Much to my disappointment, solving one problem – confirming my pregnancy and getting Andrea's reaction – didn't solve my other problem: my relationship with my husband.

Even before my pregnancy, I acknowledged that I needed to be fair to both my partners as well as myself and ultimately come to a decision.

Add unborn children into the mix, and decision time was on me rather sooner than later. I hated what I needed to do with a passion, because regardless of what my choice was going to be, I was going to hurt someone. Either Andrea or Stephen needed to be let go, become a part of my past.

Of course I realized a long time ago, which way my heart led me, I have enough self-awareness for that. But subconscious knowledge and admittance are two very different stages in a decision making process. And even if I am notorious in my business life for my cutthroat decisions without batting an eyelash, nothing is further from the truth in my private life with those I hold dear.

Therefore, I let weeks pass us by again, weeks, during which Andrea accompanied me to my ultrasounds. Where each time, I watched her watch with her big doe eyes the changes inside my womb, as she enjoyed the mystery of the new lives we've created. Her reactions amazed and fascinated me, bringing me great pleasure. As eager as we were to learn who fathered these babies, we unfortunately had to wait. All non-invasive tests available as early as seven weeks – when I first discovered I was pregnant – didn't work for women carrying twins because, it appears, current technology can't isolate DNA from multiple fetuses.
Why they required DNA from both fetuses, was beyond me, surely one should be enough to put us out of our misery? Apparently not. Doctors said we had to wait until after my 15th week before some amniotic fluid could be drawn and analyzed. Dear lord, patience, my strong suit!

On the upside, our relationship ran strong. Andrea and I were together at every feasible opportunity. My pregnancy did not change our ways, we enjoyed a healthy sex life and generally spending time together, getting to know each other. The more I learned about Andrea, the more my heart ached for her and I wanted to assure I kept her in my life. Andrea, who supported me in everything, who made sure my life in private and also at the office ran as smoothly as possible, who scheduled breaks and time to relax for me, who did everything humanly doable for our children to have the best chance in life. My darling Andrea.

Which left my husband on the sideline, ignorant of the situation as he was.

"Stephen, we need to talk." I tried to keep my voice neutral to not spook him.

"Now?" He finished purring himself a glass of scotch.

"Yes, now."

"But honey, I'd thought we'd spend our alone time," Cassidy and Caroline were at a sleep-over, leaving the house empty for once, "doing wonderful things we haven't done for so long." He suggestively wiggled his eyebrows as he approached me, his hands reaching for me as if he wanted to take me into his arms.

I sidestepped him, putting distance between us. "I'm afraid, we need to talk Stephen."

"Please Miranda, not now, come on, let me show you a good time, let me make love to you." Puppy dog eyes pleaded with me, while desire softened his features. He took a sip of his scotch. "Its been so long."

"Stephen, I need you to listen." I raised a defensive hand as he turned toward me again.

"Miranda, please."

"No, we need to talk."

He closed the distance between us and I recoiled.

"Stop, Stephen, stay right there." I glared at him, but I guess my glares stopped working on him long ago as he shrugged and unembarrassed took another step into my private space, sipping from his drink again.

"Stop, I mean it." I insisted.

"As do I baby, come on, let's have some fun."

"Don't baby me, I am not an infant."

"Of course not, Miranda, don't be that way. I just want to have fun with my wife, is all." He playfully winked at me.

"And I asked you to talk, Stephen. We really need to."

"I never said we couldn't talk Miranda, just, please honey, it's been so long we've been together."

"Not long enough," I muttered under my breath, exasperated already.

"What did you just say?"

I took a fortifying breath. "I said, 'not long enough'". This time I made sure he didn't miss a word.

His brows furrowed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, I do not want to have 'fun' as you call our intimate life, not now nor any other time."

"Miranda?" he pronounced my name something between a question and an outraged exclamation. "You're kidding, right? Please tell me you're not serious."

"Have you ever heard me say something I don't mean?"

"Nope, I guess not," it was his turn to mumble under his breath, but I heard him just fine. "As if you'd ever spare someone else's feelings."

I guess, I deserved his sarcasm.

"Stephen," I tried again.

"No, save it, I don't want to hear what you have to say."

"Well, as much as I don't want to tell you what I am about to, I am afraid, we don't have that luxury."

He stopped to face me, as thoughts clearly ran through his mind. "I don't understand."

"Surprising, as you don't listen to me." I played with my pendant, as I am prone to do when nervous.

"Miranda," he growled in warning, signaling me his patience was running thin.

I sighed.

"Way to kill the mood," he whined.

"I never told you to be in a mood in the first place."

"Sure you didn't, you never do lately."

"No, I don't."

"Why?"

Silence settled in between us, I needed to sort my thoughts and find the best way to voice what I had to say.

"Wait… wait a minute," Stephen broke what was becoming a rather uncomfortable moment. "Do you… do you have… is there someone else?" There was so much pain in his voice and his shoulders slumped at the thought.

