A Change of Heart

Chapter 3: The Divorce

Barry's POV:
Suffering. Ever since I was 11, it's been a constant part of my life when I kept getting bullied and my mom's murder. But even now as the Flash, I still have to go through that every single day and regardless of my speed, I haven't been able to save everyone I'm supposed to and now all I could think about was whether or not I'm fast enough to save Joe. Release comes with kaboom. Even after it was a few seconds when Ragdoll said those words, they still had the same weight and burden on my shoulders just as much as saving lives does.

"Barry," Cecile said with a clear worry on her face like her whole world was about to shatter.

"I have to try." WHOOSH!!! Time was ticking here and as I ran across the many roads along with the twists and turns of the city, my heart was pounding faster than it ever had before, sweat began to drip from my forehead, and my lightning trail kept fizzing out. I didn't know if I could hold on anymore; it was just impossible but it's what I'm supposed to do. As soon as I got there and collapsed on my knees, to my surprise, the chair where Joe was sitting turned out to be empty.

"I should go into Wistec," he said with a concerned look on his face. As much as he didn't want to stop fighting to bring Carver to justice, he'd come to the realization that this was for his own good. Sending him away to Witness Protection ended up being harder than I'd like to admit since I fought back the urge to take him back and keep him here with us as Cecile cried in my arms, but deep down, I was relieved that at least another life was saved today. Ring!!! Ring!!

"Sorry Cecile, but Star Labs needs me for something. Singh can take you home." Upon entering the familiar abode of Star Labs, two familiar faces greeted me in the cortex, but I must've been on something to actually believe their heys and hellos were friendly.

"Look, Barry", as she winced in pain due to her recent Sunshine wound, "I couldn't keep what happened last night between us any longer. I had to tell her since she deserves to know."

"Uhhh... What exactly happened last night between us?" crossing my arms. "I know things have been quite painful for you ever since the Sunshine accident and especially today when you had a cold fever."

"How did you.."

"Ralph caught me up with the details after I saved Joe. But are you really sure that I did something or it's just your wound that's making you hallucinate??"

"YOU CHEATED ON ME BARRY!!!! After everything we've been through, having a daughter, our first dates, the kiss by the waterfront!!?" Iris hollered. "I can't believe that you would just give up on us like that!!"

"Look, I swear Iris!!!" with a bewildered expression on my face. "I don't recall doing anything of the sort to you. You're my home Iris."

"You want proof?? Here it is." Pulling out her phone, I saw to my surprise footage of Caitlin and I kissing in her apartment. But was that really me?? For all I know it could've been a shape-shifter or a Martian or anybody that did that!! Why was it my life that they had to ruin?? However, I found myself attempting to hide a smirk forming in my lips upon watching this like they had a horny mind of its own.

"While this happened last night, I saw a white camera perched on my doorstep for some reason" Caitlin shrugged. "I don't even know what or why it was there but it was. Luckily, I managed to extrapolate the footage from it before this secret could go on any longer."

"YOU ALWAYS KEEP DOING THIS!!!! Whenever you make decisions the rest of us have to deal with the fallout. Flashpoint, going into the Speed Force sending our daughter Nora back to the future, and now this?? I can't do this anymore Barry. This," as she quickly pulled the ring off her finger, "is over. As soon as this discussion is over, I want you to leave and never come back to our loft ever again, you hear me??" The sound of her footsteps banging against the smooth floor will always continue to haunt me. Yet another person I care about leaving me and as she trailed away, I realized that there was nothing I could do about this, about us.
"Cait. Look, the guy who kissed you in the loft that night, it wasn't me. We've seen other examples of impostors before right?? Everyman, Thawne, and who knows how many more???"

"I really do wanna believe you Barry. After everything that we've been through together, I do know when you're lying versus telling the truth. But that person really did seem like you as if he wasn't posing as someone else."

"Then why can't you???"

"Because I've been lied to before!!! By Thawne, Hunter," sobbing. "And maybe, just maybe, it's time to accept that even my family would end up betraying me like this."

"What's so different about me then??!!! Why would it make a difference if I did this you compared to everyone else that tricked you?"

"You wouldn't understand." she sighed. For some reason, I felt my heart break into pieces when she left compared to Iris. It's as if deep down, maybe she was more special to me than I'd like to admit. This feeling of abandonment and being forgotten about was already infecting me as it plagued my mind with pessimism. Even after Savitar died, it's like he still had the last laugh since now I was all alone once more.