Honesty
"We need to talk."
The words fell from Bella's lips so effortlessly that she was surprised. He looked up from the papers that he had scattered across the dining room table.
"You're home." Mike stated simply as he pushed his chair away from the table and made his way to her pulling her into a hug that she stiffly returned. He leaned in to kiss her and she swiftly turned her head to the side, avoiding the kiss but not the embarrassment. Her cheeks flamed red.
"What's wrong?"
"I," Bella struggled for a moment trying to articulate what she needed to tell him. "Maybe we should sit down first."
He shrugged his shoulders in acknowledgement before making his way into the living room and sitting down on the plush sofa. She sat down carefully, leaving a small gap of space between them. She looked up into his eyes for a moment and fought back tears. This was going to be harder than she thought.
"I don't know how to tell you this," Bella whispered her voice breaking as she spoke "so I am just going to come right out and say it." She took a deep breath for a moment before continuing "I've been having an affair."
Bella watched as his face contorted from shock, to indignance, to anger.
"How long?" he asked calmly his voice doing little to show his rage.
"A few months," Bella answered softly.
"How lovely of you to be honest with me," Mike seethed his voice raising an octave as he spoke. "So nice to know that while I am busy working to provide for my family my wife is out fucking some other guy."
"It's not like that, Mike." Bella cried softly "I needed to be honest with you, with myself. I love him."
He stood from the couch his hands shaking and he began to pace in front of her.
"Don't you dare tell me it's not like that and you love him?! How truly wonderful for you! I'm happy that his fucking you has made you feel so special, Bella. That is why you did it after all, am I right? You just couldn't keep your legs closed, you filthy little slut."
Bella stood now from the couch as well her hands trembling in anger.
"I will ask that you not speak to me that way, especially with Alice in the house. Now lower your voice before you wake her up!" Bella spat.
"You will not speak to me that way in my house, Bella. Yes, MY house. I worked my ass off to provide for you two and this is how you choose to repay me? To go gallivanting off with some other man, it's just unacceptable. I want a divorce."
"Good," Bella scowled "because so do I."
There was a moment of silence as the two of them stood looking at each other, staring the other one down. Then Mike broke.
"You're pregnant aren't you?" Mike questioned his voice cracking with emotion as he sat back down on the couch. She looked into his eyes and for the first time in a while she realized how truly vulnerable he was at that moment.
"Not that I am aware of," Bella stated softly sitting next to him and gently placing her hand on his arm. "I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did. I wish I could say that I would take it all back, but I can't lie Mike. I love him."
He looked defeated, almost deflated, she thought suddenly. The fact that she had done this to him only seemed to cause the guilt that was knotted in the pit of her stomach to grow.
"I truly am sorry."
"I know," Mike replied after a moment. "It doesn't take away the pain, but thank you nonetheless for saying it."
She sighed softly before tugging on her ponytail holder and letting her hair fall against her shoulders.
"I will call the lawyers in the morning." Mike mumbled, somewhat resigned.
"Thank you," Bella stated.
"I wouldn't be thanking me yet;" Mike replied "I'm asking for full custody of Alice."
"What?" Bella asked feeling the shock of what he was saying coursing through her veins.
"You obviously are too concerned with your own life to care about what is in the best interest of our daughter. You forget that I sometimes check in throughout the day. Did you think that I have truly been in the dark all this time about what you have been up to? I knew something was going on behind my back, you have just confirmed my suspicions."
Bella could feel her heart plummet to her stomach as she stood from the couch.
"You can't take her away from me, I love her. She is my daughter and I will fight you on this."
"I'm very well aware," Mike stated frowning as he stood as well "that she is yours and I have no doubt that you will try and fight me. Good luck, with that. It will be my pleasure taking you down in court, Bella and showing everyone who you really are. I look forward to seeing how you prove to the judge that you haven't been a delinquent mother."
Bella stood for a moment the anger and shock of what he was saying coursing through her entire body.
"I have never done anything in front of Alice, let alone put her in harm's way. You're just a bitter man who is angry at his wife and taking it out on his daughter. I won't let you win this, Mike. I won't let you take her away from me. I love her."
"If you are quite done," Mike stated making his way to the doorway and turning to look back at her "you know the way out."
Bella reached down and gently tugged the two rings off of her left hand and placed them on the coffee table. She brushed past him, making her way up the stairs and into her bedroom, packing a quick suitcase.
Making her way into Alice's room she packed a few things for her daughter and picked her sleeping form up. Alice's head nestled in her neck and Bella fought back the tears as she made her way down the stairs balancing the child and the suitcase.
She looked in the living room and noted that Mike sat on the sofa silently staring out the window. Her rings no longer sat on the table in front of him.
"I'm taking Alice with me until we can get something figured out," Bella stated ignoring his eyes which were now boring into her. "I'm not comfortable leaving her here when you are obviously angry. I will most likely be staying at Angela's if you need me."
"What not going to rendezvous with lover boy?" Mike asked sneering.
She let the door slamming behind her do the talking for her.
And the true drama begins!
So this chapter was actually pretty hard for me to write… I'm not a fan of confrontations (especially very angry ones)
Most of this story has been focused on what is happening around Bella (her perspective basically)… my question for you:
Do you want the Tanya/Edward confrontation from Edwards's perspective… or Bella listening to Edward telling her what happened? Let me know!
Thanks once again to all of you who reviewed or added this story to your alerts and favorites! Without you all, this would just be some forgotten one shot!