"Please tell me I'm wrong."

I shook my head, mute, not daring to look at him.

"Fuck."

"Really Miranda?" His dark eyes lay on me, hurt and wounded. "Really? You couldn't just, I don't know, keep your legs together?" He heavily dropped into the closest chair.

"I just.." I started.

"No, Miranda, you don't get to justify yourself."

We stayed silent.

"What were you thinking?"

"Well, clearly you weren't thinking."

"Stephen, listen, I," I tried again, there was more to share after all.

"You know what Miranda?" he interrupted me, "Never mind. I don't care what you've done. It's done, lets move on." Determined, he stood up and stepped over to me, reaching out to touch me.

"Don't," I warned him. "Don't come closer. I'm not finished."

"Yes you are. You're finished. I forgive you. Now, as a dutiful wife, show me how sorry you are and earn my forgiveness." He started to undo the buttons on his shirt.

My eyes widened in horror. "You want me to do what now?"

"Beg for my forgiveness. Show me you want to be my wonderful wife again."

"But… but," I stuttered, completely taken aback and by surprise. "I don't…"

"Yes, you do," he interrupted me, his anger rising if his growl was anything to go by. "Or do you want a nasty divorce, Page 6 saying horrible things about you, everyone talking about what a disappointment you are between the sheets, Miranda?"

I needed to stay calm, escalating the situation would not get me where I needed to go.

"Please Stephen, lets be reasonable."

"Reasonable?" he laughed humorlessly, "Reasonable? You want to be reasonable?"

"Yes, look…"

"Oh yes, lets look, let me see you, Miranda." He grabbed for me, intending to undress me, I think.

I put distance between us. "Stay away!"

"Your choice Miranda, you don't want your life splashed on Page 6, all you have to do, is be my dutiful wife and come to bed with me. Or, you know what, come to think of it, we don't need a bed. I'll take you right here, in the den." He undid his belt and opened his pants, ready to drop them.

"In your dreams, Stephen, stop right there!"

"No, you stop being such a frigid bitch, Miranda, we both know you're a slut. Spreading your legs around, letting who knows fuck you. Now it's time for your husband again, love."

"You bastard! Stop being vulgar and lets talk like I asked you to."

"Vulgar, she says," his sarcastic cackle caused a shiver to run down my spine. "Vulgar... this is so you, Miranda, I'm not even surprised. Always proper and with a stick up your ass. Did he take you up the ass, Miranda? Have you let him?"

"I refuse to listen to you or talk to you if you keep it up, Stephen, I warn you."

He wiggled his eyebrows at me, "Oh, yeah, I keep it up for you darling, so good, so hard," he moved his hand down to his crotch to hold himself.

Had I really married such a spiteful man? "Show some respect," I told him.

"Respect, you're one to talk, the nerve, woman! Did you show me any respect when you let some bastard dick you like a common whore?"

"That's enough, Stephen! I won't stand for your insults. You can either listen to what I have to say and be civil or get out of my house. Your choice." I was done.

"That's rich. Throwing me out of the house. Like I'm the one cheating."

"I'm not cheating anymore, I'm breaking up with you." There, I said it, and it wasn't even hard.

"You know what, Miranda? Fuck you, I don't even want you anymore. Page 6 will have a field day."

Shit, how had my request to talk gone downhill so much? So fast?

"Oh, really?" I singsonged, "Are you sure that's a good idea, dear ex-husband of mine?"

"Picture this: 'Fashion maven found whoring around'" he framed his hands like he was holding the headline, "or this 'Ice Queen at day, vampire at night' – believe me darling, I would give them more incriminating information than you ever wanted anyone to know about you. Real or fake, who cares." He looked so smug as he taunted me.

I picked my fingernails, seemingly unperturbed. "Really, daring, how disappointing. Why don't you picture this instead: 'Con lawyer arrested for tax fraud' or perhaps 'Tomlinson investigated in high-profile political scandal'" I tilted my head, mimicking seeing the headlines. "Those would be splendid."

In answer, he shot to me and grabbed me by the arm, squeezing hard, leaving bruises no doubt. "You wouldn't dare." His growl was deep and menacing, which, coming from someone else, would excite me to the core. Right now, however, my hackles rose further.

"I suggest, you step back at once." My iciest glare met his eyes, so icy, it should have been mankind's answer to all climate change related warming. "Release me. Now."

Unfortunately, my glares must have lost their power on him. His fingers held me even tighter.

"Listen, Miranda," he hissed. "If you hint only remotely at what you just said, I will end you."

I raised my eyebrow. "Threats, Stephen?" My eyes still bore into his, I refused to cede to his menace.

"Absolutely."

A laugh crept up my throat. "Goodness, do you hear yourself?"

"You better believe me Miranda, or help me god," he shook me violently.

