Moving On

Chapter 7

Memory Lane

~o0o~

Chapter 7

Memory Lane

Previously:

Bella just sat there staring off into space and didn't reply to what Conner had said. He waited a bit longer before saying, "Well then I guess this is goodbye until you come to your senses. When you get your head out of your ass, call me. Good bye mother. I'll see you sometime," He turned and went back into the house.

Bella could hear him opening dresser drawers and closet doors...packing. She didn't move. She sat there until she heard the front door close and his vehicle start up.

She put her head in her hands and sobbed.

~o0o~

Sunday morning Bella had a text message from Conner telling her he'd gotten back to campus and his dorm with no problems and he'd talk to her when-ever.

Bella didn't think her heart could be any more broken, as it felt like it had cracked into a million pieces.

Her mind drifted back to how things had been between her and Conner in the past.

Bella had stayed in the third disastrous marriage because she'd wanted Conner to have a stable home life.

What a laugh that was.

It had been Conner who'd told, rather hinted, that Charles was a child molester. As bad as that was, she was thankful that Conner hadn't been one of Charles' victims. Seemed that husband number three had a pension for young girls. It was awful that she's spent five years married to the man and didn't know. How stupid was she?

That had been when Bella was "on the market" between number two and number three. Bella had tried all kinds of environments for dating. People would raise their eyebrows if you told them you trolled clubs for potential boyfriends, however, for her it turned out that the clubs were the safest for her.

~o0o~

Bella's parents talked her into going to the Singles Club sponsored by their church. She'd had dates with a couple of the men there and they all admitted flat out that if she wasn't willing to put out they weren't interested in her. They didn't even want to get to know her! That had horrified her and totally put her off from going to any more of the church group social functions.

Her parents gave her a very hard time about not continuing to go to the church group. How in Hell was she going to be able to tell her parents what had happened? She managed to excuse herself by saying she wanted to be at home for Conner at night. That shut them up, for a time.

The next move the Swan's made to get their daughter a God-fearing husband wasby inviting the Youth Minister, of all people, to their home one Sunday for dinner after church. Obviously, Conner and Bella would be there, but they failed to tell Bella they'd invited some one just to meet her. When Bella and Conner arrived at her parent's home, she saw a strange car in the driveway. Before she got out of her truck, she took a deep breath and muttered, "Oh no they didn't..." Conner just looked at her.

Once they were inside the house, Bella's mother was all over Bella while dragging her up to the stranger sitting on their new family room furniture. This man must be important to Mama, Bella thought as she shook the stranger's offered hand which was clammy. He squeezed just a little too hard for Bella's taste. He also had what looked like a lustful expression on his face. Oh. What. The. Hell. Have. You. Done. Mama?

Sure enough at the dinner table Renee made sure that Bella sat next to Mr. Clammy Hands. All through dinner he kept putting his hand on her thigh and trying to work his fingers in between her thighs. Bella didn't get a chance to even eat because she was too busy fending off his hands.

Finally Bella couldn't stand it any longer. "Excuse me, I've forgotten your name, but would you please keep your goddamned hands to yourself!?" As she spoke she stood pushing the chair back. "I'm taking my plate into the kitchen since I haven't had a chance to touch it because of your constant attempts to put you hand between my thighs!" To her mother she said, "And Mama, if you ever do this to me again, I'll never forgive you!" With that she picked her plate up from the table and walked into the kitchen.

It was only moments later that both her mother and Conner followed her. Conner was really upset with his grandmother. It showed on his face when he looked at Renee, while only compassion showed for his mother.

"Bella! That was extremely rude. Now march back in there Young Lady and apologize to Pastor Wallace!" Renee demanded.

"Not a snowball's chance in hell Mama! I will not allow myself to be pawed at by some man whose name I couldn't even remember for anything! If anyone is owed an apology it would be me!" Bella had tears streaming down her face.

Conner went to his mother and hugged her. "Let's go home Mom. You don't have to deal with that kind of treatment no matter what degrees or titles a man or woman may hold."

"When did you get so wise Conner?" Bella was so proud of her son. They left with both of Bella parents calling for them to come back.

That was the last time Bella and Conner had Sunday dinner at her parent's home, because just a month later, Renee left Charlie again and their third or fourth divorce started. Bella'd given up on trying to keep track. Her parents loved each other, but just couldn't live together. It was rather sad Bella thought.

~o0o~

There had been a string of dates following that disastrous Sunday dinner that her friends at work set up for her. Bella just was not interested. Then she met Charles, and they'd gotten along so well. She was actually sexually attracted to him from the beginning, but didn't have sex with him for about a month. It had been almost magical. They got married about six months after they'd met. Too fast Bella. Too fast, but it was done. It shut her parents up who said they knew the man and they approved; He was worth millions. They told her that she'd finally scored! Bella thought at the time that if they approved there had to be something really wrong with him, and damn, there had been. He liked to molest little girls. Christ! Could she catch a break?

Almost from the beginning of her marriage to number three there were difficulties that seemed to be above and beyond for Bella. All of the sweetness and conversations they had were gone. He talked down to Bella all the time. Then he began to tell her she was stupid and couldn't work her way out of a paper bag. He didn't know what it was that he liked about her to begin with.

Bella was driving home from the grocery store and happened to drive past the neighborhood playground when she actually caught Charles with his hands down the jeans of a 14 year old girl. The little girl was crying and telling him to stop. He did finally when Bella pulled him off her. He of course started saying that the brat was really enjoying it. He was still trying to blame it on the child as Bella was walking away with the sobbing girl.

Bella called the police and reported her husband for statutory rape.

Bella was beyond hurt, angry and embarrassed.

The police officer who took the report couldn't understand how she could do this to her husband and tried to talk her out of making the report. She couldn't believe her ears. This officer of the law was trying to keep Bella from filing the report because the girl was probably provoking her husband.

That did it.

Bella ordered the officer out of her house and called the police again, and asked that a female officer be sent to take her report. When the female officer arrived, Bella told her what the previous officer had done. Angry couldn't describe how the female officer looked. So, there were two reports filed that night. One on her soon to be ex-husband; the other on the male police officer.

That divorce had been nasty, but Bella had done the right thing. She also managed to walk away with a five million dollar civil suite because he'd come back to the house and beat her almost to death. It took her 4 months in the hospital and two more in physical therapy to fully recover.

Conner had once again been her rock and took care of her and kept his grandparents from bothering his mother. This strained his relationship with his grandparents, but it only strengthened the one with his mother.

~o0o~

Monday after she'd got home from work, Bella called Edward and told him it was over. She had to make a choice. Bella confessed that her feelings for Edward were very deep, but Conner was her son.

Edward was heartbroken even though he'd suspected she'd was going to end that way. He, however, wasn't going to give up so easily. He had fallen deeply in love with Bella. He would keep calling her and bumping into her by accident until he wore her down.

He wouldwear her down too, he promised himself. She was too special to let go of permanently. He would win her heart back. He'd do his damnedest to win Conner over, though he didn't think he had a snowball's chance in hell of doing that.

~o0o~

Hoping everyone has a very happy Mother's Day and none of the problems our Bella is facing in this story line.