CRIMINAL BOUND

CHAPTER 35

Camilla opened her eyes the next morning to find her dad by her door, a glass of champagne in his hand, a cigarette between his lips, just waiting for her to wake up. She immediately turned the other way and covered her head with her covers. Bruce put the drink on her dressing table, walked over to her bed and pulled it down... It was a bit of a struggle though. She had a tight grip.

"What!" She gave up. "And isn't it a bit too early for a drink? And I thought you quit smoking." She sat up. "You know for a doctor, you set a really bad example. But again, as a husband too, and a father." She just had to go there.

Bruce dropped his cigarette in his champagne glass. "Yeah, maybe I'm not the best husband, but calling me a bad father? Really Cammie? Name one time I failed you as a father." She really offended him. Even Camilla noticed it.

"By cheating on my mother." She said sternly.

Bruce rubbed his hand down his face. "Did you ever, for a second, consider why I did it?"

"With my best friend? Dad! For how long has this been going on? Is that why you kept helping her climb up since medical school? Her pharmacy, why you called her here?" She had so many questions.

"Is this what's bothering you? The fact that it's Macy I cheated with?" He stood up.

"No! Dad all of this is wrong. And she's twenty years younger than you!" No matter what she said, it kept coming back to her. "Does mom know?" She asked in a low, concerned tone. Bruce shook his head. "You need to tell her."

"Are you kidding me? She got her arrested just for you having a drug from her pharmacy. What do you think she'll do when she finds out she's now all up on her husband?" He had a point.

"Okay, first of all, never say that... Again." She cringed. "And two, you should have thought about that before you let her get 'all up on you'." She sighed. "Either you tell her, or I will."

"I just need time." He tried to make her understand.

"There is never a right time to tell these kinds of news." She disagreed.

"Came on, honey... For all the times I've had your back against your mother, this is all I ask in return."

"You can't compare those situations with this, dad. It was just silly rebellion. You've actually messed up." No matter how tough she tried to act, she still felt bad for him. She got out of bed and was about to head out, leaving her dad sitting on his bed when something he said froze her.

"We separated." Bruce sighed.

"What?" She still wasn't sure what he meant, but her heart feared.

"Your mom and I... We separated years ago. That's why I moved here. And never come home." He always hoped this day will never come.

"What?" She turned around to face him.

"This hospital... I can run it from home. It was just an excuse to keep you from knowing the truth. And also to keep her status clean. But honestly..." He shook his head.

"What!" This really hit Camilla hard. She took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry baby." He reached out to her.

"Don't touch me." She took a step back. "Why?"

"We just weren't... Compatible. I love her, but we're not good together." He paused. "We weren't happy, Cammy. And if we would have stayed together, we would have damaged you. We couldn't let you see us fight. Be mean to each other, no kid ever wants to see that. But apart, we saved you a lot of pain."

"No, you saved you a lot of pain." She pointed to his heart.

"You were happier thinking we were okay. Otherwise you'd have been so negative." There was no convincing her. "You may not get it now, but some day you will."

"There is no excuse for lying to me."

"We didn't lie... Just... Hid the truth from you." That came out wrong.

"And now, most of my childhood has been a lie." She raised her hands. "So thank you, father. I feel so 'positive'." Sarcasm filled her voice as she left the room. Bruce groaned, sinking his face in his palms.

***

Camilla took one of the cars and rode off towards the outskirts of the city. She stopped off the road near a bridge somewhere. There were trees and the river bank had beautiful green grass. It was peaceful, and that's what she needed. She wished to run from her life. Be someone else for a change. Take a break. But it wasn't possible.

She retracted the convertible top to feel the breeze and see the cloudy sky get darker. She hadn't realized for how long she had been there, cars passing, some even thought her car had broken down, and offered to help her. One of them called a tow truck. But as the hours moved, the road got less busy, and eventually, cars stopped passing.

It was dark, but no moon in the sky. Not a single star shone. Just thick, heavy darkness hovering closely above her. Slowly, droplets started pouring down. Getting more and more... Louder and louder. Colder and colder. Just like the chaos in her life. And drowning in those thoughts... The painful memories all day, it did a number on her.

Camilla screamed. She screamed until her lungs hurt. She hit her steering wheel, even hooting as she strained her vocal chords. The rain got heavier at some point she could barely hear herself. And that's how her life felt. She was drowning. Her voice swallowed. Nothing was okay. And she couldn't afford to be weak.

After she was sure she had gotten everything off her chest, she turned her car around and headed home. Ready to face her messed up world again. She decided she wouldn't get involved. She won't be the one to cause her mother sorrow. This was between her parents. They're adults, clearly they can sort this out. They made her believe she had a perfect family for years, this was probably nothing to them.

She got home, parked her car outside the garage, put the key in the glass bowl right next to the main door, took her shoes off then began walking upstairs, leaving a trail of water wherever she stepped. She got to her room, soaked herself in the bathtub full of warm, foamy water to relax a bit. She then got out as the water was getting cold, dried her hair, put on warm, cotton pyjamas and headed downstairs to make herself some hot chocolate.

She was halfway down when the doorbell rang. Strange at that hour. But who could it be? Macy maybe? She did not want to see her, so she ignored it. Bruce came from the study to answer it, and he was surprised by who he saw.

"I want a divorce."

Hit above 400 reads, thank you so muuuuuch! It's been a busy week, so I haven't updated much. But I promise, more are coming. Please vote, comment and share.
Sweet LOVE;)