was greener on the other side. And yes, I didn't realize I was a schmuck until it was too late and I lost her," Elliott seethed, any trace of his characteristic playfulness gone. "Now she's shacked up with some dentist who had a crush on her in high school and I get to watch as he lives a picture-perfect existence with my wife and two daughters. Happy now?"
"No Elliott," Christian bit back, exasperated. "I was never happy about any of that shit — and I saw it coming a mile away. That's why I kept trying to prod you to take everything more seriously, but you ignored me."
Elliott stood up, the simmering resentment between the polar-opposite brothers boiling to the surface. "Because all you did was lecture me about what I was doing wrong and constantly hinting that I couldn't live up to the Grey standard of being the perfect, doting husband. Excuse me that I didn't fucking roll out the red carpet every day for my wife. We can't all be like you."
"Maybe if you'd just vacuumed every once in a while, that would've been better than nothing."
The jab was the last straw. "You know what, Christian, take your holier-than-thou husband persona and shove it up your ass. I wasn't the one who had a hot, naked chick sprawled on her knees in my office today — either about to suck your cock or having just finished doing the deed. So why don't you own your shit about Sylvia and fess up to your wife before you give me marital advice."
The shrill sound of a beer can crashing to the floor reverberated through the room. The men looked up to see Ana, holding a beer can in her other hand, frozen in shock.
Silence enveloped the group until Ana took a step back. "I, I, sorry. I brought you guys beer, and, I," she stammered, dropping the other beer in her daze.
Terrified, Christian ran to her but she just as quickly turned and sprinted up the stairs, propelled by fear, disgust and sheer adrenaline.
"Ana wait," he yelled, catching up to her at the top of the stairs. He grabbed her arm to whirl her around. "Wait. Wait. Please, calm down baby. It's not what you think," he pleaded, suffocating on the panic lodged in his throat.
The fog dissipated and Ana found her voice as she looked into his scared grey eyes.
"Did you? Is what Elliott said true? Did that happen?" she asked, her bottom lip quivering.
Blood whirred in Christian's ears and he thought he might pass out, but he refused to let go of Ana's arm. "No," he croaked out. "I mean yes. But it's not what you think. Nothing happened. I swear!"
Ana didn't hear a word after "yes," his confession stabbing her insides to shreds. She violently shoved him off her, tore off her wedding rings and hurled them at him, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"How could you? I trusted you. How could you do this to me? How could you ruin us?" she sobbed, sprinting for the bedroom.
Christian stood there utterly gobsmacked, all of the blood drained from his face as every muscle in his body shook uncontrollably.
"I'm sorry bro. Is there something I can do?"
Elliott's voice pulled him out of his trance. "NO! Go home. You've done enough. I'll take care of this," he thundered, snatching up the rings on the floor and running after his wife.
The bedroom door was open but the bathroom door was closed. He could hear a torrent of wails that splintered his heart. "ANA! Baby, let me in," he begged, desperately pounding on the locked door.
He was just about to break it down when a tiny, muffled voice stopped him.
"No. Leave me alone. I want nothing to do with you. Stay away from me," she rasped.
His heart clenched. "Baby, I have to see you, to explain. It's not what you think!" Christian banged his fist against a nearby wall. Fuck, I sound like a bad broken record. Get to her Grey. Get to her and fix this!
"Don't you dare come in here," she warned, her tone surprisingly resolute. "I mean it Christian. Stay the fuck away from me!" Her voice caught as another sob wracked her body, forcing her into the fetal position on the bathroom floor as her mind went into overdrive.
All she heard after that was a string of curse words, another fist punching through a wall and the names Barney and Flynn before she clasped her arms around her head, trying to drown out a reality that she never thought she'd have to face.