Disclaimer: Twilight character names belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. All characterizations, plot lines, backgrounds and details belong to Bella Baby24. Plagiarism is bad. Just say no.

Irritable Grizzzly- Thank you for being the best beta a girl could ask for. One of these days, I'm going to carry you off into the sunset… bridal style ;)

Previously:

I waved as I walked toward my car. Edward's silence was making me nervous.

As I opened the door, he seethed, "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"

"Find out what?" I sighed.

I'm so not in the mood for this…

"Oh, I don't know," he mocked, "Why don't you tell me, Bella? Or should I call you 'Marie'?"

2008

"You can call me Marie if you want, but Bella is good too," I responded, keeping my cool.

Edward's face registered surprise and then fury. I didn't know what he was hoping to accomplish with this angry ambush, but I was really not in the mood to play games.

"That's it? That's all you have to say about this?" he asked incredulously.

"What do you want me to say, Edward?"

"I don't know. What about, 'Hey, Edward, I wrote a book that tells the world what a bastard I think you are'?"

I watched him wave his hands in the air as he raved and ranted. He had always been prone to overreaction. Normally, I would have been willing to let him vent out all of his frustrations, but this was a public place and we were drawing attention.

"Edward," I stated calmly, "please stop. People are staring."

"People are staring?" he yelled, his eyes bugging out, "Are you kidding me? This is the first time I have the chance to talk to you in three years and you are asking me to stop?"

His voice got progressively louder as he talked. People were looking at me as if I was an abused woman. Sure, Edward had his problems, but he was never violent. It was imperative to stop this fight before it began.

"Enough. I refuse to stand here and listen to this."

"You refuse to listen to me?" Edward laughed bitterly, "What's new?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you never fucking listened to me during our marriage! Dammit, Bella. A marriage can't survive if only one person is willing to work on it."

He did not just say that.

"Excuse me?" I asked disbelievingly, "How were you working on our marriage when you were balls-deep in Tanya?"

Edward tugged at his hair and let out a frustrated groan, "Shit. That came out wrong. Obviously, I wasn't working on our marriage then. By that point, I had given up hope. You weren't willing to talk to me, let alone put effort into our relationship. I was just waiting for the day you would tell me it was over."

"Wow. Thanks for letting me know that our marriage was over," I replied sarcastically.

"Don't even act like you didn't know we were floundering," he seethed. "I sat there and told you that I was having problems. I told you that I wanted us to go to marriage counseling. You looked me in the eyes and said that you weren't going to sit in a session alone. That you knew I wouldn't show up for the appointments."

"Because it was bound to happen! Your residency always came first. Do you really expect me to believe that you would have been able to find time to go to therapy when you missed most of our dates?" I asked in amazement.

"Yes!" he yelled. "I told you that I was serious about counseling. That I would be there. I tried to have serious conversations with you about the state of our marriage and all you kept saying was that you were sure it would get better."

Edward roughly grabbed his hair and tugged. He let out a frustrated growl before he continued, "And I didn't miss most of our dates. I missed that one date. I know you put a lot of effort into planning it, but I called and told you that I couldn't leave the hospital. I tried to make it up to you, but you were too busy punishing me."

What the hell?

"Punishing you?"

"Yes. If I ever screwed up, you shut down. After that day, whenever I tried to talk to you, you always gave me one of two different replies. It was either a sarcastic, 'Sorry, but I don't have time for this right now. You should know all about that'; or a placating, 'I'm sure it'll work out. As soon as your residency and fellowship are over, we'll be okay.' You just swept my concerns under the rug. After a while, I just stopped trying."

His face crumbled as he continued, "I get it Bella. I was a horrible husband. My hours were long and I didn't always put you first, but I tried. I just wish you would have tried with me."

I didn't know what to say. It was true that I pulled away from our relationship, but I would have never cheated on Edward. I was so busy trying to formulate my thoughts, that I almost didn't hear him mumble, "Maybe we could have saved our marriage."

Fuck no. Our marriage couldn't work with three people in it…

"No," I seethed. "You don't get to blame me for our divorce."

"Dammit, Bella," he growled, "I'm not blaming you. Don't put words in my mouth. "

"You implied it," I scoffed.

"No, I didn't," he snapped, "I said if we tried. I'm very well aware that my affair is what pushed us past the point of no return. I may have done many things wrong, but I never blamed you for the demise of our marriage."

"Damn straight. I'm not the one who screwed someone else," I stated smugly.

"Yes. I fucked Tanya. I had an affair. I will always regret it."

