Book Two, Part Ten: The Real Addison

April 19, 2016

"Happy Anniversary." Addison said, with a raise of her wine glass.

"Happy Anniversary." I smiled softly back at her.

We were in a swanky New York restaurant celebrating two years of marriage. They had been good, solid years. We were now in our fifth year of residency and had just bought our first home, a brownstone overlooking Central Park. It was expensive but I had extra income coming in from being Chief Resident and from working for the NYPD as a 'drunk tank doctor'. Basically, I made sure the drunks and other contained citizens were okay after fights, drunken rages, etc. It was interesting to say the least, but it paid well. And Addison had her trust fund.

Yes, I had married a trust fund baby. Imagine my surprise. Not that we used it, well I didn't. And I wouldn't. I wasn't living off my wife's money. Now, I am not sexist, and her paycheck contributes to our bills but that is her money, not our money and I wouldn't be touching it.

Besides we had a comfortable life. Two new cars, new house, nice clothes and furnishings. We were the 'it' couple to most. They would look at us and want to be us. It was nice to be part of something like that.

"I'm happy." Addison said contently.

"Me too, Addie." I agreed. I was happy.

"Did you even think we would end up like this?" She asked.

"End up like what? Happy?" I asked.

"No, married you moron." She grinned to show me she was kidding.

"When we first met?" I asked. She nodded. "No." I answered honestly.

"Yeah, I knew that. I did." She confessed.

"You knew we would marry?" I asked, surprised.

"Of course. I just had to win you over. No small feat, Mr. Depressed, but I did it." She said proudly.

I frowned slightly.

"We were friends first." I smiled at her.

"No, you were friends. I was in love with you and gave you what you needed." She corrected.

Okay, I wasn't liking the directions this conversation was headed.

"So you only pretended to be friends with me in order to get me to marry you?" I asked.

She must have caught on to my tone of voice because she laughed lightly and grabbed my hand.

"I didn't mean it like that. I loved being your friend, but I knew we were destined for more. Besides, I was right. Look at us. Married for two years." She boasted proudly, eating her dessert.

I sat back and watched her. Something was underhanded in her statement. I just didn't know what.

But as always, I would put it aside. I was happy now. And I wanted to stay that way.

December 25, 2016

"Merry Christmas!" Ma gasped as she let us in. "Come inside and warm up. You two must be frozen."

We entered the front hall, stomping the snow off our feet. Well I stomped; Addie gently tapped her three hundred-dollar heels on the carpet. Who wears stilettos in snow?

The answer would be…my wife.

Ma hugged me as soon as I was out of my coat and I squeezed her back. It was good to see her. It had been a year since I had last seen her, and I felt guilty about that fact as I should have.

"It's been forever." Ma said, her eyes sparkling. "You look so good." She gushed.

She turned to Addie and hugged her.

"Are you keeping him in line?" She asked.

"I certainly try Carolyn." Addie said. "But I couldn't talk him out of wearing that God-awful sweater." She said shaking her head.

Ma barely masked her hurt look. She had bought me this sweater last year and I loved it.

"Yes, well. Are you hungry? I made chicken alfredo with Caesar salad and homemade yeast rolls."

"Sounds wonderful." I said. And it did. Addie didn't cook…at all. I did some cooking but most of the time we ate out.

We said our greetings to everyone else. In addition to Amber, Nance, Katie and Mel, there was now Peter and Ethan, Mel's 'friend' Kyle, four nieces and two nephews. We had grown in two and a half years.

I was seated at one head of the table with Ma at the other. I was next to Addie and Amber and Nancy was on the other side of Addie. Typical. They talked to each other every day. Every damn day. Nancy was like something sticky that wouldn't blow off.

Ma served me and went to put some pasta on Addie's plate but Addie covered it with her hand.

"I will just have salad. I am on a diet." She said sweetly. "Too many carbs makes you fat."

Ma blinked.

"Of course Dear." She smiled though I could tell once again, she was hurt. Ma had always been on the stockier side but she always said that you might as well enjoy a good meal cause you could be skinny when you died.

I wanted to kick my wife under the table. I took a deep breath and focused on my meal.

"This is great Ma. I missed your cooking. Very hard to get a home cooked meal at my house." I said. Yes that was a direct dig at my wife and she deserved it.

"Why cook when there is take out?" Addie laughed.

"Better watch those carbs though, right Dear?" Ma said innocently. I laughed under my breath. Mel didn't bother hiding her reaction.

"It is a good thing you are watching what you eat Addison. You are getting rather wide in the thighs. Wait, you're not pregnant, are you? You are! I can see a bump!" She said, knowing good and well Addie wasn't pregnant.

Amber joined in.

"I can see it too! What are you, three, four months along?" She gushed.

Addie stiffened.

"I am not pregnant. I have no interest in being a mother." She said.

