Greetings :-),

I have a surprise for you :-), another chapter :-)...

I hope you will like it, it was really hard for me to write that but I did :-) ...

anyways, enjoy the reading and if you like, please review :-)

thanks :-)

A/N as usually, I don´t own anything...

Ch 15

Derek didn´t like the work at all. He accepted it just to gain some money. He will need it in few months for the attorney. The situation with the investigation wasn´t going very well. The attorney claimed that he might get even few years imprisonment. That scared him but he thought about finding some way. He just needed to figure out how. He came back to his family because he thought that home would be a good place to be but Ellen was really getting on his nerves.

She definitely changed, she was so reserved, seemed to be so distant, never came closer to him. He was already fed up with her. She was different than the woman he used to know many months ago and who welcome him happily every time he came back. But he didn´t want to solve it right now. If something happened, he would be glad for having a home. Ellen would never be able to leave him. Indeed, he was her first one, she used to be a very naive girl during the college. He didn´t have to try that much to get her. He remembered how she didn´t want to get married so early and he persuaded her. Then he was jealous that there might be some colleagues flirting with her so he talked to her and made her agree with the move here to Forks. She began working as a teacher and kept her position. She seemed to be satisfied.

And then, when he started his own business with that fucking bastard he regarded as friend, Ellen always supported him. In the end she also accepted the fact that she would be alone for everything and he could stay in Seattle over the week and come back in the weekends. First few years it worked fine and he liked the situation. He had time for his own affairs. He had a few mistresses to please him in the hard times and he loved it. He had a family and a lover. He broke up with all of them as they started being possessive and urged him to divorce. But he had no intention of doing that. Despite this he was angry at them.

Suddenly he was lonely and had again just the woman who took care of the child, but otherwise their common life meant so little to him. She didn´t attract him anymore. Yes, they had a sexual life as every marriage, but it was just occasionally. Ellen didn´t complain. In the recent months she was already unbearable to him. He felt she was flirting with every guy in that small town and began to be jealous. Friends advised him become a bit cruel to her to make her a good house wife and obey him as her husband. As he hit her once, it improved a bit, or at least he had such feeling.

Therefore he did it again. When he left for Europe, he had another lover. This time she dumped him. He thought about his life and suddenly he felt sorry for hurting Ellen. She didn´t deserve it. He promised he would be more patient with her and try to tolerate that. But he saw that it wasn´t easy. As he returned permanently home, he had to face her every day and that made him feel awkward. She was already somebody else.

Now he was back and instead of enjoying the time with the family, he had to look at her every time. She seemed to be so distant from him. Maybe he should remind her that she is definitely his wife. And he will do it again if he has to. She should be careful not to make him angry. At one moment he thought that she might have a lover but then he waved her hand. Such woman would never be able to cheat on him. He knew she was afraid of him and therefore could never find somebody even if she wanted. It just wasn´t her style. But this didn´t prevent him from hurting and suspecting her.

Everytime he came from work in the early morning, Ellen was already getting up and preparing breakfast for her and Patricia. He just mumbled some words as greeting and headed in the bedroom. Ellen didn´t comment it. She tried to understand that he was tired. It must have been also hard for him. He didn´t even tell her what kind of job he was doing. She knew that it was something in the warehouse. What nerved her was his incredibly mood. When Ellen came from work in the afternoon, Patty wanted to play the Ludo game and so Ellen agreed. She wanted to spend some nice time with her daughter and they began playing. Patty was the winner and she laughed aloud.

Suddenly they heard a noise from the bedroom. In few moments Derek came out and shouted: „ Do you think you could shut up? One would like to sleep her… I need to earn fucking hard money when you both sleep….."

He closed the door with noise and Patricia looked scared at her mother.

Ellen hugged her and kissed: „ Don´t worry, baby, we need to be silent, no shouting ok?"

They finished the game and then Ellen had to prepare the dinner and Patty followed her downstairs to watch some TV.

Patty felt sorry that Derek shouted at her. It was for the first time since his return and Ellen noticed that she is sad again.

On the following evening Ellen was making dinner. Derek wanted to eat with them. She bought the rice and vegetables, Patty loved it and it was one of the ways how to make their daughter eat something healthy. Sometimes they added also the chicken meat but Derek hasn´t given her any money and so she didn´t buy the chicken this time. On the other hand she made also a noodle soup and hoped that Derek and Patty would enjoy it. Patty helped to prepare the table and Ellen brought the plates on the table. Then she went to to wake Derek up and he shouted at her: „Why did you come here? I need to have some good sleep….. I am definitely earning money for you to spend….."

Ellen looked down, apologised and left the room silently. Ellen told Patricia to begin eating and so they ate just together. Patty was telling a story from school but when she heard steps, she stopped. After few moments Derek came downstairs and looked at the prepared plates on the table. He looked at Ellen with disgust: „ What the fuck is it supposed to be? I want a proper dinner with meat, I won´t eat this healthy shit…."

She looked at him and tried to explain: „ Derek, we have some sort of budget….. and I haven´t got any money from you in the last two months….We buy things to be cheap and eat normal and healthy as soon as possible…."

He frowned: „ you are certainly telling lies….. You got enough money. It is your own fault that you spent it all.."