Edward took a pause and gave me a pointed look. "Bella, our marriage had many flaws and I may have ended it, but I was not the only one who contributed to our downfall. We had many problems that were not all my fault."

"I know that, Edward."

"Do you really? Your book makes it seem like you were an innocent victim who was destroyed by a purely evil husband."

I sighed. "Edward. I understand that you're upset about the book, but it's a work of fiction and a revenge fantasy. The villain has to be a bad guy."

"In theory I understand that, but it's hard to stomach when you're the villain. It doesn't matter that I worshipped you for nine years or that I've been working on being a better person. I will always be the man who cheated on you," he said in a defeated tone.

And there it was…

This is what Edward is truly angry about.

I didn't know what to say. Yes, Edward and I had once had a loving relationship. However, the affair had tainted many of my opinions about him.

Before I could speak, he continued, "I just hate that this is all you remember about me. About us."

Did he not understand the ending?

"Edward?" I said, "Did you read the entire story?"

"No. I read just enough to know that I'm an irredeemable person in your eyes."

The slump of Edward's shoulders and the defeat in his voice almost made me feel bad for him.

"Edward, I think you need to finish the book. I won't lie and tell you that it's a fairytale and Masen turns into a wonderful person, but there are some things you need to read."

Edward looked up at me and appraised my face. He must have found what he was looking for because he nodded. "Okay. Will you talk to me about the affair?"

No. No. No.

This is not what I want.

I must have been silent for too long because Edward quickly continued. "I just feel like I need to tell you what happened. I want to be entirely truthful."

As I looked at his hopeful face, I knew I couldn't deny him. We both needed to talk about things in order to move on. It was painfully obvious that we were both stuck in the past.

I groaned, "Today is really not a good day for me. I'm emotionally drained. How about another day?"

"You're not just trying to placate me, are you?" Edward asked skeptically.

"How about next Saturday?"

We agreed to meet the next weekend. The smile on his face was so hopeful. I, on the other hand, couldn't help but think that this was a horrible idea.

-o-o-o-

I was pacing in Chelsea's office as I described my confrontation with Edward. The incident had shaken me to the cored. I'd called Chelsea for an emergency session. I told her about the yelling and the hurtful things he'd said. I finished my rant by telling her that I'd agreed to meet with him.

Part of me hoped that Chelsea would tell me to stay away from Edward. However, I knew that she would tell me this was absolutely necessary.

"How did you feel about Edward confronting you?"

My face flooded in shame, "Honestly, I felt alive. It was nice to yell and scream at him…"

"But?" Chelsea prompted.

"It was difficult to hear about what he considered my shortcomings and failures."

I had finally calmed enough to sit down. Chelsea appraised me. "What failures specifically?"

"Edward pressed me to go to marriage counseling and I refused. He thinks that I was punishing him for not being around, but I don't remember making a conscious effort to hurt him."

"So why did you refuse to go?"

"I honestly didn't think he would show. Whenever he would talk about it, I would picture myself waiting alone in an office and being told that I had to leave because my husband never showed up."

"Did Edward often cancel dates or appointments with you?" Chelsea asked.

"No," I sighed, "Edward was good about keeping his word. Whenever he had to cancel, he always called me."

"Then what do you think prompted this fear of being abandoned? Was there a specific incident that caused you to believe he wouldn't show?"

"He cancelled a date with me on my parents' anniversary."

"What makes that day so important?"

"Charlie," I sighed. "He never came out and blamed me for Renee's death, but he would always call me on their anniversary and make snide comments. He would talk about the death of love. He would imply that I wasn't worth the loss of his wife."

"What did your father say to you that year?"

"He said that he married the love of his life. Apparently he never wanted children, but Renee was adamant that she wanted kids. He said that he should have never given in to her. That if she'd listened to him she wouldn't have been going to pick me up from school that day."

"How did that make you feel?"

"Unwanted and unloved. It reminded me of the day my mom died. I felt alone."

"If you knew he did this every year, why did you answer his calls?

"I was always hopeful that he would be different. I would tell myself that this would be the year we would mourn together. Each year, I would build myself up, only to be crushed by his cruel words."

"Did you ever stand up to your father? Or did you just let him berate you?"

"I never really said anything. I would let him yell at me until he cried. For some reason, it made me feel closer to him. The pain was worth it if I could help him."

Chelsea made a few notes. "What did Edward say about having to miss such an important date?"

"He told me that he had to stay at the hospital. He asked me if we could reschedule for the next night."

