Sookie's POV:

It had been over a week since Marten and I had our first (and hopefully last) public spat and we had barely spoken to each other since. We had been avoiding each other like the plague which was easy to do considering how large the penthouse was. At first, I was angry at him, angry that he would ditch me at the gala, but then I started to realize that I was more angry at myself. He was right, I was hard on him most of the time and it was unfair to him. Though I began to own up to my faults, he was still angry at me. I did try to apologize to him a few days ago, but was met with silence, which was so uncharacteristic of him. One of the things that I admired about Marten was that he tried to avoid conflict in his personal and business life. He always aimed to find solutions to every problem. But it seemed like he was not interested in finding a resolution with me. He wanted to keep the distance between us.

At first, I was sad about it. I missed him. I missed his laughter, his conversation, his voice, his constant presence…the ways he would always try to make me happy. I guess I had taken him for granted, the love and affection that he bestowed upon me. But like any other woman, my sadness quickly turned back to anger. I was mad that he didn't want to make-up with me, because like I said, it was uncharacteristic of him to hold grudges for so long. During our time apart, I knew that he was still spending a lot of time with Adam Woods, who for some reason was still in town and had not returned to England to work on his movie. Was that a ruse just to get close to Marten? I began to think what was his deal? Why was he so interested in forging a relationship with Marten? My worst fear that went through my mind was that Adam now had Marten's ear. Meaning that Marten was now taking any advice from Adam to heart. Was he the one telling Marten not to reconcile with me?

Damn vampires! I think to myself furiously.

Despite the turmoil between Marten and I, I still continued to do my daily tasks and duties. I reported to Marten's business office to help with any HR issues. Currently, I was sitting in on job interviews. The company was hiring more analysts and needed my help to find the right candidates.

I jot down notes as to what potential employees were thinking when the interviewer asked questions. I had to admit I was a little bit distracted today, but could you blame me? My marriage was deteriorating right before my eyes and I had no clue as to how to stop it.

After the last interview I head back to my small office and stare at the clock. It was almost 11 in the evening.

"Whatcha doing Sook?" Josie, one of the receptionists says to me as she pops her head in.

"Oh nothing, just bored," I answer as I continue to tap my pen on my desk.

"Why?" I ask, but I already knew the answer. She was thinking about asking me if I wanted to head out with the other ladies for an after-work get together. They were all curious about me and felt that I seemed like a nice person and someone they could possibly be friends with. They were also thinking that it didn't hurt to try and get in my husband's good graces and become friendly with his wife. Josie was also thinking that since my husband had left an hour earlier for a business trip to some unknown destination that maybe I would say yes to going out with them. Wait, what?! My husband left without telling me?! I grab my phone from the desk and check my messages, there was nothing from him letting me know that he was going somewhere. What the hell?! I guess he was still that angry with me….

My face reddens, furious with Marten that he would leave without telling me.

"Sookie, are you alright?" Josie says in concern.

I take a few deep breaths. "Uhhh, yeah I'm okay."

I close my eyes, trying to calm myself down.

"You look like you could use a drink. Listen, some of the other girls and I are heading to a bar about three blocks from here. It's just a bar where other executives and office workers hang out."

I stay silent as I keep my eyes closed.

"That's okay Sook," she says, taking my silence as a no.

"No, wait!" I say to her. "I'll come with you guys."

I send a message to Ida letting her know that she was off for the night and that I would be returning home on my own. She sends me a message that that was not possible. I tell her that it was an order from me and that if there was a problem with that to direct it to me. I didn't need a babysitter tonight.

I get up and grab my purse and look at myself in the mirror. I was still wearing my slate gray sleeveless business dress that came to my knees. I was also in black heels. It was a little bit chilly outside, so I grab my dark brown leather jacket from the closet and put that on. After that, I go and join the ladies.

We end up at a bar called Blue Magic

Elaine, one of the other office workers, orders a round of tequila shots for us. There were five of us here.

"C'mon Sook! Drink up!" Josie says cheerfully.

I take the shot at the same time as the rest of the girls and immediately begin feeling the effects.

I order a gin and tonic and have a lively conversation with the girls.

"What do you think of Adam?" Lila says. They were discussing who the hottest guys were that had come through the office over the years.

"Oh, my, god, are the only words I can think of!" Elaine says. Elaine was a 20 something year old, a graduate of Harvard Business School. She was very pretty and who was having a difficult time finding a man here in New York. I peek into her mind and saw that the last man she dated ended up stealing from her apartment.

"He is so sexy, so hot! I just want to run my fingers that that thick manly hair of his and down his rock -hard body. Can you imagine how he looks shirtless? I had to google shirtless pictures of him and girls, he does not disappoint!" Elaine continues.

The other girls squeal in delight and talk about other men. All of them seemed to avoid the topic of Marten, but I could see in their minds that there was a reason for that. They had all been glamoured not to think or have inappropriate thoughts and feelings for him.

We continue drinking and having a good time. A small dance floor begins filling up as the night continues on.

"C'mon Sookie, let's dance!" Lila says to me. Lila was my age and had a fiancé at home. He was a financial investor and seemed to be more interested in his job than in her, or at least that's what she was thinking.

