Humiliated

"Hey, man. You need anything?" Dean asked, walking into the living room in his house where Punk was sitting.

After leaving Janine, Punk walked to his brother's, figuring it was the only place he could crash for the night. He certainly couldn't stay in the house with Janine, and she'd made it perfectly clear that she wasn't moving.

"No, I'm fine." Punk shook his head as Dean sat over on the chair, "I just can't believe that she's not actually pregnant." He said, "I was just kinda accepting the fact I was gonna be a dad and now… now I'm not." He nodded. It was a strange bunch of emotions.

"It's probably for the best, right?" Dean asked, "You were never really on board with it."

"No but I… I came to terms with it." Punk nodded, "Just feels like one extreme to the other." He shook his head, running his hands over his face.

"How'd she take the… other news? About you and April?" Dean asked.

"How do you think?" Punk asked him, "She was throwing the cheating thing in my face, I was going off on her for the fake pregnancy thing… there was no real talking or explaining. Just shouting." He shook his head, "And look, I didn't expect her to take it well and I know that what I did was far from the right thing." He nodded, "But she tried to keep me there, knowing I wanted a divorce, by telling me she was pregnant when she really wasn't. I mean… who comes up with that?" Punk shook his head.

"It's a little concerning." Dean agreed, "And desperate."

"Part of me is glad that it's all out there now but… I feel like the worst is yet to come." Punk nodded, "She's just a totally different person to me now."

"Does she know it's April?" Dean asked.

"No, and don't tell her." Punk said, "I want April kept out of this." He said as Dean nodded.

"It was her who came to me. She saw Janine in the store buying tampons and came to me about it, said she reckoned that she was faking it." Dean said.

"So April knows?" Punk nodded.

"Well she was just speculating back then but… now we know it's actually true." Dean shook his head, "I mean what the hell was she gonna do when you noticed she wasn't getting any bigger? And there was no baby?"

"She said she planned on getting pregnant soon so that I wouldn't notice." Punk shook his head, "I mean she decided to do all of this before knowing I was cheating. It's not like she did it to hurt me or to be spiteful. She did it because she genuinely thought that it would help and keep me there." Punk said, "It's fucking concerning behaviour." He said as Dean nodded.

"Tell me about it." Dean agreed.

"I guess we both did our equal parts of really destroying our marriage in the end." Punk nodded, "Because I know I'm not a saint. I did sleep with someone else. I did lie to her." He said. He knew what he'd done was not right. He didn't need to be told. But he couldn't help falling for someone else.

"Yeah, well you know that. It's not like you're playing the innocent victim. You fucked up, so did she. Technically this should make the split easier." Dean said.

"She thinks she's the victim." Punk nodded, "I was just sick of being miserable, man. When she went to her mom's and she… she stopped answering my calls, and then I went down there to try and bring her back up and she just fought with me." He said, "I was sick of it. And April was there for me." He said as Dean nodded.

"I know." Dean said, "Look it's a shitty situation all round but like you said, it's out there now. She knows the truth, you know the truth. You can… You can finally get out." He said as Punk nodded.

"She said she'd find out who the girl is." Punk said, "The last thing I want is April to get dragged into this."

"She won't. Just be careful with what you're doing for now. Don't go kissing AJ in the middle of the street." Dean said, "Stay lowkey for the time being." He said as Punk nodded.

"I can't believe it's actually finished." Punk shook his head, "And there's no baby." He said. It was a lot to take in.

"I'm honestly a little relived." Dean nodded, "I didn't want you to be miserable but then I didn't want you to risk losing your kid." He said as Punk nodded, "No kid deserves to be brought into a mess like that. Born for the soul purpose of saving a marriage." He said, "It's not right."

"You don't mind me staying here for a couple days, do you? I think I gotta give her some space." Punk nodded.

"Stay as long as you need." Dean nodded, "I'm sorry it's ended so ugly with you two. I didn't get on with her but… I know you did care about her at one point. It's sad to see that become… this."

"Yeah, well when I married her I thought that would be it for me." Punk nodded, "But… things just changed. She changed." Punk said, "I wish her no ill will but I'm… I'm glad she knows now and we can actually split up." He said.

Although it was still sad to see things diminish as horrifically as it had, he felt some sort of relief out of it. He didn't know if it was because he knew he could be with AJ properly, or if he was just glad he didn't have to be so trapped anymore. There was a lot of feelings and emotions right now.

The next night Punk and Dean had gone to the bar after work, mainly so Punk could talk to AJ and tell her everything that went down. Punk hadn't seen or heard from Janine since their massive fight last night and figured that giving her a few days to possibly cool off was for the best.

"I can't believe that." AJ shook her head, sitting in the stock room on one of the boxes, "I mean I knew when I saw the tampons. And then I realised that she must have thought it would keep you together." She said, "But still… it's hard to believe someone would do that."

"Yeah, I know." Punk nodded, leaning against one of the crates, "I'm staying with Dean right now until she calms down." He said, "I don't see us having a civil conversation any time soon." He shook his head.

"How do you feel?" AJ asked him curiously as he looked over at her.

"I mean I'm… I'm relieved." Punk nodded, "Especially now that I know she was lying about being pregnant. I'm glad I got out of that." He said, "But… you know I never wanted to hurt her, and obviously I know I have." He said as AJ nodded, "It's a lot to think about."

"Yeah, I figured." AJ nodded.