"He didn't apologize?"

I shook my head. "No. He just asked to reschedule. When Edward started medical school I told him he didn't need to apologize for having to stay at work. I knew how important his job was to him and I understood that he didn't really have a say about his hours."

Chelsea scrutinized me for a moment. "Bella, did Edward know that it was an emotionally significant day for you?"

I wrung my hands. "No," I admitted.

"How did that work? You were together for a long time. Did he not realize that your parents' anniversary was a difficult day for you?"

"Edward knew it was a difficult day for Charlie. I never told him about the mean-spirited things Charlie said, so he just thought Charlie was mourning Renee. I would always plan a special date so Edward would make an extra effort to be available."

Chelsea's pen scratched across her notepad. "What did Edward think about your relationship with Charlie?"

"He thought Charlie was an absent parent. Edward's parents hardly made time for him unless they wanted something and he assumed that Charlie was the same. He used to tell me to try to get along with my father. He wanted to believe that Charlie had trouble raising a child on his own. We never really spent a lot of time with my father, so I never corrected Edward's misconceptions."

"How would you describe your relationship with your father?"

"What relationship?" I laughed bitterly. "We don't have a relationship. Charlie couldn't care less about me. Unless we're in public or it benefits him, he doesn't speak to me. The man despises me. Sometimes I wonder if he ever loved me at all."

"Would it be safe to say that Edward was unaware of the way you felt about Charlie?"

"Yes."

"If Edward didn't know about the state of your relationship with your father, is it fair to hold him responsible for abandoning you that day?"

Even though I could see the reasoning behind Chelsea's statement, I was angry. I knew that Edward wasn't psychic and couldn't have known about my emotional turmoil, but it was hard to admit that I might be wrong.

"No, I can't hold him responsible. But it doesn't change the fact that he should have been there for me."

"Bella," Chelsea said, "how can someone be there for you if you refuse to let them in?"

"I understand that," I snapped, "but I refuse to believe that my entire marriage fell apart because of it."

"Is that what Edward believes?"

"I think so. He said I was too busy punishing him to notice that we had problems. I just can't believe that. One day didn't ruin our marriage. It couldn't…"

All too soon the hour was up. It was amazing how quickly the time passed.

"Thank you for meeting with me today. I'm still not sure how I feel about talking to Edward, but I hope it'll be okay."

She just smiled at me. "In my experience, infidelity is a symptom of other problems in a relationship. While you were both equally responsible for these problems Bella, you were not responsible for Edward's lack of fidelity."

-o-o-o-

The following morning I drove with Alice and Rose to Red Rocks Amphitheater. The three of us were going to run stairs inside the park. Ever since Alice had ended her relationship with Felix, she was obsessed with improving herself. She was naturally thin; however she was certain that she would have more luck in love if she firmed up. When she mentioned working out as a group, Rose and I thought it could be fun.

The sixty-nine rows of benches and countless flights of stairs mocked me. I knew this workout was going to kick my ass.

Rose must have felt the same way because she glared at Alice, "I can't believe I let you talk me into this."

Alice just smirked, "You and your ass will thank me later."

We finally started our grueling workout. We ran, hopped, jumped, and skipped up and down the stairs.

An hour later the three of us were hunched over, trying to catch our breath. We guzzled some water and spread out some blankets. As we stretched, we talked about what was going on in our lives.

Rose and Emmett were still acclimating to living together. Emmett refused to pick up his dirty clothes and Rose refused to stop hanging her bra on the bedpost. From the sound of it, the two of them were frustrated with each other, but they were still being courteous about their annoyances and concerns.

Alice was horny. She was asking for reinforcement to ensure that she wouldn't call Felix to hook-up. After listening to her whine about the lack of orgasms from a real dick, the conversation turned to me.

I quickly filled Rose and Alice in on the confrontation with Edward. When I told them I was planning to meet him later in the week, I was met with mixed reactions.

Rose nodded her head. She had been trying to convince me to talk to Edward for weeks. After telling me to stay away from him, she now realized this needed to happen in order for me to move forward.

Alice took a deep breath and replied slowly, "Okay. I'll support you no matter what, but I still don't understand what you ever saw in him."

The disgusted look on her face took me by surprise. At that moment I realized I had done both Edward and myself a disservice. He was not an evil man. At one point, I had truly loved him.

I tried to explain. "Edward was a good man and one of my best friends. He was one of those people who would help anyone in need. We had a lot in common and could sit in comfortable silence together. Most importantly, he loved me for who I truly was, flaws and all."

