3. I Deserve More

A/N: Thanks to my fabulous beta: plainjanedee.

Sorry for the delay in posting this, I had a lot of trouble writing it. I don't do angsty things. I'm all about the romance. lol.

Two weeks later

Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock.

Glaring up at the clock hanging on the wall, looming over her, the room was deathly quiet; not a sound could be heard except her shallow breaths and the incessant ticking that was taunting her-reminding her that, despite the lateness of the hour, her husband still was not home.

11:57 PM.

Tick. Tock.

Clenching her eyes shut and fighting the anger that boiled below the surface, she gripped the handle of her fork-the now-warm metal dug into her palm under her force of her frustration. Five hours. Five fucking hours. That was how long Bella had been sitting at their table-a table that was a handmade wedding gift from his father-waiting for her husband like the freaking moron that she was. She couldn't take anymore; she was hanging onto her sanity by a single thread, but that thread was wearing extremely thin.

Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock.

"Goddammit!" She screamed, standing from the table so fast that the chair she was sitting on tumbled backward and hit the wooden flooring with a loud thud. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! I know he isn't here yet! You don't have to keep reminding me!" She took the fork she'd been holding and launched it at the son-of-a-bitching clock. "Just shut the fuck up!"

With tears blurring her vision, her throat constricted as her entire body sagged with exhaustion and she fell against the table. "I am so fucking sick of this," Bella sobbed into the darkness, her hand palming her forehead.

Today was their ninth wedding anniversary. A day they should've spent reminiscing over their previous years together. But where was he? God only knew, and to be quite honest, she was sick to the back teeth with it. Sick of being put second. Sick of being repeatedly lied to. And sick and fucking tired of being disrespected by the man who claimed to love her.

She wanted today to be so perfect. In a strange way, she wanted this day to be a do-over for all the shit he'd put her through over the past two weeks. But, no, apparently coming home on time on the one day of the year when she needed him to, was too fucking difficult for him. Bella had done everything in her power to be the loyal, understanding, honest, and loving wife that her husband needed, but where was he? Where was her support? She thought she knew exactly where he was, and the thought made her feel physically ill.

Sighing, Bella shook her head in resignation before picking up her untouched, and now stone-cold plate of food. After blowing the candles out, she crossed the kitchen and dumped her entire meal into the garbage. What a fucking waste, she thought sourly as she carelessly threw her napkin onto the marble counter and made her way back toward their dining room table. However, before she did, she quickly grabbed her cell from her purse and pulled out the number she'd saved two days ago. Two days ago when she'd laid witness to the stream of world-ending texts he had saved on his cell from a number she didn't recognise.

I need to see you.

We need to talk about this.

Meet me at... 2:00.

Have you told her yet?

And the clincher? The one that just about shattered her fucking heart?

I don't like doing this to her either, Jake, but it can't be helped. You can't help the way you're feeling, but you need to be honest with her about this. I know all this sneaking around is hard, but until you come clean, it's what we have to do. Tell her, Jake.

With her cell in one hand, she chuckled bitterly while picking up her glass of red. Bringing it to her lips, Bella downed the beverage in one go. She never drank like this, but she figured that tonight she deserved it. Setting her wine glass on the wooden table, she glanced down at the device in her hand and expelled a heavy breath. "C'mon, Bella. You need to do this," she encouraged herself in an unsure voice, shifting her gaze to the ceiling.

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before lowering her eyes to the screen. Staring back at her was a picture they'd taken while they were on their honeymoon in Jamaica. They'd been so in love and so happy. They were young and carefree. The only thing they had to worry about was what position to choose for their next round of love-making. And that's how things stayed...until recently. Blinking back the sudden tears, she took another deep breath and with fear clutching her heart, she dialed the number.

Placing the cell to her ear, the dialed number rang. Please, please, please, she prayed silently as she waited, gnawing furiously at her bottom lip with her teeth.

After what felt like an eternity, someone picked up. "Hello?" Emily Uley's voice rasped into the receiver, thick and coarse with sleep.

Bella sat frozen in her chair. Her body now ice cold. Emily Uley. Emily Uley. Sam Uley's wife. The name kept replaying in her mind. Emily Uley.

"Hello?" She said again, as Bella remained stock-still and silent, her mind trying to absorb this shocking information. "Is anyone there?"

Cupping her hand over her mouth to stifle her sobs, a lone tear fell from her eyes and trailed down her cheek as she listened to her worst nightmare unfold.

"Who is it, baby?" A deep, muffled voice said in the background, breaking her already splintered heart further. "Bring your sexy ass back here; I need this beautiful body."

It was when Bella heard that deep voice, so warm and familiar to her, she gasped in horror and then hastily ended the call. She blinked once before completely succumbing to the sadness and collapsing to the floor; her body shook with her heartache. Wrapping her arms around herself like a shield, she curled into the fetal position against the table leg and dropped her head to rest on her forearms.

In the blink of an eye, everything that she knew to be true, everything that she counted on and relied upon had just been taken from her. Her marriage was over.

A/N: I know it's a short one and I ended it on a bit of a whopper, but I liked the how it worked out. I'm going to do a flashback in the next chapter that goes over why she thinks he's cheating, so don't worry. You haven't missed anything.

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