"She's also set on finding who the woman is I've been with." Punk said, "But there's no way she's gonna know it was you so you're fine." He nodded, "It's just so weird that it's over now. It's all out there." He said, "I don't feel as trapped and I know I can be with you now." He said as she smiled.

She was of course relieved to hear that everything had been revealed between Punk and Janine. Mainly because it meant she could continue to love this man without feeling bad about it, and he didn't have to hide her, not as much anyway.

"We should probably still keep a little distance." AJ suggested, "Just until she's calm and out of the shock." She said as Punk nodded.

"Yeah, I agree." Punk nodded, walking over to her as she stood up from the box, "But I still gotta see you." He whispered as she smiled and nodded.

"You can." She smiled, leaning up and kissing him softly, wrapping her arms around his neck as he pulled her closer.

The only thing making this easier for him was the fact he had the girl of his dreams, the real girl of his dreams by his side. She knew what he'd been through with his marriage. She was there every night to listen to him complain about the fighting and the arguments. For it to come to an end just made him feel like he could properly love her and give her the world she deserved. This was love. Real love.

"I have to get back to work." AJ pulled back from the kiss as Punk nodded, leaning his forehead against hers, "Maybe I can sneak out when everyone is in bed later." She said as Punk smiled.

"Yeah?" Punk smiled as she nodded, biting her lip.

"Yeah, I want you." She whispered as he smiled, "But I gotta work first."

"Ok." He smiled, pecking her lips. She was the sunshine in all of this, she always had been. He was grateful that in the midst of something so ugly, he'd found the love of his life.

They both left the stock room. AJ returned behind the bar and Punk sat back down with Dean at a table. A lot was on his mind of course. He knew divorce would be on the horizon which meant a lot settling and paper work.

"Uh… Phil." Dean tapped his brother as he noticed Janine walk into the bar, "What is she doing here?"

"I don't know." Punk said worriedly, watching Janine walk down the bar. She was far too cocky for him not to be nervous.

"There he is!" Janine pointed to Punk, "My husband." She said loudly as the bar quietened slightly, people turning around.

"Janine." Punk stood up from the table, "Not here." He warned.

"No, I think here is perfect, actually." Janine nodded, "Here is the perfect place because I assume that's where you two found your little romance." She turned to AJ behind the bar who dropped the glass out of her hand.

"Janine. Let's just talk outside." Punk said, starting to worry.

"No, we'll talk here. So everybody can listen!" Janine yelled as everyone in the bar looked over, including AJ's parents standing behind the bar.

"April has nothing to do with this." Punk said.

"Oh, really?" Janine chuckled, "Ladies and gentleman my husband here told me last night that he'd been cheating on me. For several weeks." She added as Punk ran his hand through his hair, "And I thought to myself… what little skank would even sleep with a married man? Who would do that?" She laughed.

"Janine." Punk gritted his teeth, "Outside." He took a hold of her arm.

"Don't you touch me!" Janine yelled, pushing him back as Punk put his hands up, looking over at AJ who was paused in shock.

"Ok, this isn't the place for this." Jeanette nodded, "You should go."

"I will go." Janine assured her, "But let me finish." She said, "So I thought to myself… who's the girl? It's gotta be some low-life rat from the gutter, right?" She looked around at everyone who were all shamefully listening, "And then I found this in my husband's car this morning." She pulled out AJ's college lanyard which she had accidentally left in Punk's car.

Punk groaned to himself, looking down at the ground whilst AJ stood still, looking at her lanyard which Janine was holding up and showing around the room, as if it was an auction.

"Yes, this is a college lanyard. College. And I'm sure you all know the face on it." Janine said.

"Please stop." AJ begged quietly as Janine turned to her.

"Maybe you should have said that to my husband whilst he was fucking you." Janine spat as AJ gulped.

"Why are you doing this?!" Punk spat.

"Because I think people should know the type of person she is, the type of person who all smiles to you and pours you your drinks." Janine spat, looking around at the busy bar, "I bet you all think she's sweet and innocent." She nodded, "But here you go…" She threw the lanyard across at AJ, "She's really just a cheap little nasty slut who ruined my entire marriage." She nodded, "And if I were all of you, I wouldn't let her pour me another drink. Who knows where she's been?" Janine looked over at AJ.

AJ watched as everyone looked at her, including her parents who were staring at her from across the bar. She had never felt so humiliated in all her life. She felt like she had been stripped naked for everyone to look at and point at.

"And shame on you." Janine turned to Punk, "You're the one who should have known better. She's a little girl. She's a college student." She spat, "Is that what you like? Is that why you didn't wanna be with me anymore?" She questioned as Punk looked down at her.

"I think you're done." Punk glared at her.

"No, I'm not done." Janine shook her head, taking a glass from the bar which had some remains of a drink left in it, throwing the drink at AJ and reaching over, grabbing AJ by the hair and trying to pull her over the bar.

"That's enough!" Punk yelled, ripping Janine back from AJ as Dean joined him in putting her out of the bar, "Get out!" Punk yelled, putting her out of the bar.

AJ wiped the drink from her face, looking around the bar as everyone stared at her, turning to her parents who were staring at her angrily with disgust and disappointment.

Punk walked back into the bar whilst Dean took care of Janine, looking over at AJ who was soaking wet and standing still. He then looked around at the silent bar who had now turned their eyes to him, and then he saw AJ's father staring at him with the most angered expression he'd ever saw anyone with. He knew it was about to get a whole lot worse.