Alice huffed, "Yeah. He loved you enough to fuck your friend."

I cringed.

Would it always hurt to hear that?

Rose interjected, "It's true, Alice. Edward used to be a lot of fun before he became obsessed with his career. Then he just became a flaming douche-bag, but I put up with him because he made Bella happy. They were that sickening couple you secretly hoped to be one day. The two of them lit up when they were together. The whole room would glow with their love."

She scrounged around in her purse and pulled a picture out of her wallet. She handed it to Alice and said, "Look. Have you ever seen anything like it?"

I leaned over and saw that the picture was from our wedding. We flew out to the Bahamas with our best friends and exchanged vows on the beach. As I looked at the picture, I couldn't help but smile. The photographer had truly captured the essence of our group.

Rose and Tanya were laughing. Peter and Jasper were wildly gesturing at each other while Garrett looked on in amusement. What really caught my attention was in the middle of the photograph. Edward and I were gazing at each other with dopey smiles on our faces. We were completely unaware of the fun going on around us.

It was a candid photograph of that day. It was perfect.

God, we were so happy. And completely in love….

"Why do you carry this with you?" I asked.

"It's one of the few pictures I have where we all look happy and carefree. I know it's weird because we aren't all friends anymore, but I just couldn't bear to part with it."

"It's obvious why you and Tanya aren't friends, but what about the others?" Alice asked.

"Garrett is Edward's best friend and cousin. Peter was his roommate in college. The only person who was as a mutual friend was Jasper, and I won him in the divorce."

Rose cleared her throat in protest.

"Okay. I didn't really win Jasper, but he was my divorce attorney."

Rose interrupted, "Jasper was always your friend and not really a part of the group. In all honesty, we weren't really that close. Tanya and I were Bella's friends. Peter and Garrett were Edward's friends. We would all spend time together and have fun, but I don't really remember having a lot of heart-to-hearts with the guys.

"I dated Garrett years ago and I do exchange emails with Peter every couple of months. The whole situation really rocked the group."

Alice was still looking at the picture. "I'm still pissed you didn't invite us, Bella. I would have liked to see you like this. You were radiant."

I gave Alice a hug. "I wish we were closer back then. Edward and I just wanted to get married without the fuss. We chose to only invite our close friends. I'm sorry, Alice."

"I understand. I'm just jealous that I wasn't there."

Rose laughed. "I'm sure you'll be at her next wedding. Hopefully, this time it'll stick."

I lightly pushed Rose's shoulder, "Yeah, Yeah. Laugh it up."

I took one last glance at the photo as Rose put it back in her wallet.

God, I miss those days.

Alice looked thoughtful. "How does a love that strong end?"

That's the million-dollar question…hopefully it would be answered on Saturday.

-o-o-o-

I was at the park, lounging on a picnic blanket and gazing at the fluffy clouds. The sound of children's laughter floated over from the playground. It was a gorgeous afternoon, yet I couldn't relax. I was meeting Edward today to discuss the affair.

Would I fall apart? Would he?

I tossed my head back and closed my eyes. I focused on how the sun warmed my skin and took deep breaths. It was important that I remain calm and objective during our conversation.

"Hi."

Edward was approaching. He moved with such casual elegance, that I couldn't help but notice how beautiful he was.

If only the inside matched the outside…

He sat down and looked at me. "Are you ready for this?" I asked.

He nodded his head. After a few moments of silence, I became impatient.

"What exactly did you want to talk about?"

Edward nervously played with a blade of grass. "I want you to know what happened with Tanya. After the argument we had in the driveway at my parent's house, we never talked about it. There are so many things I wish I'd said that day. I've been thinking about this conversation for years, but now I suddenly don't know what to say."

"How about you start with the first night?"

He sighed. "You had slowly been pulling away from me. We were both working such long hours and I thought you were deliberately ignoring me. I would mention counseling and you would tell me you were too busy.

"When I voiced a concern, you would tell me that everything would work out once I finished my residency and started my cardiology fellowship. If I pressed, you would tell me that we would address the issue in the future if it didn't resolve itself. At the time, I remember feeling pressured to complete my residency and to work out all my issues on my own. We lived for the future without addressing how to get there.

"So when I realized that I didn't want to be a cardiologist or possibly even a doctor, I panicked. Our entire marriage was dependent upon it. If the plan changed, would we survive? I wasn't sure you'd want to stay with me if I wasn't a doctor. You were so insistent that things would get better once I finished my residency."