I try to say no but she doesn't take no for an answer. I take off my leather jacket and follow her to the make-shift dance floor.

We dance closely to an Eminem song. I was beginning to feel good, like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I shimmy my hips and shoulders to the music as I continue to dance, letting my body flow to the music.

It isn't long before a man, a rather good-looking man approaches us.

"Mind if I dance with you?" he leans in to ask me.

I use my telepathy to read him. He wasn't human, but a were. He was part of a pack from Buffalo. He knew who I was, he had heard of me through the supe world, but didn't realize how attractive I was in real life.

"Maybe I should introduce myself, my name is Jesse, Jesse Donaldson," he says as he extends his hand to shake mine.

I almost hesitate but then I think to myself, I was free, Marten wasn't here, obviously he didn't give a shit about what I was doing since he didn't tell me what he was doing, I may as well do what I want!

"My name is Sookie," I smile at him as I shake his hand.

"How about I buy you a drink after this dance?" he asks me with a friendly smile on his face. He was handsome, in a clean-cut way. He had straight dirty-blonde hair and green eyes. He had a nice build and was several inches taller than me.

"Uhh, let's just dance first," I smile back at him.

I continue to shake my ass and my body to the music as he dances close to me.

I knew this was wrong, dancing this way with a man that was not my husband. But I didn't care, he broke his promise to me too. He puts his hands on my back, but I move away from him. I knew that dancing so close to him was wrong, but I didn't want to cross the line of physical contact.

Afterwards, he follows me back to our table and tries to buy me a drink but I decline. I had already drank too much. I ask the waitress for water. Jesse continues to try to converse with me, but I tell him that I was married.

"Are you sure?" he asks me, still not getting the message. I sigh in annoyance, why couldn't men just accept that no was no?

"I'm sure," I say to him. "You seem like a nice guy, but I'm not available."

"Well, if you change your mind," he says as he pulls a pen out of his pocket and writes a phone number on a bar napkin.

He hands it to me and leans close to me ear and whispers, "I think you're the most sexiest woman that I have ever met. Your husband is one lucky man."

I blush at his comment as he finally leaves.

"Woah Sookie! That guy was gorgeous, not to mention sexy looking!" Elaine says loudly.

I just smile and shake my head. A little while later I decide to head home as well. I get an uber and head back to the penthouse.

I drink more water, trying to shake off the effects of the alcohol. I was still buzzed. I head to my empty bedroom and put on my pajamas. I leave the curtains open and turn the light off, falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

The next day seemed strange. The daytime guards were giving me strange looks, like I had done something wrong and were currently keeping their thoughts guarded.

I spend the day shopping and buying gifts for my niece whose birthday was coming up. I was hoping that Marten would be okay with me going to Bon Temps for the weekend to celebrate her birthday, but then I remember that we weren't getting along right now, so I decide to make the arrangements to fly out in a few days.

I call the office and ask them if they needed me this evening.

"Oh, Mrs. Meijer… ummmm I… don't think your presence is required for any duties," Helga stammers over the phone.

"Oh…." I say to her, confused. She sounded strange like she was having issues right now. I hoped that it wasn't too serious.

"Okay, well you have my number if you change your mind," I add before hanging up the phone, still a little perplexed.

I guess I had a free night. I decide to watch a movie in the family room this evening and read one of my romance novels. It had been a long time since I read any of my novels. I felt like I didn't need any of that type of entertainment considering that I had Marten. But, of course at the moment I didn't have him, and I was feeling lonely.

I take a shower, make popcorn and settle into the living room to watch a film. I lay on my side and nibble on the popcorn. The nights wears on and I lose track of the time. Before I know it, I suddenly feel Marten's emotions through the bond. The bugger had finally learned how to close off the bond a few months ago and for the past week he had kept it closed to me. Now, for some reason, it was open and I could feel the rage flowing. I could also feel that he was close, like very close, in the building somewhere.

I put the popcorn down on the coffee table and hold my stomach. It was almost overwhelming. I wasn't sure why he was angry, but one thing for sure, I knew that anger was directed at me.

I stand up and steady myself, my fae powers beginning to surge.

I hear the elevator door ding and right away Marten comes out of it and walks briskly towards me, his face full of fury.

"Tell me that it's not fucking true!" he seethes.

"What are you talking about?" I asked hesitantly.

He tosses his phone angrily at me and I catch it. I look at the screen and see a photo of me dancing closely to that man I met at the bar. He had his hands on my upper back and was leaning so close to me. In that camera angle, it looked like he was leaning in to kiss me.

Oh shit…..I say to myself, but I think it had come out of my mouth.

"Oh shit is right… who the fuck is that and what the fuck were you doing?!" he yells at me.

I look up at him, in shock. Never had I seen him this angry before. Never had I seen such hatred in his eyes. He was feeling betrayed, shocked, angry, and sorrow.

