I've Loved You Before

Chapter 38 - Slave to Love

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Tell her I'll be waiting

In the usual place

With the tired and weary

And there's no escape

To need a woman

You've got to know

How the strong get weak

And the rich get poor

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Roman tossed the newly delivered set of divorce papers onto his desk, and slammed his fist onto the court summons, before roaring, "Can you fucking believe this, Bo? She's trying to take my kids away now? A few weeks ago she was content with joint custody, and now she's taking me to court and demanding I get therapy?"

"Are you really that surprised?" Bo asked him. "After what happened in her office the other day? You can't seriously think she would let that go." He didn't add that it was something that John would not let go.

"That was an accident!" Roman cried. "I didn't intentionally hurt her! It's not like I pushed her!"

"I'm not so sure about that. I spoke with Marlena, Roman. Do you think she'd lie to me?" Bo stared at his older brother incredulously. "Whether you intentionally pushed her or you grabbed her and carelessly let go of her, the result is the same! You hurt her, and she feels there's potential to hurt the twins."

"I know what this is really about, and John Black is not their father! I am their father, and now he's trying to steal my children! She's trying to help him steal my children! That's what this is about!" Roman rammed his fist into the side of the filing cabinet with a loud clang of metal. "You think I don't know what's going on here?"

"You've hurt her before. You've grabbed her and left bruises. What happened in her office was just another example of you losing your cool and lashing out. Do I think you intentionally shoved her into her desk and pushed her to the ground? I'm not sure." Bo watched his older brother warily, before telling him, "You're not the same man you used to be. There's an edge to you, an anger that makes you act with malice. You're angry, and I'm not even sure if you still love Marlena... or if you want to punish her."

Roman stared at Bo for a moment, thinking about what he'd said. He loved his wife, but did he want to punish her? When he thought about the time he was gone and he thought about Marlena with John, thinking it was him, he did feel anger. He felt rage, not just at her, but towards his whole family - even Carrie. He thought about the twins, remembering times when they'd clashed. He could still feel Sami's small arm gripped tightly in his fist. Shoving the memory aside, he said, "I'm not going to hurt my own kids–"

" –you hurt Eric," Bo said, cutting him off. "Don't deny it."

"I never intentionally hurt Eric!" Roman looked away as he remembered that day. Guilt washed over him like a flood. It wasn't his fault. They hated him, and nothing he did could change that, because John and Marlena had poisoned them against him. None of what had happened that morning Eric was hurt had been his fault.

Bo walked towards Roman's office door, intending to leave. With his hand on the doorknob he turned back, and said softly, "Intentional or unintentional... are you denying it, Roman? Are you denying that Eric was hurt that day?"