I hadn't realized he was so stressed…

"Edward, you should have talked to me about this," I said.

"I tried," he exclaimed. "I called you that night and told you that I needed to see you. You told me that you didn't have time."

I remembered that conversation vividly.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

(FLASHBACK)

It was a late night at the office and I was dealing with a demanding author. I was desperately trying to finish editing so I could make it home sometime before midnight. The shrill ring of the phone grated my nerves even further.

I answered, "Bella Masen."

"When are you coming home, love?"

"I'm going to be late. I'm working on one of my books and I'd really like to get ahead before tomorrow."

"Would you be able to come home sooner rather than later? I really need to see you."

My voice was filled with annoyance when I responded. "Edward, I'm very understanding about your work hours. I wish you'd extend the same courtesy to me."

"I do support you, Bella. You just said that you were working to get ahead. If you can make it home earlier, I would appreciate it. I'm dealing with a crisis regarding work and I just really need to talk to you. I wouldn't ask unless it was important," he pleaded.

Of course. Everything is always about him…

"I'm sure you can handle it. Your job is just stressing you out. It'll all be okay once you finish your residency. It will all be worth it in the end."

His breath caught. "What if I don't want to be a pediatric cardiologist anymore?" he stuttered.

"You'd better still want to be a pediatric cardiologist. We've sacrificed so much for it," I said with a bitter laugh.

"Bella, please come home," he begged.

"I'll be there when I finish this up. I wait for you, so do the same for me."

"How long do you think you'll be?" he asked hopefully.

I never press him…

"A while," I snapped. "You can be patient and wait for me one night."

"Bella, it's not like I'm asking the world from you. I really need to see you. We hardly have any time together as it is."

Whose fault is that?

"Maybe you should find something to do while you're waiting. You could go to the pub or something."

"Fine," Edward snapped, "I hope you enjoy working tonight."

"I'll see you later," I sighed, "Bye."

(END FLASHBACK)

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

The desperation in Edward's voice had haunted me. After our divorce, I often thought of that phone call and wondered if I should have just gone home. Now I had my answer.

"So that was the night Tanya blew you at the bar?" I asked.

Edward nodded. "I was so stressed and angry. I couldn't believe that you would choose to stay at work instead of coming home. So I took your advice and headed to the pub. Tanya walked in hours later. I was so drunk that I was falling off my barstool.

"She led me to a back booth and asked me what was wrong. I told her that my life was in ruins. She asked me questions about you and our marriage. I remember telling her that I didn't want to discuss it with her. When she pressed me, I asked, 'When you live for the future, what happens when your future is gone?'

"She told me to live in the moment and to focus on what made me happy. The only thing that was accomplished by living in the future, was taking the present for granted. I don't really remember what happened after that. The next thing I knew Tanya was under the table."

I cringed at the image that was floating in my head.

That fucking slut.

I tried to remain calm. "So what happened after that night? Why did you continue the affair?"

Edward wrung his hands. "As soon as it was over, I sobered up. All I could think about was how I betrayed you. I ran home to confess my sins and to beg you to forgive me. When I arrived home, you weren't there. I sat on the couch and waited for you. When you came home, you blew me off and went to bed. I know I should have told you what happened right away, but you didn't want to talk to me. So I resolved to tell you the next day."

My stomach flipped as I thought back on that night. "I remember that. When I came home you were sitting there tugging at your hair. God, you were a mess. Your eyes were all red and you looked so tired. I really thought that you just needed to get some sleep. I know that I handled that night badly, Edward and I should have listened to you. Before and after your indiscretion. But, it still doesn't explain why the affair continued."

"I know," he sighed. "At first, I ignored Tanya. I felt so guilty and I was trying to find a way to tell you what happened. After a week, I grew frustrated. It seemed like you didn't want to talk to me. I would try to meet you for lunch at our café, but you didn't have the time. Eventually, I became angry."

Edward ran his hands through his hair and let out a frustrated growl. "I was in the middle of my residency, yet I was the one who was trying to be flexible with my schedule. You hardly ever made an effort to meet with me. At the time, it seemed like I was the only one who cared about our marriage.

"So one day, I just stopped trying. I stopped asking you to talk to me. I stopped asking you to meet me for lunch. I stopped initiating our interactions. I thought for sure that you would pick up the slack. Maybe you'd start missing me like I missed you. You didn't. You almost seemed relieved that I wasn't pressuring you anymore."

