Broken by Teona Bell Page A

done, and I’m not supposed to get mad? What are you done with, Tony? Me getting pregnant, or just me? ”
    He hesitated, and her throat started to close.
    “Damn it, Ciera, I didn’t want to do this here, but you’re pushing me.” He glanced up and down the hall. They stood in it alone. Each of the line of doors on both sides of the passage was closed. Ciera had always liked the quiet of the small office building, but all of a sudden, she felt isolated. She dreaded what Tony was about to say.
    “We’ve been married five years, together for seven. I thought it was going to be different,” he admitted. “I mean look at you. You’re not even that feminine.”
    Her jaw dropped. Was he for real? “I’m the same woman you showed off for in the gym!”
    His gaze rose to her hair, and she couldn’t help reaching up to run her hand over the short, natural curls. They were rough and not as cute as she had hoped when she had the idea of cutting off the perm and letting her hair grow out the way she was born with. To celebrate her new style, she had also dyed it reddish brown. Briefly, she had wondered if the dye job was defeating the purpose, but she fell in love with her hair as soon as it was done. Apparently, Tony didn’t agree, but her hair had never been that long in the first place.
    “Your hair is short like a boy’s,” he said in a tone of disgust. “You’re always in jeans or sweats, and worst of all you let yourself go. I could understand the weight if you were pregnant, but we don’t even have that.”
    “So you think I’m too fat? It’s forty pounds, Tony. I can lose it, but this isn’t about my weight.”
    He ran a hand over his face. “No, it’s not. I’m tired of everything. All I wanted was a sexy wife and a baby. I can’t get that from you.”
    Pain ripped through her gut. He was always blunt. She had liked it back when it wasn’t carving her heart out with a dull spoon. “You’re a selfish ass, you know that, Tony? I was there with you, encouraging you when we thought it was your sperm count.”
    He shook his head as if he hadn’t heard a word she said. “And look at you. After what I said, a normal woman would be crying and begging me not to leave her.”
    “B-begging you?” He had no idea. “I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.”
    “I can’t do this with you, Ciera. You’re a cold bitch, and I realize why should I even try to have a kid with that kind of woman. There’s someone who—”
    “Someone? You mean you’ve been cheating while we were trying to have a baby?”
    “No, I’m not that kind of man. I would never sleep with another woman while I’m married. But I have been seeing her. I love her, and I want to be with her. We’ve even talked about starting a family right away after the divorce.”
    “You’re not cheating, but you already know you want to marry this woman and have talked about having kids with her?” Ciera’s voice rose with each word.
    “I was going to give it one last try with you. I still love you, Ciera, and I didn’t want to just abandon you.”
    “Fuck you!” She balled her fist up and punched him dead in the face. His head snapped back, and pain exploded in fingers. She cried out and squeezed her hand between her thighs.
    Tony cursed and spun away to storm down the hall.
    “Where are you going?” she shouted after him.
    “Away from you before I do something that will land me in jail. Find a way home, Ciera. Good-bye.”
    He disappeared at the end of the hall, and she heard the swish of the outside door closing. Devastation hit hard. She never thought she would end up here. Her parents had been married for fifty-five years and both of theirs were together until her maternal grandparents passed on within months of each other. She came from a stable, strong background. Why the hell was this happening?
    Tears started in her eyes and began their slow descent down her cheeks. The day had begun positive and with hope. In a few seconds,