Do you think Bella's being insensitive or overreacting?
(Bella)I step out of my office to Calvin's. I did stop by earlier to say hello but he wasn't around. Apparently, he hadn't been since morning.His secretary said he'll be coming in late and it baffles me that he didn't tell me, that's unlike Calvin but then I figured it must've been something really urgent.I knock gently and invite myself in."Bella," he raises his head from his laptop, a warm smile creeping up his face.I return his smile, walking over to his desk."Please," he says, gesturing to the chair just across from him.My smile gives way to a light chuckle, deciding to tease him a little, I retort. "You say that like I'm some stranger walking into your office for the first time,"That elicited a chuckle from him, he places a hand on his chest dramatically. "My bad, pardon me." He says between chuckle.I laugh, the both of us."Is everything okay though?" I ask as soon as our laugh quiets down, my eyes pinned on him. "You're just coming in, that's unlike you," I add.He lea
(Bella)I flip through the last document on my desk, breathing out in relief. But that wasn't all for the day.I have a meeting with a client in a couple of minutes, I know I probably should hurry but the scheduled venue isn't far from Clein's.I've been a lot cautious since Judy pulled that client bullshit on me and it's safe to say that this was truly a client, not some red-hair grumpy woman disguising to be one.I exhaled deeply, closing the document and almost immediately a gentle knock comes to the door and Cynthia pops out her head from the doorway."You busy?" She ask, giving me a quizzical look but I don't miss the nervousness in her voice.I glance at my phone, looking back at her, I reply. "I've got to meet a client but I can spare a few minutes, come in," I offer her a tiny smile.She nods and steps in."Please," I say, gesturing her to take a seat.She settles in, dragging in a sharp breath, she looks at me and then let out an almost awkward laugh. "I know this sounds stup
(Dean)"So, let me get this straight," Ethan says, bringing his glass down, his eyebrows raised. "You bought those and showed up at Bella's doorstep?" he points at the items I had gone with to Bella's apartment."What?" rolling my eyebrows, I drawled, taking a long sip from my glass. "I just wanted to do something nice, you know." I say defiantly."And you ended up messing things further up." He locked his eyes on mine, shaking his head briefly.I leaned back on the couch, restlessness building up in my gut. "I guess," I mutter in a whisper, acknowledging the truth in his words, and then I remembered her words, the part that makes my stomach churn and decided to share.I run a hand through my hair, the hurt resurfacing. "She said she doesn't love me anymore," I divulged, my voice a little tight as the weight of my words settles over me.Downing his drink, Ethan gives me a look. "I don't think she meant that,""You say that like you know for sure," I worked my jaw and sigh, not in anyw
(Dean)I blinked, trying to be sure that my mind wasn't playing a cruel trick on me, but hell it isn't.I give Ethan a quick glance before grabbing my phone in a rush. Leaning back, Ethan just stares at me.I might have held my breath as I slide the green icon."Hello," her breathy voice wafted into my ear, soothing every frazzled nerves. "This is Bella,"I swallowed. "I know," I say, my voice barely audible as I try not to sound as nervous as I already am."Ok.." she goes silent and then her voice comes up again. "Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could come over sooner, the…my kid's are fussing over seeing you,"There's a long pause from my end, I roll my eyes, glancing at Ethan briefly while trying to process if I've heard her correctly.I guess she misunderstood my silence because her next words pulled me out of my trance sharply. "Well, if you're busy I could just….,""No, I'm not." I blurted out, my words stumbles out quicker than I intended. "I'm totally free, whe
(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?" H
(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
(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
(Dean)I blinked, trying to be sure that my mind wasn't playing a cruel trick on me, but hell it isn't.I give Ethan a quick glance before grabbing my phone in a rush. Leaning back, Ethan just stares at me.I might have held my breath as I slide the green icon."Hello," her breathy voice wafted into my ear, soothing every frazzled nerves. "This is Bella,"I swallowed. "I know," I say, my voice barely audible as I try not to sound as nervous as I already am."Ok.." she goes silent and then her voice comes up again. "Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could come over sooner, the…my kid's are fussing over seeing you,"There's a long pause from my end, I roll my eyes, glancing at Ethan briefly while trying to process if I've heard her correctly.I guess she misunderstood my silence because her next words pulled me out of my trance sharply. "Well, if you're busy I could just….,""No, I'm not." I blurted out, my words stumbles out quicker than I intended. "I'm totally free, whe
(Dean)"So, let me get this straight," Ethan says, bringing his glass down, his eyebrows raised. "You bought those and showed up at Bella's doorstep?" he points at the items I had gone with to Bella's apartment."What?" rolling my eyebrows, I drawled, taking a long sip from my glass. "I just wanted to do something nice, you know." I say defiantly."And you ended up messing things further up." He locked his eyes on mine, shaking his head briefly.I leaned back on the couch, restlessness building up in my gut. "I guess," I mutter in a whisper, acknowledging the truth in his words, and then I remembered her words, the part that makes my stomach churn and decided to share.I run a hand through my hair, the hurt resurfacing. "She said she doesn't love me anymore," I divulged, my voice a little tight as the weight of my words settles over me.Downing his drink, Ethan gives me a look. "I don't think she meant that,""You say that like you know for sure," I worked my jaw and sigh, not in anyw
