Learning to Live, Again

Chapter Thirty

Corbin

I sit in the waiting room of the small clinic, the smell of disinfectant and hand-sanitizer just as strong as a hospital's. My girls, my beautiful little girls, Madeline and Rowan lean back in their twin-seat stroller. I put sunglasses on them both, and I haven't taken them off yet, so they look like they're leaned back in a low-rider "chillin'". It makes me smile, even with the situation I'm in right now.

I'm waiting to hear back from the test results. I was so nervous bringing the girls in here; not because I was worried about my enemy-made-wife finding out, but because I thought they'd have to stick the girls with needles, and they're so little. I didn't want them to feel any kind of pain; even the small prick of a needle. 

Madeline moved her arms and smiled the most. Even though she was the smallest with medical problems, she seemed to happiest. Honestly, both girls were pretty great for twins. They hardly ever cried, they smiled at me all the time, and their laughs were music to my ears. They were darling to me, and no matter what these results end up being, I will love these girls forever. They will always be my girls, and I will adopt them before I let Addaline take them from me.

The doctor, Dr. Belle, comes into the room. The frown on his face tells me what the results are before he opens his mouth. "The DNA doesn't match," he says, setting his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, son."

I slowly nod my head, my chest too tight for words. Addaline cheated. She cheated, and she tricked me into marrying her. I married the wrong person, and I left the wrong person to wake up alone in bed.. 

I hated her.

I hated her with a burning passion, and I wanted to know why she would do this to me. How dare she? I shook my head, standing up with my fists clenched. I wasn't the father of my little girls, but I bet I knew who was...

~~~~~

When I got home, to my anger, there was a truck parked in the driveway. It wasn't a truck any of my friends owned. I was seething, my hands gripping the steering wheel. I didn't know what I was going to do. I had the girls. I couldn't run in there and beat their cheating mother's lover to a pulp with them around.

A knock at the window made me jump. When I turned, it was Michelle. She lived next door and often babysat for us. She was eighteen as of two weeks ago, and has often made passes at me. I've been faithful to Addaline, and now Michelle has a boyfriend; stupid me.

I roll down the window. "Hey Corbin," she says with a smile. "How are you? You seem a little pensive."

I smiled a little, shrugging. "Tired, I guess. How long has that been in the driveway," I ask, nodding towards the truck.

She frowns. "Since you left this morning. Some guy got out, and he looked pretty big." Michelle wouldn't meet my eyes. She was holding something back.

"What?" She bites her lip, looking up at me. "Michelle, it's okay. I can handle it."

She slowly nods. "Well... they kissed at the door," she says, practically whispering. "He picked her up, and they went in."

"And?"

She sighs. "She's been doing this every time you've left since Rowan and Madeline were born." Her eyes are guilty as she looks at me before she looks at her hands. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, but she made me promise. She said bad things would happen to me, and to the girls, and-" Her soft brown eyes look at me. "And- and you."

I nod. "It's alright, Michelle. Can you- uh- can you take the girls to your house, please? I don't know what's going to happen, but I don't want them in the middle of it."

She nods. "Of course. Whatever you need.."

I help her grab the girls' car seats, and I watch as she walks across the street to her house. I wait until they're all three safely inside before heading towards my own house. 

I slowly open the door, listening intently. By the sounds coming from our bedroom, and the trail of clothes on the ground, I know what they're doing. My hands turn into fists, and I grit my teeth. I may not love Addaline, but it still hurts and pisses me off that she- who is suppose to be my significant lover and love me- is off doing thing bullshit. My kids aren't even my own because of her. That asshole in our room that's making her scream like that is probably him.

Why she married me when they obviously still want each other, I will never know, and I don't care. When we divorce, they aren't taking the girls from me. I will fight with all my power to keep those girls. 

And the new babies? They're obviously not mine either. I know if they go with Addaline, they'll probably have a worse life than the girls are getting from her, but they're not my children, and they're not my responsibility.....

I shake my head, leaning against the wall to try and calm myself. I couldn't do that to those children. They're not mine, but they're Madeline and Rowan's siblings. They deserve to know their siblings, and they deserve to be treated like the Queens Madeline and Rowan will be treated as.

I straighten up from the wall, my anger coming back to me in full force. I stomp down the hall, not worrying about being quiet. Addaline is screaming so much, and for an instant, my pride is hurt that she never sounded like that for me. I know it's dumb, but to a guy, how he makes his woman react during sex defines how he sees himself, and right now, besides the anger, I was feeling pretty shitty.

I get to the door, and before I can stop myself, I slam the door open. Addaline shrieks, pulling her blanket up to her chest, face paling. 

"C-Corbin! I didn't know you were going to be home. Listen, it's not what it look like! We were-"

"Bullshit," I yell at her. "I wasn't born yesterday, Addaline." My voice is low and angry as I glare at her frightened face. "I have been here for you, given up things for you. I've done so much for you, and this is how you repay me? Making me think this asshole's children were mine, and getting pregnant by him again?"

She shakes her head, sobbing. "No Corbin. They're yours. The girls and the new babies are yours!"

"Shut up! I took them to the clinic today! They're not mine by blood, and you're no longer my wife! We're getting a divorce. I'm kicking you out, you'll never come near me again, and you'll never see the girls again."

Addaline stands up. "You can't do that! They're mine! You said do yourself, they're not even yours!"

"They are mine! I love those girls like they were my own! I have been the one raising them, while you've been sleeping around and abusing them."

"I'm their mother! They need a mother in their life!"

"I've watched a dog give birth; that doesn't make it a mother. As for them needing a mother, you're right, they need a mother, and they will have one."

Finally, the man in the bed speaks up. He laughs, and when I look over at him, my anger boils over. He hurt Niamh, he took my wife, and now he's laughing at me. "You think that little bitch Niamh will want you after what you've done," Jeremy sneers. "You're even more of an idiot then I thought." I clench my fists harder, trying not to hit him. "Niamh doesn't want you. Niamh doesn't need you. Hell, Niamh doesn't even like you." I clench my jaw. "You know, she told me she liked me better than you. She liked the way I fucked her. She said you were weak. Instead of taking charge, you made her do all the work."

"Shut up," I growl. 

Jeremy grins. "Oh? Did I hit a nerve? You know what else she told me? She liked when I used her and forced her, over and over again; made her feel good."

"Shut up! You kidnapped her didn't you!"

He laughs. "No, but I got to play with her while she was there. We took turns, by the way. All of us got a go at 'your Niamh'. Matter of fact, we have no idea who's baby she's pregnant with."

I couldn't stop myself. I walked up to him, and before he could react, I hit him. The last thing I remember was Addaline's scream.