Chapter 6
Christian
I didn't know how long I've been kneeling. It's been hours since she walked out of my office. Fucking Leila she did this, this is all her fault.
No asshole, it was all your fault -if you had just talked to Anastasia and opened up to her from the beginning this wouldn't have happened. Oh wait—maybe if you hadn't cheated on your wife none of this would have happened in the first place! My sub-conscious hissed at me.
I don't know how it happened, but the next thing I know Sawyer and Taylor have me pinned down on the floor in my office and are holding my arms and legs so I can't move.
"Mr. Grey!" Taylor's voice snapped me from my trance. I look around and my office has been destroyed; my computer shattered against the wall, my chair and desk turned upside down, and there is paperwork thrown all over the place.
I winced when I tried to push them off me-my hands are covered in blood.
Fuck! What the hell happened?
"Christian?" I hear John's voice, and I see my mother standing in the door to my office with my father, crying in his shoulder.
"She's gone" I whispered, looking at the ground, too ashamed to look at their faces.
Sawyer and Taylor pick me up and set me on the couch.
"Oh Christian" my mother signed. I hissed when she grasped my injured hand to examine it.
"Taylor how the fuck did Leila get to Ana? I thought she was in Europe?" I snapped, directing my anger at him.
"The covert security I put in place to watch her missed her sir. According to him, he didn't see her leave the hotel where she's been staying."
I know that no one is to blame for my marriage is falling apart.
And this is all your fault- don't blame others Grey
My mom wrapped my hand after she clean it, suggesting I go to the hospital to have it x-rayed for fractures and to see if I need stitches.
I nodded my head, and we walk out to the elevator.
After getting released from the hospital Taylor drove me to Escala. I have a mild fracture and needed a few stitches.
The penthouse is quiet, so and I knew immediately that Ana was not home.
"She's safe, if you're wondering about Ana" my mom answered my unspoken question. "John is in your office waiting for you."
I nodded my head and walked in and sat down at my desk, looking anywhere but at John.
"Christian, can you tell me what is going on?" John began, handing me a glass of bourbon and sitting on the couch across from my desk.
Taking a deep breath, and sighing out loud I started telling John of my sordid betrayal. "Several months before Ana's accident I began to have an affair" I see John's shocked reaction to my revelation.
"Go on" he encouraged me
"At the time, Ana was so busy at work, trying to establish her career and prove herself since she had been promoted to senior editor. She was motivated and determined to prove to everyone that she had earned the promotion on her own merits, not had it given to her simply because she was the CEOs wife. At first I was very proud of the effort she was putting forth, but after a while I began to feel neglected and abandoned because of the hours she was putting in. I met Leila at her gallery during a showing. At first we just talked, but I felt an attraction to her. I went to her gallery a few days later to see if the attraction was still there, and asked her to have a drink with me. One drink led to 2, and before I knew it we wound up in a hotel room. She gave me what I felt I was missing at home. That's when the affair started." I told John everything that happened from that night up to what happened with Ana showing up in my office with Leila.
I will never forget how Ana looked at me, when she told me I was nothing to her and that she's grateful that she doesn't remember me.
It felt like someone was stomping on my heart repeatedly.
The coldness in her voice gave me a shiver that ran throughout my body.
I had never heard her talk like that; it was someone else talking, not my sweet, patient and loving Anastasia.
I talked with John for 2 hours. After he left I was alone with my parents.
"I know you are disappointed in me" I said, hanging my head, too ashamed to look at them.
"Yes we are, but you are still our son and we don't like to see you like this" my mom said, kneeling down in front of me, caressing my cheek with tears running down her angelic face.
"I'm sorry" I sobbed into her shoulder.
"Shh… I'm here" my mom tried to sooth me by rubbing my back, but it only made me sob even harder.
The next morning when I opened my eyes I had a splitting headache from crying all night. After seeing our wedding photo on the wall of our bedroom I fell to my knees and broke down crying again. I hung the photo in the bedroom a few days ago. It was originally in my home office, but since Ana was sleeping in the next room, having the picture in here made me feel somewhat closer to her seeing her beautiful face smiling at me.