(Bella)I flip through the last document on my desk, breathing out in relief. But that wasn't all for the day.I have a meeting with a client in a couple of minutes, I know I probably should hurry but the scheduled venue isn't far from Clein's.I've been a lot cautious since Judy pulled that client bullshit on me and it's safe to say that this was truly a client, not some red-hair grumpy woman disguising to be one.I exhaled deeply, closing the document and almost immediately a gentle knock comes to the door and Cynthia pops out her head from the doorway."You busy?" She ask, giving me a quizzical look but I don't miss the nervousness in her voice.I glance at my phone, looking back at her, I reply. "I've got to meet a client but I can spare a few minutes, come in," I offer her a tiny smile.She nods and steps in."Please," I say, gesturing her to take a seat.She settles in, dragging in a sharp breath, she looks at me and then let out an almost awkward laugh. "I know this sounds stup
(Bella)I step out of my office to Calvin's. I did stop by earlier to say hello but he wasn't around. Apparently, he hadn't been since morning.His secretary said he'll be coming in late and it baffles me that he didn't tell me, that's unlike Calvin but then I figured it must've been something really urgent.I knock gently and invite myself in."Bella," he raises his head from his laptop, a warm smile creeping up his face.I return his smile, walking over to his desk."Please," he says, gesturing to the chair just across from him.My smile gives way to a light chuckle, deciding to tease him a little, I retort. "You say that like I'm some stranger walking into your office for the first time,"That elicited a chuckle from him, he places a hand on his chest dramatically. "My bad, pardon me." He says between chuckle.I laugh, the both of us."Is everything okay though?" I ask as soon as our laugh quiets down, my eyes pinned on him. "You're just coming in, that's unlike you," I add.He lea
(Bella)I walk Derrick to the door, he steps out, turning to face me. "Don't overthink anything, one step at a time, you'll get through this," he gives me a comforting hug."Thank you, Rick. My regards to Ebony," I manage a small smile.As I shut the door, I lean against it, trying to steel my mind from everything.Once done, I made my way to Jasmine's room, quietly pushing her door open. There she is, already asleep, her small frame curled up under the covers, alongside her doll.I walk up close, and when I take a closer look at her face, I see the remnants of dried tears that crisscross her cheeks, leaving behind a subtle map.My heart aches as I carefully caressed her cheeks, my mind reminiscing over what happened earlier.I shouldn't have lost it in front of them like that but Dean he– he just have a way of getting under my skin.I gently brushed a strand of hair away from Jas's face, a small smile creeping up my face.After a while, I quietly walk to the door and carefully closed
(Bella)As I walk away from where Dean is, my steps are firm but there's a tight feeling in my chest, I'm not really sure why.I walk into my apartment and silence filled the room, a subtle reminder that I've got kids who are undoubtedly mad at me, I shouldn't have lost it in front of them like that.I see Anne walking into the living room. "They're mad at me, aren't they?" I ask, dropping my bag on the couch.Anne noticing the worry in my voice, nods slowly. "Yes, they are, but I already cheered Jasmine up, she isn't crying anymore," she tells me.I let out a deep sigh, slipping out of my heels. "Thank you, Anne. Please get the things in the car," I say, settling into the couch.She gives a polite nod and leaves.As I sit there, my mind drifts back to Dean, my thoughts a chaotic mess and for some weird reasons his hurt face is stuck in my head, refusing to go.I angrily told him that I don't love him anymore, that's not exactly true but I want it to be, for my sanity, because it just
(Dean)Her words hit me like a punch to the guts, and I struggled to find the right response. "I can't, I— I just can't stay away," I admit, my words stumbles out in a stutter. "Please don't shut me out, I'm sorry, I really am." My voice cracks, barely above a whisper.I look at Bella and she has this look, eyebrows all scrunched up. "I don't care, sorry doesn't fix anything," she spat, her voice trembling with both anger and hurt."I know, it doesn't erase the past," my voice cuts in sharply. "But moving forward I want to be the man you once knew, the man you fell in love with, a better man for you, our kids." I say and paused. "I do not want to be that man who runs away from problems anymore," I say, my voice filled with raw emotion.She takes a step forward, her eyes narrowing on me. "How thoughtful!" She mocked. "I should probably pin a medal on you or something," she spat, her voice dripping with sarcasm.Even in the midst of sarcasm, I can see the hurt buried beneath her words.
(Bella)"Mommy when's mister Dean coming again?" Jasmine asks between mouthfuls.I blink, taken aback by the sudden question but quickly I compose myself, knowing exactly how to dodge this. "You don't talk while eating sweety," I remind her with a gentle tone.Thankfully, that worked, she just nods and continues eating.I don't know how to feel about this whole thing, it's been a whirlwind. I'm angry, scared and even confused, all emotions in one, but anger is at the top of it.I've been restless since Dean showed up at my doorstep. Now Jav and Jas sees him as their new friend, they'd definitely want him around and then what?I just can't let him waltz back into our lives like nothing happened. And I definitely do not trust him, not anymore, his mother has already tried his crap on me.Jasmine's voice pulls me out of my reverie. "Mommy?" She calls, dragging my attention to her. She opens her mouth a little wider and I catch the hint. "See? I'm done eating mommy," she gives me a smile.
(Dean)As I drove home, I can't help but replay everything in my head.The pain I saw in Bella's eyes as she shut the door in my face, the way she looked at me, it's stuck in my head, like an imprint refusing to go.The deafening silence after she shut the door, it just feels like she's shutting me out of her life completely.Why did I ever let her go?That feeling when something's within reach but yet out of grasp.I feel even worse knowing I have a family I'm not part of, it leaves me feeling so empty.I don't know if there's anything I say or do that'd change anything but I do know that I'm never giving up on her, my family.I take a deep breath, my mind spirals.Ethan was right. I didn't handle things well, I should've fought for what we had. I shouldn't have let anger get the better part of me.If l hadn't, we'd still be together, raising our kids like we've always wanted.I deeply regret everything.I grip the steering, beating myself up mentally.The fear and the guilt of what