(Bella)
I shove the papers on the table and Judy picks it up, her hand running through the papers in excitement.
A smile crosses her face as he mutters. "Finally," she turns to Ashley and Elena, giving them a knowing smile and then back to me.
"Alright. Let's wrap it up real quick. Go in there and pack your things. The buyers are waiting, hurry up Bella," she spat, crossing her legs and relaxing into the couch.
I stare at her, all of them, sobbing my eyes out.
Where do I go from here?
My life has been centered around Dean.
I drag my feet upstairs, each step feels heavier than the last. My heart torn apart as I packed my clothes, glancing around the house I'd started to set up as my forever home.
The one I'd build a family with Dean and live happily ever after. Fresh tears came pouring out, my eyes feels so heavy, my chest too tight to breathe.
Once done packing my personal stuff, I sit on the bed, thinking of where to go.
I really do not want to bother Derrick but he'd be so mad if I don't.
In a swift motion, I reach out to my phone and dialed his number, pressing it to my ears.
"Derrick," I sniffled.
"Bella," his voice sounded through the phone and then he goes silent when he realizes I was crying.
"You're crying. Damn it, what's wrong?" he asks.
"Can you come pick me up? I'd explain later," I say, wiping the tears blurring my vision.
"Hang in there, Bella. Be there in thirty minutes," Derrick's protective voice comes out.
I hang up and rolled my box downstairs. Judy, Elena and Ashley turns to look at me, their faces beaming with smiles like they've won a lottery.
"Oh, poor thing." Judy's voice comes in a mock scrutiny. "Don't be too sad. Just go back to the streets, I'm sure you're better off there,"
Elena gives a mock laugh. "That's where she belongs anyways," Ashley laughs along.
I look at her, all of them. A mix of anger and disbelief washing over me.
I feel like slapping off that smug smile on Ashley's face. Judy and Elena, they have always been like this, nothing new.
Exactly thirty minutes. I hear the honk of Derrick's car. I stood up but then I halt, my head is spinning and I feel like throwing up.
I steel myself, gathering the last strength in me as I walked out of my home, not sparing them a glance.
"Bella!" Derrick comes running up to me before I reach the ground.
I hear him calling my name, tapping my cheeks gently but everything went blank after that.
********
My eyes slowly opens, and a white ceiling comes into view, the sterile smell. It clicks.
I realize I'm in a hospital. I try to piece together what happened and how I ended up here.
The last thing that flashes through my mind is Derrick rushing to me before I could hit the ground, him calling my name and tapping my cheeks gently, everything goes blank after that.
The door cracks open and Derrick scurries in, relief etched on his face as he sees me awake.
He sits beside my bed, taking my hands. "Bella. How do you feel?"
I nod, disoriented. "I'm fine. How did l get here, what happened?"
"You fainted, Bella."
"Huh?" I exclaim, gently pulling myself up, and sits on the bed instead. "We should go, Derrick. I'm fine now," I tell him.
He shakes his head. "Your results will be out soon. We need to be sure, at least know the reason why you fainted," he says, concern etched in his voice.
I give him a tiny smile. "I haven't had anything to eat. That's why," I divulged.
Derrick stands up. "What? I need to grab you something then," just then the door opens again and a doctor walks in, holding an envelope.
Derrick sits back down.
"How do you feel Mrs Brennan?" That name brings back the hurt. I just give him a tight lipped smile but I don't correct him. "I'm fine now, I need to be discharged,"
"Sure. But you need to stay away from stress, it's not good for your condition," he says giving me a gentle smile.
Condition?
He seems to be oblivious of me saying I'm okay.
I'm about to ask but Derrick beats me to it.
"What condition?" Derrick, my cousin asked even before I could.
"Oh, Mrs Brennan is five weeks pregnant. Congratulations," he says handing the envelope.
Did I just hear right?
Pregnant, how didn't I know?
Oh, no!
I hesitate and Derrick takes the envelope instead. The doctor turns and leaves.
"Bella you're pregnant!" Derrick says excitedly but I kept a straight face.
His smile fades realizing I wasn't upbeat about it.
Tears welled up in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks without warning. "I can't be pregnant," I mutter whilst sobbing.
"Why? You've always wanted to," Derrick stares at me, confused.
Just then I realize I haven't told him about what happened.
"Dean and I are divorced."
"Huh?" Derrick exclaims, wide-eyed.