I struggled to get away from him, pushed at his chest, scratched with my nails where I could reach. "Release me, you bastard. Do you want assault charges added to your failings?"

All of a sudden he flung me onto the couch. "Bitch," he snarled and pounced on me. "Fucking bitch. Guess what?"

He didn't wait for my answer before he continued. "You're still MY bitch and I'm gonna show you who owns you." He tore at my clothes, grabbing, yanking wherever he could reach. My blouse buttons popped off under his violent assault, I slapped at his hands, clawing, trying to fight him of. He had me squirming on my back, kicking my legs at him as he tried to move my skirt up. My breath came hard at the exertion or perhaps fear caught off my breath.

This was so not how I envisioned my talk with him. As fear took hold of me completely, I halted my defense, instead I instinctively moved my hands over my stomach to my children, needing to protect them.

My movement momentarily paused his assault. Contemplative eyes rested on my hands, the question clear on his face.

"Fucking cunt," instead of releasing me, he suddenly pounced on my again. "That's my place, my place, you hear me, mine, your husbands!"

I struggled hard to keep his hands off of my lower body. "NO! Stephen, NO!" I screamed. "Stop, stop…." my voice faded in panic and horror. My skirt tore under the force of his grabbing hands.

"I'm going to take what is mine. MINE, Miranda." Such fury colored his features, that I wondered if this was still the same man I had married and trusted at some point.

"Please," I sobbed. "Don't…" I feared for me and my children. This pregnancy was already high risk, an assault and added rape couldn't be good for the twins.

All my motherly instincts rushed to the surface and I fought hard to stay in the moment and not let my mind space out to evade this horror. The thought of Andrea and my children gave me the strength I needed to fight with all my might against my aggressor.

I bit Stephen's hand, as it came within reach. In answer, he slapped me across the face so hard, my cheek burned and my head snapped to the side. Surly, his print would show on my skin. The pain brought tears to my eyes and I wondered why I didn't feel any blood.

Realization hit me, that I was physically unable to match Stephen's strength and I needed to change my strategy. I tried to curl up into a fetal position, protecting my womb. Immediately, his hands grabbed at my shoulders to stop my movement.

"Stop resisting Miranda, you're gonna carry my child, MINE, and I'm going to put it into you, NOW." All conscious thought had left Stephen in his blind fury.

There was no arguing, reasoning or talking with him anymore and I feared the worst. If only I could reach out to Andrea, let her know what was going on and have her come to my rescue.

We had agreed on a signal, at which she would come into the house, to divert which ever situation she needed to. Except, I was helpless to send our signal in my current position. Damn. I had not foreseen anything remotely related to what was presently happening to me. I despaired.

Stephen brought his body over me and forced me to roll on my back, next he lowered himself so that his right leg came to rest between mine. Now it was easy for him to push my leg out and open me up to take him between my hips.

"STEPHEN!" I screamed as loud as I could, all the while bucking wildly under him to shake him off. A futile endeavor, he was much too heavy.

"STEPHEN," I yelled again and this time punched up at his face, going for his nose and eyes. Always go for the most vulnerable parts of your adversary.

We were fighting hard and dirty, when all of sudden his weight lifted off of me. I kicked and screamed, lunging after him, as he was flung off to the floor.

"Miranda! Holy fuck, Miranda!" Andrea's frantic voice seeped into my clouded mind.

As I came too a little, I saw her wrangling Stephen, both of them on the floor, Andrea's nose bloody, but her hands valiantly punching at the much larger man.

"Are you alright?" she managed to pant out between punches.

I nodded, even though Andrea could not see at the moment. "Yes," I breathed. Where had Andrea come from? How had she known I needed her?

"You fucking bastard," she literally spat on Stephen, "I'm goin' to kill ya."

With that, she brought her foot around and kicked Stephen so hard in his groin, that he screamed and curled up, holding himself, thus freeing my Andrea.

"Thank god," unable to hold myself up any longer, I sank back onto the couch. Tears streamed down my face and I shivered so violently, I heard my teeth clacking. On instinct, I held my babies and gently rubbed my hands over them, protecting and soothing all three of us.

As I lifted my gaze, I noticed Andrea on the phone.

"This is Andrea Sachs, I am reporting an assault. I need to ask you to please be discreet…." I tuned out, Andrea, my savior, handled everything beautifully and I was able to start relaxing.

This nightmare was over, for now at least, I am sure another one was waiting further down the line. Thanks to Andrea, our children and I were safe and hopefully healthy.

"By the way, Stephen," I couldn't help myself, "the bastard fucking your ex-wife, is a woman."

At my words, always keeping a cautious eye on the suffering man on the ground, Andrea moved over to me, took me in her loving arms and kissed me deeply.

"Very true, my love, I'm a woman, your woman."

"As I am yours, Andrea."

We didn't want to leave any doubts in anyone's mind….

TBC...