AN: Chapter by MinaBR.
Thank you to SunflowerFran3759 for betaing this chapter.
The extent of Bella's deception soured the love I felt for her. Despite her pleas for understanding, I couldn't stand being in her presence. I needed the perspective that only distance can afford. But even in my anger, I needed to feel close to her and the coffee shop where we used to meet seemed to be the perfect place to do some thinking.
Sitting in a quiet corner, I opened the gates of memory and rehashed the startling revelations of the woman I had hoped to marry. Bella was married ... to Rosalie's father, Jacob. Childhood sweethearts, married young due to an unplanned pregnancy. After years of struggles he joined the Army as a means to provide a steady income for his family.
Bella said they argued a lot, that their marriage was as good as over. She told me that she had asked for a divorce, but he said they would talk about it when he was back from Afghanistan. Allegedly, they didn't talk a lot, and the little they did was more about Rose than anything else. She was going to ask for a divorce, even if I hadn't come along.
That night I buried my dreams of untainted bliss. Should I choose to stay with Bella, I would have to carry the memory of her treachery for the rest of my days.
Was she worth the heartbreak that decision would cause?