BROKEN VOWS

Chapter Twenty Six : Decisions

Rainbow 's POV.

I slowly opened my eyes, taking in my surroundings as the fog of sleep began to clear. I was still in my nightgown, which meant that Ben hadn't come back home... or had he? Maybe he'd returned, and Hunter had decided not to wake me. My mind was a jumble of questions and worries as I sat up in bed.

I glanced at the clock on my nightstand, and my eyes widened in surprise. 9:00 AM? I'd overslept? That was a first. I guessed I'd been more exhausted than I'd thought. The stress and anxiety of the previous day had clearly taken a toll on me.

As I swung my legs over the side of the bed, I was greeted by the delicious smell of cooking wafting from the kitchen. My stomach growled in response, but as memories of the previous day's events came flooding back, the savory aroma was replaced by a bitter taste in my mouth. My appetite vanished, and I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. Where was Ben? And what was I going to do about him?

I rushed to put on my robe, my heart racing as I made my way to the doorway. The door alarm had gone off, and I'd heard Hunter exchange greetings with someone. But before I could even wonder who it was, I heard a familiar voice, one that made my heart skip a beat.

"I'm guessing you're the cousin I heard about?" my mother said, her voice was warm and gentle.

I froze, my mind reeling. What was she doing here? Chesterfield was hours away, and I hadn't told her anything...about everything.

Hunter's awkward laugh and the sound of him taking her luggage were distant background noises as my mother's eyes locked onto mine. She rushed towards me, her arms wide open.

"Oh Rainbow, my baby! Why didn't you tell me about the abuse and miscarriages?" she exclaimed, her voice cracking with emotion.

I felt like I'd been frozen in time, unable to speak or move. How did she know? I hadn't told her, hadn't told anyone. And yet, here she was, holding me and crying uncontrollably.

I was trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake up. My secrets were out, and I had no idea how to process it all.

I felt like I was living in a dream, a dream that was quickly turning into a nightmare. Mama's words hung in the air, echoing in my mind like a cruel joke. Benjamin had told her? But why? And how did he even...?

I shook my head, trying to clear the cobwebs. "Ben is in Chesterfield?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Mama's eyes locked onto mine, and she nodded slowly. "He was in Chesterfield, baby. We parted ways here at the airport."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut. The airport? That meant he'd left town, had flown out of here without even telling me. And in that rain? It was a miracle he'd made it out safely.

My mind was reeling, trying to process everything. Why had Ben gone to Chesterfield? And why had he told Mama everything? I thought back to our argument, to the things he'd said and the way he'd looked at me. Had he been feeling guilty? Was that why he'd gone to confess to Mama?

I looked up at Hunter, who was watching me with a concerned expression. I knew I had to talk to him, to try and make sense of everything. But for now, I just stood there, frozen in shock and confusion.

"Baby, your husband came to the house first thing this morning looking like he hadn't eaten or had a decent bath in weeks. You wouldn't believe how terrified I was, I thought something had happened to you. He told me everything from the beginning, Bow. From his childhood to last night."

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut, my breath knocked out of me. "His childhood?" I repeated, my voice shaking. "But he said he couldn't remember."

Mama's expression was somber, her eyes filled with a deep sadness. She gestured to the couch, her voice low and serious. "You might wanna sit down for this, baby."

I felt a sense of trepidation as I sat down, my eyes fixed on Mama's face. She took a deep breath, and then began to recount Ben's childhood experience. Her words were like a slow-moving train wreck, each one more horrifying than the last.

I listened, transfixed, my heart heavy with sorrow and my mind reeling with shock. I was afraid to blink, afraid to miss a single detail. The words spilled out of Mama's mouth like poison, painting a picture of a childhood marred by trauma and abuse.

I felt like I was trapped in a never-ending nightmare, one that I couldn't wake up from. The words Mama had spoken were like a cruel joke, a twisted tale of abuse and trauma that seemed too horrific to be real. And yet, I knew it was true. I could see the pain and sadness etched on Mama's face, and I could feel the weight of Ben's secrets bearing down on me.

As Mama finished speaking, I felt a dam break inside me. I sobbed silently, my body shaking with the force of my emotions. Mama wrapped her arms around me, holding me close as I cried on her shoulder. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but eventually, my sobs subsided, replaced by silent hiccups.

As I pulled back from Mama, I noticed that Hunter was no longer sitting in his usual spot. I assumed he must have slipped out quietly, giving us the space we needed. The room felt empty and quiet without him, but I was grateful for the solitude. I needed time to process everything, to try and make sense of the chaos that had erupted in my life.

I watched as Hunter walked back into the house, accompanied by three other people. Two of them were strangers to me, but the third was a familiar face - Aaron. I felt a wave of relief wash over me as I saw him, and I quickly stood up and walked towards them.

"Hello! Good morning, gentlemen. Good to see you, Aaron," I said, trying to sound calm and composed.

But Aaron's expression told me that something was off. He tried to smile, but it looked forced, and his eyes seemed to hold a deep concern.

"Ben sent me," he said, his voice low and serious.

I felt a shiver run down my spine as I processed his words. Ben had sent him? What did that mean? And why did Aaron look so somber?

I knew Aaron well enough to know that he wasn't one to sugarcoat things. If he looked this serious, it meant that whatever he had to say was not good. My heart began racing as I prepared myself for the worst.

I felt like I'd been punched in the gut when he spoke, my breath knocked out of me. Divorce papers? Ben was filing for divorce? Without even talking to me about it?

I looked at Aaron, my eyes searching for answers. "He wouldn't do something like this," I said, my voice shaking. "He couldn't, right? You're his best friend, Aaron. Can't you talk him out of this?"

Aaron's expression was somber, his eyes filled with sadness. "I tried talking him out of this, trust me," he said. "You know I would never let him do something like this. But as his lawyer, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do right now. He met with these two people before me, that's actually why I came. I'm not in charge of the case, Bow."

I felt a wave of anger wash over me. This was it? Ben was just going to file for divorce without even discussing it with me? Without even having the decency to face me?

I thought about everything we'd been through, all the struggles and the pain. And this was how it was going to end? With a set of divorce papers and a cowardly goodbye?

No, I didn't think so. I deserved better than that. I deserved to be treated with respect, with dignity. And I was going to make sure that Ben knew that.

Author's Note.

Hello everyone!

Here is a new chapter...more like an apology chapter for not publishing the book I said I would.

Anyways...I hope you're all well. I hope y'all had a wonderful day.  Yesterday I said I might publish a new book today, but I couldn't decide which one...more like I couldn't decide on which beginning to use for chapter one.

So let's hope tomorrow will bring new and fresh ideas.

Thank y'all and goodnight. 😘😘😘