A Falice Story

31. Pain is Only Temporary

Alice's POV

My heart pounds in my chest. I don't want to hear about FP and Penny's past, even though I already have a pretty good idea about what went on between them. 

FP looks over at me, his eyes full of regret. I shake my head slowly, trying to get him to change his mind about telling the kids what happened. 

"Penny was always after me--romantically." 

I look at the ground, trying not to start crying. Charles lets out a loud breath, nervous about what his father was about to admit. 

"I have never had feelings for her, okay? That needs to be known first and foremost," he pauses, trying to collect his thoughts. "I did some really shitty things back in the day. I needed her to get me out of a claim that I was stealing from Fred and Mr. Andrews' business. That's why Fred and I had our falling out."

"Shit, dad--I never knew about that," Jughead says sadly.

"Well, it's not something I'm proud of. Thankfully, Fred has forgiven me many times over. I still feel so guilty about it to this day--but he's a good friend and swears up and down it's in the past."

"Did you actually steal from them, FP?" Betty asks.

He looks at her for a few seconds and slowly nods his head, "Yeah. Unfortunately, the claim was true. Gladys was pregnant with JB and we were low on cash. I needed to do something and stupidly, I chose that."

"So how does Penny fit into all of this?" Charles questions.

"I needed her to take the wrap for me. I couldn't get sent to prison with a new baby on the way. So, I made Penny a little deal. I pretended that I was going to make her the Serpent Queen and ditch Gladys for her--if she admitted to the theft."

Everyone is silent and FP makes eye contact with me, not wanting to admit what comes next. 

"Penny also knew about--something else that happened around that same time."

"FP--" I warn.

"I'm sorry, Alice. They deserve to know the whole truth."

I feel the tears well up in my eyes, realizing there was nothing I could do to keep him from saying it.

"She knew that Alice and I had--hooked up a few times within that same year..."

I feel Betty's eye's fall on me. I can't look at her. I hear her let out the breath she was holding in. 

"Penny threatened to tell Gladys about it. I knew I couldn't lose her, especially not with a baby on the way, so I agreed to fulfill what she wanted--which was me."

FP's eyes have been on the ground for the last few minutes. He finally looks up at me and we stare at each other, full of regret and sadness.

"I let Penny take the wrap--and she went to jail. But I never got her out. I never made her my Serpent Queen and I sure as hell didn't ditch Gladys for her. So she's always her revenge."

"Mom--you cheated on Dad?" Betty finally says, so quietly I could barely hear her.

I nod slowly, blinking back tears, "I'm so sorry Betty--I--I just, you know I never really loved him. I was so desperate for FP, it just all of a sudden happened. I don't know what else to say..."

Betty sighs, "It's--it's in the past now. It happened and there's nothing you can do to change that. It's okay."

I'm surprised she's being so cool about all of this. I thought for sure she'd fly off the handle again, but she knows her father was a bad person, which I think helps soften the blow.