Betrayal

Chapter 51

Warren

Rebecca is standing on the sidewalk as I park. Wyatt gets out of the car before I can say a word to him. He's ignored me all weekend and walks past Rebecca, up the stairs, and into the house. I sigh and get out.

Ella is much more welcoming to me. I kneel down and hug her tightly, kiss her hair, and tell her I love her.

"Are you gonna come in, dad?"

"No, sweetheart. I've got to go home."

She frowns.

"Are you going to see Ali?"

I clear my throat and shake my head. We've talked about it a little. She's had a lot of questions. I've done my best to answer them as good as I can, but have told her not to speak to anyone about what happened. I don't know if she will or not.

"No. I just have to get home, sweetheart."

She hesitates to hug me again, then runs to Rebecca. She hugs her and kisses her and sends her into the house. As she approaches me, I tense up. I've spent the last two days seething in anger at her for telling Ali about my indiscretions. It wasn't something I planned to tell her about and I don't think it was her place. I didn't think it mattered.

I was wrong. And now Ali doesn't believe that I love her. It makes me sick. This entire thing has made me sick.

"Did they have a good weekend?"

"Yes," I mutter. "I found a lawyer. He'll be in touch with your lawyer tomorrow."

She nods.

"Good."

I walk away and go back to my car.

"Have you talked to her?"

I pause as I open the door. I haven't spoken to her. She won't take my calls or answer my texts. I wanted to go to her apartment, but since I've had my children I couldn't. That's where I'm going now.

"Because I did."

I look back at her quickly.

"What? What did you say to her? I think you said more than enough on Friday."

She shakes her head and crosses her arms over her chest.

"I told her she should go get tested for STD's," she says quietly. "The same way I did after you left. Despite everything... I can't help but feel sorry for her."

I scoff. Anger boils up from deep within my stomach.

"You're talking to her? After all that shit... all the threats, you're speaking with her now? Telling her to go get checked like I've given her some disease? You're a fucking bitch, you know that?"

"And you're a man whore, Warren. Let me tell you something. Being a bitch is all I've got right now," she whispers. "I turn you into an asshole. You turn me into a cold, mean bitch."

I stare at her closely. This woman I loved so dearly and so deeply, the mother of my children... I feel almost nothing for her.

"As soon as you left you just stuck your dick in a bunch of other women. How do you think that made me feel to hear that? That was worse than finding out about the apartment. Was our love life so bad? Did I really make you so miserable?"

"Oh, here we go again," I mutter. "It wasn't you. I fell in love with someone else."

"You don't love her. If you did you wouldn't have done that. I don't think you know how to love another person. You take and you take and you ruin people. First me, then her. Who's next? Some other young girl who doesn't know anything about herself and is ready to give it all to you?"