"Some guy I met at a bar last night. I was dancing with one of the girls, and he came up to me and ask me to dance. I was flattered and I was going to say no, but…. I liked the fact he was showing me attention, I guess. So, I said yes. We danced to only one song and he did touch my back once, but I backed off, away from him. I told him that I was married and I thought that was the end of it, he walked away after that, and I came home," I say to Marten, trying to keep my voice in control, when I really wanted to break down in tears and shame. "He didn't kiss me, nor did I kiss him, even though the camera makes it look that way."

"So, you went to a fucking bar to attract other men just because we've been having problems for only a week?!" he growls.

I take a deep breath. "It wasn't like that. I was at work and I was feeling lonely. I wanted company for once, at least for one night. I wanted to know how it felt like to go out with friends and have a drink at a bar. I didn't go there to meet men! You know that, you know what the truth is, you can feel it from me!"

He clenches his fists and put them against the sides of his head.

"Sookie, you have no idea what you have done! The shitstorm that you have created with your foolish actions! You have embarrassed me! You have caused me shame in my kingdom! Everyone is talking about it! They are all saying the same thing! That you are nothing but a fangbanging whore and are not worthy to be a vampire Queen consort. They are calling me weak and pathetic for having a foolish human wife who does not respect her husband!"

Tears brim my eyes. I had behaved in a shameful way and I knew that last night, but I didn't stop myself. I put my hand over my mouth to hide my quivering lips.

I wanted to let Marten know how sorry I was, I needed him to know that I was deeply sorry and that I would do anything he wanted to fix this mess.

"There's nothing you can do to fix this," he says in a deflated tone as though he had just read my thoughts.

"I'm so sorry Marten," I say in a pitiful tone. Tears start flowing from my eyes. What have I done?

I not only shamed Marten, but I also shamed myself and my beliefs, my belief of a faithful marriage. But I had not behaved faithful last night, I tarnished my wedding vows. I would not blame Marten if he could not find a way to forgive me.

"What can I do?" I say to him as I wipe the tears away from my eyes. "I know you said that I can't, but there has to be something."

He looks at me, his eyes full of sorrow and anger still, "I don't know. I can only think of one thing, but…. I'm not sure if I can do it."

Divorce….. that was the only thing that I could think of what could fix things with him at least. I didn't want to divorce of course, I still believed that marriage was for life, but if it was what was needed to restore Marten's place in his world, then I would accept that. Except….except that I did love him. I did love Marten. I had grown to love him deeply.

"You need to leave New York, at least until this whole thing blows over and there are new scandals for supes and vampires to gossip about," he says to me.

Leave?... I wipe the tears away.

"Where do you want me to go?" I say brokenheartedly.

He is silent for a moment. "You should go home, back to Louisiana. You can be under Pam's protection, she will provide guards to protect you at your home."

I nod slowly. "For how long?"

Again he is silent, with a pained expression on his face. "I don't know. Vampires have long memories. Could be years, or even decades…."

I bite my lower lip at the thought of not seeing him for years and perhaps even decades.

I shudder as I wrap my hands over my arms, feeling the goosebumps on my arms.

"Okay," I say to him. I wanted to say more to him, to tell him that I loved him as much as he loved me, or rather when he loved me deeply.

"I'll pack and leave right away," I say to him. I practically sprint out of the room, past him and to the bedroom. Once I reach the room, I close the door and collapse to the floor. I let myself cry and grieve over my new situation. I had no one else to blame but myself. It was all my fault.

I cry for about ten minutes before finding the strength to gather myself. I open up my large walk-in closet, trying to figure out where to start packing. I look at all the expensive clothes and shoes, things that were bought with Marten's money. I didn't want to take any of it, it was neither mine nor had I deserved it. I reach in the back for my suitcase that I had used when I first moved to New York to live with Marten. I rummage deep in my closet to find some of the clothes that I had brought with me. I only had kept a few pairs and had donated the rest of my old clothes early on in my marriage.

I take off my silk pajamas and put on my jeans and t-shirt. I find my old sweater, the sweater I used to wear after finishing shifts at Merlotte's. I also find my old sneakers and put them on. I go into my jewelry case and grab the gems that belonged to my mother and Gran. Those were the only valuables that were truly mine. The rest of the stuff weren't. I grab my purse and empty it out. I grab my IDs and leave all the credit cards and other various cards on the bed. Again, they didn't belong to me, they were given to me by Marten's accountant.

I find the purse that Pam had gifted me for my birthday years ago and put my items in it. After gathering all my belongings, I take one last look around the room.

There was one more thing that didn't belong to me, it was my wedding rings. I look at the gems on my finger. Tears brim my eyes once again. How did things get this far? Was it really over?

I look at my rings once more, before taking them off and putting them on the nightstand.

I leave the room and walk down the hall. I turn toward the living room to see if Marten was still there but he wasn't. He was gone.

I hit the elevator button and head downstairs. Sure enough, Ron was there, waiting to take me to the airport.

I cry all the way to the plane.

A few hours later I land in Shreveport, where a car was waiting for me.

I walk towards it and Pam comes out of it.

I stop briefly, before running towards her open arms. I begin crying loudly as she holds me, rubbing my back in a circular motion which I found to be quite soothing.