Page 18 of Falling for the Unexpected

“Simone,” Brad started the moment I walked into the living room.

He was fully dressed and seated but ceased speaking when I put my hand up to stop him from saying anything else. “No, don’t even start. You don’t get to say anything right now. It’s my turn to talk,” I said, livid.

He must have realized how serious and enraged I was, or I had shocked him by shutting him down, because he didn’t continue. Whatever he had to say, I didn’t want to hear it unless he was answering my questions.

“How long have you been using drugs?” That was the first question I needed an answer to. It made me sick to my stomach thinking of all the times he had been alone with Stella and could have potentially been high.

“Huh? What are you talking about?” he asked, trying to sound confused but I could tell he was just playing games.

I threw both my hands in the air, exasperated by his answer. “We are not doing this! You aren’t going to sit there and treat me like I’m an idiot. I want real answers.”

“It was just this one time, I swear,” he answered. I didn’t know if he was telling the truth, but I sure as hell hoped he was.

“How long have you been having sex with other people?” As soon as I looked into his eyes I knew it wasn’t the first time.

“Do you really need an answer to that?” he scoffed.

“Of course I need an answer!” I hissed. My nails dug into my palms as my hands fisted tighter. “I’m your wife. I deserve to know.”

He jumped up and started pacing the living room when he finally said, “Damn it, Simone, I never wanted this!”

I stood there waiting for him to elaborate. My anger had cooled but not my decision. This was me seeking closure.

“C’mon, it’s not like we got married because we wanted to. I felt pressured to do right by you and you were so preoccupied with your ridiculous idea of a perfect family,” he exclaimed. I could tell it was the drugs making him high-strung and, surprisingly, truthful. Any other time he would have deemed it beneath him to explain himself. “If you’d never gotten pregnant our relationship wouldn’t have gone past the occasional hookup. We definitely didn’t get married because we were in love and wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. Did you really think this was going to be some sort of happily ever after?”

“Get out,” I seethed. I wanted to yell at him but I didn’t want to wake Stella.

“Fine! I’ll leave tonight but you and Stella are going to need to find another place soon because this is my apartment,” he informed me callously. He headed to our bedroom without a backward glance. A few moments later, he came back out with a bag and left without a word or a look my way.

I sunk down onto the couch replaying what Brad had said. There was no denying the truth he’d spoken because he’d finally said the words I’d been thinking for weeks, and for once, we actually agreed on something. Two years ago, when he said we should get married, I knew it was because I was pregnant, not because he loved me. I wouldn’t be lying, though, if I said a part of me back then had hoped our marriage could grow into love and that we could be happy together. I had also naïvely thought that he’d honor our vows, but once a cheater, always a cheater. Lesson learned, and one I’d never forget.

The way he treated me proved what I had always known, that he didn’t care for or respect me—and never had. And while I was extremely angry with him, I was also angry with myself for tolerating his behavior for so long. I’d been living in a dream while Brad had always been living in reality.

I knew I needed a divorce; but I would need help navigating the process. And thankfully, I knew who to turn to for help.

*****

The next morning, I was barely functional having tossed and turned on the couch after Brad had left. I had no desire to sleep in our bed given what I had seen. I only slept about 2 hours total but Stella was ready to start her day so I was up.

I didn’t have to work today, which was good because I had a lot to figure out and only today to do it. I had no doubt Brad would make good on his word and force me and Stella to find another place to live soon.

After fixing a breakfast of scrambled eggs and toast, I decided a walk to the park would do both Stella and me some good. I had been so happy to move into this apartment when Brad and I decided to get married. It was in a nice neighborhood where I felt safe taking Stella outside. I was worried I was going to have to move back to a place like I had before.

I pushed those depressing thoughts aside and tried to be happy for Stella’s sake. She had no idea her life was about to be turned upside down. It was a beautiful spring day and I was going to enjoy the calm before the storm hit. There was a cool breeze and the trees and flowers were in full bloom. The sunshine and fresh air helped clear my head a little bit. I knew I had a lot of things to do and decisions to make, but I wanted to enjoy this small bit of time where I could play with my daughter and not think of anything else.

As soon as we returned to the apartment my anxiety levels shot back up. I didn’t know how long Brad was going to stay away and I wasn’t ready to face him. I started to think of the logistics of splitting our household. We each had our own bank accounts. He took care of the rent and utilities from his paycheck while I took care of anything Stella needed and groceries from mine. There was rarely anything left over so I didn’t have the funds to get my own place yet and I knew I’d get no help from Brad.

It was about ten when I put Stella down for a nap. I knew her days of taking two naps were coming to an end but I was grateful today for the chance to make a phone call I had never planned on making.

“Thompson Law Firm. This is Linda. How may I help you?” a sweet voice on the other end answered.

Trying to gather strength, I took a deep breath. “Um, yes, I was hoping to speak with Kyle O’Neill,” I replied.

“May I ask who is calling?”

I dreaded this question. I was taking a huge risk by calling my father-in-law’s law firm, but I was hopeful Kyle could help me. I wasn’t ready to tell any of Brad’s family that I was planning on divorcing him quite yet. I didn’t want to lose the only family I’d ever had, however, after last night it had become evident divorce was my only option. I could only cross my fingers that Kyle would be willing to keep my secret for now.

As a family law attorney, I knew he had experience in handling divorce cases. I’d heard Jim and Trent chat about the law firm enough times to know that Kyle was more than capable of handling this.