That brought all conversation to a screeching halt. Everyone, including myself, looked at Addie with a shocked expression.

"What?" I asked tersely.

"We are both doctors. When would we have time to raise a child? We would have to hire a nanny…it is just best to not even entertain the idea." She nodded, agreeing with herself.

"But Derek wants children." Ma said.

"And I don't. And seeing as I am the one to have to carry it for nine months and go through labor, I should have the right to choose not to have children. I would be the one being imposed upon." She argued.

"You don't want kids?" I asked, still reeling.

"No, I don't." She said in a clipped tone. "Can we drop it now?"

"How is work Derek?" Katie said.

I allowed the change of subject. It was Christmas and I wasn't going to let Addie ruin it for me.

"Great. Being Chief Resident is a big responsibility, but I love it. It's challenging but I love it. How is your practice?"

We all exchanged details of our jobs and lives and families.

Apparently this family was the only one I would have.

3 Years Laters
October 14, 2019

"That was amazing Dr. Shepherd!" Anna gushed.

"Thanks Dr. Carter. Are you interested in Neurosurgery?" I asked the eager intern.

"I didn't know but watching you in that surgery was just…everything. Your hands were inside his brain and now he can talk, and he will be able to walk. It is just…"

"Amazing?" I chuckled.

"Yes."

"Who's amazing?" Addie asked, walking up and kissing me on my cheek. That was her way of marking her territory.

We had been married for over five years and we had become…stagnant. We were good friends who lived together and happened to be married. She was bitchy and I was passive aggressive. Worked for us, I guess.

"Dr. Shepherd is, well, and the brain he fixed." Anna said to Addie.

"Yes well my husband is very talented." She said sweetly.

"You are very lucky Dr. Shepherd." Anna said politely to Addie. I knew Anna was not flirting with me. She was happily engaged to another intern named Steve.

"Yes, he is, isn't he?" Addie said deliberately mistaking Anna's comment. I barely refrained from rolling my eyes.

"Dr. Montgomery-Shepherd?"

We all looked to see Pierce Dalton standing there. He was six foot two, with blond hair and brown eyes. Eyes locked on my wife's breasts.

"Can we help you Dr. Dalton?" I asked sharply.

"I just need Addie for a moment." He informed me.

Addie?

I looked at her suspiciously and noticed her face remained impassive. I was going crazy. I was making mountains out of molehills.

"I will leave you to it." I said. I turned to Addie. "I have a late surgery, so I will be home around eleven." I said, kissing her cheek.

"Okay." She said softly, her eyes shining with a light I thought had been lost. Maybe we needed couples counseling.

I would look into it.

I opened the door wearily to our home. It was 9:15 and I was home early because the patient had died an hour into the surgery.

I hung my coat up and noticed one I didn't recognize.

Odd.

I shrugged and trudged up the stairs, trying to be quiet in case Addie was sleeping. I walked towards our bedroom and I noticed her skirt and then her blouse and then her bra and panties trailing down the hallway.

I perked up.

She wanted sex. Sex was good. I could use sex.

I smiled and pushed open the door to our bedroom but nothing…nothing…could compare me for what I saw.

My wife with her legs wrapped around Pierce Dalton's hips while he pistoled into her causing her to fall into a screaming orgasm. He finished soon after.

I just stood there, in shock. Yes, we had problems. Yes, we weren't the happiest couple out there. But to betray our vows like this and with someone we work with, was inexcusable.

I finally found my voice.

"Would you please get your dick out of my wife?"

Addie…Addison…shrieked as Pierce vaulted out of bed. He hurriedly found his clothes and was throwing them on as I watched impassively.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and I walked out of the room. I heard her feet pounding down the stairs after me.

"Derek! Derek! I'm sorry. It was only that one time I swear. I know everyone says that, but it is true. I love you. I don't know why I did it!"

"You don't know why you did it?" I asked incredulously. "I just watched some guy fuck you in my bed on my favorite sheets and all you can say is 'I don't know why I did it'?"

"Please don't leave. If you leave, we will never make it. Please…We are Derek and Addie."

"I can't…I don't…" I sputtered. "I can't look at you right now. You disgust me."

"What?" She said, panicked.

"I know we have had problems; I know we got lazy, I know we are both absent but for you to do this to me…I have to go." I said abruptly.

"You can't leave." She pleaded.

"Sure I can. I am good at leaving, didn't you know? But the only difference between leaving you and leaving Meredith, is that it hurt me to leave Meredith. Goodbye Addison."

I walked out into the pouring rain and stood there for a moment.

I didn't have anywhere to go. My family was scattered, Savvy was Addison's friend…I was all alone right now.

So, I got in my car and headed to where alone people went.

A hotel.

Now what do I do?

So, the real Addison has been revealed, what do you think will happen now?