I take time narrating what happened, tears strolling freely from my eyes. Derrick looks horrified, confused just as I was earlier.
"You see why I can't be pregnant. Not now, I can't raise a child on my own, I don't know how to," I let out, my voice thick with emotion.
Instead of replying, Derrick wraps his arms around me, offering comfort through his silent hug.
I sink into his hug, sobbing on his shoulders. He pats my back gently, reminding me that I'm not alone. Eventually we pull away.
He holds my gaze. "First, you need to eat something. We'd figure this out later, okay?"
Bless him, the only person that truly cares about me right now. What would I have done if l didn't have him?
I nod.
I watch Derrick's back till he was out of the door. I'm left in the deafening silence of the hospital room.
I take the test results, my eyes gawking at it in disbelief.
God, I can't be pregnant. I'm emotionally drained to care for a child right now.
My life's a mess.
How do I get through this?
(Dean)"That's enough Dean!" Ethan says as he drags the glass away from me, eyebrows raised."You're only hurting yourself. Drinking won't solve anything," he retorts. "You need to go home and at least hear Bella out,"I chuckle bitterly. "And listen to more lies?" I blurted out. "Those pictures are all the proof I needed. She's a slut, Ethan."Ethan shakes his head. "This is quite confusing. Bella loves you, I'm sure.""Pretense, all pretense, man. She deceived me into believing that. But truth is, she still craves her old life, she wants to be out there fucking them dudes. She's on birth control, didn't want to ruin her perfect shape," I snap."My mother, Aunt Elena, they were right after all. Bella is a filthy slut, no redemption.""You're drunk, Dean. We need to get you home," Ethan says, skipping right past my tantrums.I scoff. "Home?" I laugh. "That's no home. She disgusts me, I can't even stand her," my phone insistently buzzes in my pocket, again, and again.I pull it out, an
(Bella)"You were a whore Bella and you're still a whore. Jezz, what was I thinking?" Dean lashes out angrily as he threw pictures of me around the room.I haven't seen Dean this angry, it scares me to the pit of my stomach."I swear, Dean. This is all a lie, a mistake, a conspiracy," I wail, on my knees as I beg him to listen to me just this once."Shut the fuckk up, Bella. I'm done listening to you," he seethes. "My mom was right all along, a pig will always remain a pig," he spits the words out, like venom, unfiltered.My heart aches hearing those harsh words from him.Tears stream down my cheeks as I sobbed, but those tears doesn't move Dean, not anymore.My once loving husband, who stood his ground that I was his soulmate, who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, against his family.He didn't care about their opinion of me.A stripper, an exotic dancer but none of that mattered to Dean. He loved me and married me against all odds."You still crave that life. Don't you?"
(Bella)My heart bleeds as I watch Dean storm off.He's asking for a divorce, just like that?How did we get here?How did my life turn into a living nightmare in one day?Those pictures, I mutter reaching out to them and picking them up one after the other.Four different men that I've never seen.It looks so real but I don't remember coming in contact with any of this men, not in my past and definitely not now.Something is fishy but I can't seem to place my hand on what it is.Whoever is behind this, just wants to break me and Dean apart.But I won't let them."No," the word slips out of my mouth. "I won't give up on us just like that, I'm going to fight for my man, my marriage, what I have with Dean is worth fighting for,." I say, my voice firm as I dust myself up.How do I go about it?Dean is so angry, I doubt if he'd ever listen to what I have to say.I need someone that can talk to Dean.But who?His mother?I scoff at myself. Judy is the last person I should think of.She has
(Bella)The doorbell rings and jars me awake. I fling my eyes open, pulling myself up from the couch.My back hurts..Just then I realize it's the next day and I had slept off on the couch waiting for Dean.This only means one thing, Dean didn't come home last night.The very first day he's sleeping out.My eyes hurts as fresh tears stride down my cheeks but the doorbell rings again, this time continuously.I spring up. It could be Dean.Quickly I move over to the door, and swing it open.My breath catches in my throat. It's not Dean.Judy, Elena and an older man. And then when she shifts, I spot Ashley standing right behind.Before I could process what's going on, Judy pushes me aside, striding in like the queen of England. Elena, Dean's aunt, gives me a horrific look as she walks in.And then the man and Ashley came in.Ashley casts me a weird look as she brushes past me.I step in. "What are you doing here, the both of you?" I'm forced to ask, as much as I'm exhausted, I can't let