I was…

The pain in Edward's eyes shocked me. He truly believed that I hadn't cared about him. I opened my mouth to speak, but Edward held up his hand.

"Please let me get through this, Bella."

I nodded.

"After a few weeks, I came to the conclusion that you didn't love me anymore and that the only reason that we lasted so long was because I put all the effort into our relationship." He gave me an apologetic look and continued, "Looking back, I know that you did put effort into us, but at the time I couldn't see it."

I'm going to be sick…

I was a horrible wife. I was so incredibly selfish.

Edward's posture changed and his face morphed into a somber expression. "It was about that time that I started seeing more of Tanya. She was dropping by the hospital during my shifts. Sometimes she would bring me coffee, other times she would bring me lunch. We never had deep conversations, but it was nice to feel appreciated. With everything going on with us, I was starved for attention.

"I had sex with her a month later in the on-call room. We hardly ever met outside of the hospital. It was always a quick romp and maybe a coffee. Things with Tanya were easy. I never had to do anything. She always worked around my schedule and needs. I liked how someone thought I was worth the effort for once. As shitty as it sounds, the opportunity was there and it gave me a needed ego boost."

"You're right. It does sound shitty," I said angrily.

"I'm not trying to justify my actions, Bella," Edward sighed, "I know there is no excuse for my cheating. I just wanted you to know that I never set out to have an affair. I loved you. I was feeling insecure and unloved. I made some horrible decisions, but I never wanted our marriage to end. I just missed you. I missed us."

Seriously???

"Okay, Edward. I can understand that you seized the opportunity, but your reasoning doesn't make sense. If you missed me and didn't want our marriage to end, why would you sleep with someone else? Did you think I wouldn't notice a third person in our marriage?" I asked incredulously.

He answered in a defensive tone, "No offense, Bella, but you didn't notice."

Remain calm. Breathe in and out.

Edward read my silence and quickly continued. "Sorry, that was unnecessarily cruel." He took a deep breath. "I wasn't thinking right at the beginning. As time went on, I realized that I was destroying everything. I was trying to find a way out, but every possible solution led to heartbreak."

"How could you be that unhappy? You told me you might love her."

This could kill me.

Please, Please, Please, don't tell me you loved her more than me.

Edward shook his head violently. "I hate that I told you that. I didn't love Tanya; I just appreciated that she fulfilled my needs. This is a whole other conversation in itself, but it's getting late. Could we continue this at another time?"

I looked around and suddenly noticed how late it was. The sun was setting and a quick glance at my watch told me that Edward and I had been in the park for hours.

"Sure. Same time and place, next week?"

He sighed, "I'm not sure about my schedule. How about I call you and let you know a time?"

I briefly thought that this could be a ploy to get my new phone number, but the look on Edward's face was sincere. I entered my number into his phone and hoped that I wasn't making a huge mistake.

As we walked toward our cars, I couldn't help but wonder about my role in all this.

Was it really all my fault? Did I drive Edward into Tanya's arms?

NO.

I finally realized what Chelsea had been trying to tell me. Edward's and my marriage was falling apart before the affair. We both made significant mistakes because of fear. Edward was scared of being less than perfect and I was scared to talk about the tough issues.

"Edward, I really am sorry that I wasn't there for you. I should have taken your concerns seriously and I should have agreed to go to counseling. We really did have a lot of issues. At the same time, I refuse to accept responsibility for your affair. Yes, I made many mistakes, but that is not on me."

Edward gave me a sad smile. "I know."

As I pulled out of the park, I smiled.

For the first time in years, I didn't feel nauseated when I thought about Edward…

A/N: As always, I appreciate everyone's constructive criticism. This week's bribe is an EPOV of him reading Bella's book. All past bribes are located in the separate story, "A Woman Scorned Outtakes."

Recommendations:

-Web of Deceit, by Brindalyn: Wanting revenge Esme sends Bella on a mission to take down Cullen Inc. Bella's life gets turned upside down. She gets engaged to Carlisle, falls in love with Edward, and tries desperately to get Esme back with Carlisle where she belongs. There are currently 20 chapters posted. Fanfiction(dot)net/s/5211159/1/Web_of_Deceit

-Almost Doesn't Count, by Mrs. Robward: Bella is a family attorney & Edward seeks her help. Friendship abounds, maybe more? This is a sweet story with high levels of UST. She currently has 15 chapters up. Fanfiction(dot)net/s/5438780/1/Almost_Doesnt_Count

Also, thanks to the following people for recommending this story:

-Hopeless Romantic

- Brouillons

-thatgirljen