He took the jacket and headed to the door: „Next time I want some usual dinner… ….if you don´t do that, then we will have to talk…."

He closed the door and left the house. Ellen had no idea that he went in the pub for dinner and beer before work. She was so shocked by this behavior. She didn´t like it at all. In the past he had no problem with this kind of dinner. He was the one who used to teach Patty eat healthy. At that time he was really a caring father. She didn´t know this man. The one, that Derek became. She felt the tears in her eyes but she had to stop that so that Patricia wouldn´t notice anything. The child was extremely observant and she didn´t want her to tell something at school about her parents. She pretended that nothing happened and told Patty that daddy had to go to work earlier.

When Patty left to bed, Ellen was sitting at the table with paper and pencil. She was counting the expenses and her income. They needed to pay the monthly rent for the house, electricity, services, insurance and Patty´s school needs.

She had some sort of reserve money in her closet for the worst times. It was few hundred that she was able to save over the years. She could take few dollars to buy some meat so that Derek would be satisfied. He truly didn´t give her anything for almost two months. She was always writing everything down but for the last two months he didn´t care about the household. He kept all the money for himself. She felt that he lost the idea that he has a child who has growing needs. If only she spent money on unnecessary things. But everything was so expensive..…..

Ellen was a bit of scared about the future. This was another problem. Usually they had it very tight but now when Derek was here, the expenses were increasing. He didn´t add anything in the family budget. Yes, he started going to work few days ago, perhaps he will give her some money when he gets the salary. Therefore she wanted to wait untill his pay-day comes.

She had no idea that Derek couldn´t work legally so he found some job based on the oral agreement. He didn´t say anyone about the investigation. He made a fraud on his business associate in order to get him out of the company but he reported everything to the police. Therefore he was working at nights in the warehouse. He wanted to give something to Ellen but most of it he planned to save for the attorney. He hoped that a good choice would help him to get no punishment.

At work he became friends with the local guys and they began taking him in the local pubs. Almost every day they headed in one. He had the whole morning and afternoon free. Ellen was coming home with Patty around 4pm so he could do whatever he wanted. Few days later he invited them also to his house. They were also drunk as him and so they broke also a few things and made a mess on the carpet. Ellen took Patty out of the pre-school and they went home. They were planning to read some fairy tales and Ellen promised her daughter to sew some clothing for her Bella doll from old clothes. Patty was looking forward to that. She loved Bella. It reminded her of the aunt Bella. She missed these people, it´s been a few weeks since she last saw them. Uncle Edward came to say good-bye. He left for school but Patricia hoped that she would see them soon. She missed them. Uncle Carlisle was last week in the doctor´s room and he asked such questions. Patty felt sad, they didn´t go to his house anymore and she missed that. She planned that she has to ask mum soon. Perhaps today after dinner when dad goes to work.

Ellen opened the door and stared. There was an incredible smell in the living room. The house was incredible mess. Everything was misplaced, there were papers from meal and bottles of wine everywhere. The carpet was full of red wine spots. She sent Patricia immediately in her room and opened all windows. There was an incredible alcohol smell and she felt disgusted. She collected everything from the ground and began to clean the carpet.

Derek came out of the room, slightly drank and looked around. He noticed Ellen on the floor cleaning up and she asked: „ What happened here?"

He replied: „ Well, some guys from work dropped by to say hello…."

She looked at him: „ Your friends made a mess out of this room and you just say they dropped by to say hi? You cannot mean it, Derek…"

He looked at her: „ Look, you are my wife,….you should do your duties and clean up the mess…..and I said that they just stopped here for visit. You should tak care of this…so I expect you will do it… and come on quickly, I don´t want to live in such mess….."

He kissed her forehead and she moved instinctively back, she could smell the alcohol out of him and looked away. He stepped across her and headed to the pub again.

He looked back at her: „ And don´t expect me back tonight. I am going to Mike for dinner and then to work….. And you should make sure the house is clean by the morning. …."

She looked back in the carpet and was silent. She wouldn´t tell him anything nice.

It took her another hour to finish the work in the living room. Then she went back in the kitchen and wanted to prepare some meal for her daughter.

Patricia came to her and hugged her when she didn´t see her. Ellen took her in the arms and kissed:

„ You´re my little princess…."

She nodded and said: „ Mum, I want to go to uncle Carlisle to visit….."

Ellen shook the head: „ Patty, this isn´t possible….we cannot go to him no matter how much I would desire myself….."

Patty asked: „ Why not? We used to go there very often before dad returned…Can´t he leave again?"

Ellen shrugged: „ No, sweetheart, he can´t, he lives here with us and we have to learn to accept that…"

Patty gasped: „ It was really mess when we came from school…"

Ellen commented: „ Yes, dad had visitors when we were away…."

Patty smiled: „ And if dad had some people here, could we invite uncle Carlisle too?"

Ellen had tears in her eyes: „ No, Patty, we cannot, your dad wouldn´t approve it….."

Patty protested: „ but dad isn´t here….mum please…."

Ellen sobbed out loud: „ No, Patty, we cannot, your dad would be terrible angry if he found out…."

She hugged her tight and Patty knew that she shouldn´t ask more. Mum made it clear and she couldn´t do anything.