But now looking at it now, it has become a horrible reminder of how I broke my vows and destroyed that beautiful smile on her face.
From the start of our relationship I tried to keep Ana at arms-length, pushing her away, always afraid that she would wake up one day and leave me. That fear has become a reality now because of my infidelity.
Ana never asked me for anything, only my love. Material things meant nothing to her- actually she hated it every time I gave her an expensive give. She was happier with a single rose instead of a pair of diamond ear rings.
The first time she left me was after I hit her with the belt in my playroom. I begged her to come back to me, and she forgave me and gave me another chance. But this time I know she is not coming back. I will never give up trying to get her back though, even if I have to walk across broken glass to convince her of my love and how sorry I am. I will spend the rest of my life begging for her forgiveness.
The pain in my hand is nothing to the pain I'm feeling right now.
I deserved all of this and so much more.
I walk to the kitchen seeing Gail and Taylor already there.
"Taylor where is Miss. Williams?" I ask
"She's in her apartment sir" I nod.
"And Mrs. Grey?"
"Mrs. Grey is at her parent's house, sir"
Fuck! I guess anytime now Raymond Steele will be here to bury me alive.
.
Anastasia
After the cab driver dropped me off at my parent's house, I see that they are still awake. I don't want dump my problems on my parents, but I have nowhere else to go right now.
"Annie?" Hearing my mom's voice has me tearing up again, and the moment she opened the front door the flood gates open again. Throwing myself in her awaiting arms I began to sob uncontrollably.
"Come inside baby girl" she ushered me inside where my dad was standing, looking at me.
"What's wrong Annie?" my dad asked, but I couldn't bring myself to tell what had happened.
"Nothing" I hiccupped, not able to talk yet.
They just let me cry until I was cried out and exhaustion overtook me.
They both helped carry me to my old bedroom and tuck me in, and my mom sang me a lullaby she used to sing me when I was a child.
In no time I fell into a deep sleep, taking me away from reality if only for a few hours.
The next morning I woke up with a headache from hell due to lack of sleep and the events from the day before.
My parents have already left for work, leaving me a note and breakfast on the stove.
I know I need to go home and talk to Christian.
After washing my plate and taking a shower, I start my journey towards Escala. Arriving at the penthouse I find it quiet—not sure if anyone was home.
I was half way to my room when I heard a noise from the media room. I turned around and noticed the door was open, and there sitting on the floor was Christian watching our wedding videos. I stood there for a few minutes watching until the end, when I tossed my bouquet. Christian noticed me standing there and turned it off.
"We seemed so happy that day" I said, breaking the silence.
"We were" he whispered.
I walked towards him and sat on the couch by him.
"We looked so in love in that video" my voice broke a little.
"You are the best thing that ever happened to me" he looked up, tears in his sad gray eyes.
"If that was true, why did you….." I couldn't finish my sentence.
"Because I am 50 shades of fucked up, and I know that by saying I"m sorry it won't fix it" Christian said.
"Growing up I always admired what my parents had, and I always dreamt of having a love like them. I always dreamt of finding someone who will love me like my mother loves my father."
I wipe the tears that are welling up in my eyes.
Christian crawled towards me, grabbing my hands in his, caressing my ring finger that is now naked.
"Tell me what I have to do Ana, please" as he cried into my hands.
"I wish I knew what to say Christian, but I don't. Not knowing what we had or how I felt, I can't understand why this happened. Did I do something wrong? Was I not good enough for you? Why did you fuck another woman?" I cried, feeling the full pain of his betrayal.
We just sat there, both crying, no words spoken- just letting out all the pain of our failed marriage.
I got up, walked to my room and started packing. I didn't know where I was going- I just knew I had to get out of there, and away from Christian. I cannot get past this. I cannot forgive him.
Tomorrow I will contact a lawyer and start divorce proceedings.