absolutely ballistic,” she forewarned.
She began to gesture wildly with her hands, and then she tried to calm herself by taking a deep breath. Thankfully, Susan was still listening, even though she stared at Bree, disbelieving. Bree’s voice began shaking with emotion as she struggled to continue. “You’re going to take him back to your apartment, and then you’re going to walk over to the bar to get him a drink. A vodka on the rocks,” she elaborated, her gaze shifting to Susan.
“His favorite drink,” Susan whispered, her olive eyes beginning to widen with shock.
“I know,” Bree continued, her voice scarcely a whisper. “Before even mentioning the pregnancy, you brought up the subject of him leaving his wife, and he started getting angry. He told you his marriage was none of your business.”
“Bryan has told me that. Several times.”
“He shattered his vodka glass and then got up to leave. Then you told me you couldn’t seem to stop yourself; without even meaning to, you blurted out that you were pregnant.” Bree met Susan’s troubled expression. Continuing, she murmured, “He’s going to demand you get an abortion.”
Her voice shook as she struggled to continue. “And from personal experience, I can tell you for a fact if you refuse, he will purposely cause you to have a miscarriage.” She folded her arms around her stomach in a defensive gesture. “That’s what happened to me.” She dropped her voice even softer, to the point where Susan was straining to hear her next statement. “Bryan Sexton caused me to have three miscarriages in the five years we were married.”
“He wouldn’t do that! He would never do anything like that!” Susan insisted.
Bree nodded, a lump lodged in her throat as she looked at her sister-in-law. The next part of her story would be even more painful for Susan to hear, but she knew in her heart she was doing the right thing. Swallowing nervously, she fought to find the appropriate words.
When Bree spoke again, her voice was almost a whisper. Susan had to strain her ears to hear what she was saying. Bree looked at her, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
“He was terrified you were going to tell his wife. You see, he was losing control, and Bryan Sexton hates to lose control. When we were married, he controlled where I went, who my friends were, what I did, and even what I wore. I wasn’t even allowed to look at the drivers of other cars on the highway because he was convinced if I met their eyes that I was flirting with them. He had his affairs; in fact, he had several of them.” After taking a deep breath, she continued, “Bryan opened the front door, and you thought he was simply going to leave, and maybe he was, but then he changed his mind. He began shouting at you, calling you some really ugly names, cursing you, ranting and raving like a lunatic.”
When Susan’s eyes widened in horror, and she placed one palm protectively over her abdomen, Bree’s watchful gaze followed the simple movement. “I should probably tell you the truth,” she confessed. “You’re not pregnant.”
The breath whooshed out of Susan. “Are you sure?” she questioned. At Bree’s simple nod, her emotions became conflicted. “Then what about Bryan? Does that mean I shouldn’t bother to say anything?”
“That’s up to you,” Bree answered. “He is going to hurt you. If not tonight, then another night. You have to decide for yourself what to do. I only want you to think about one thing,” she murmured with concern shining in her eyes. “What if you don’t confront him and continue this relationship, only to discover you’re pregnant later on?”
Susan started to shiver uncontrollably. Shivering again, she untied her shoelaces and removed her ice skates. She walked over to the lockers standing against one wall and opened her designated locker, removing a pair of tennis shoes. She slammed the door shut and then walked back over to where Bree was sitting.
She began to gesture wildly with her hands, and then she tried to calm herself by taking a deep breath. Thankfully, Susan was still listening, even though she stared at Bree, disbelieving. Bree’s voice began shaking with emotion as she struggled to continue. “You’re going to take him back to your apartment, and then you’re going to walk over to the bar to get him a drink. A vodka on the rocks,” she elaborated, her gaze shifting to Susan.
“His favorite drink,” Susan whispered, her olive eyes beginning to widen with shock.
“I know,” Bree continued, her voice scarcely a whisper. “Before even mentioning the pregnancy, you brought up the subject of him leaving his wife, and he started getting angry. He told you his marriage was none of your business.”
“Bryan has told me that. Several times.”
“He shattered his vodka glass and then got up to leave. Then you told me you couldn’t seem to stop yourself; without even meaning to, you blurted out that you were pregnant.” Bree met Susan’s troubled expression. Continuing, she murmured, “He’s going to demand you get an abortion.”
Her voice shook as she struggled to continue. “And from personal experience, I can tell you for a fact if you refuse, he will purposely cause you to have a miscarriage.” She folded her arms around her stomach in a defensive gesture. “That’s what happened to me.” She dropped her voice even softer, to the point where Susan was straining to hear her next statement. “Bryan Sexton caused me to have three miscarriages in the five years we were married.”
“He wouldn’t do that! He would never do anything like that!” Susan insisted.
Bree nodded, a lump lodged in her throat as she looked at her sister-in-law. The next part of her story would be even more painful for Susan to hear, but she knew in her heart she was doing the right thing. Swallowing nervously, she fought to find the appropriate words.
When Bree spoke again, her voice was almost a whisper. Susan had to strain her ears to hear what she was saying. Bree looked at her, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
“He was terrified you were going to tell his wife. You see, he was losing control, and Bryan Sexton hates to lose control. When we were married, he controlled where I went, who my friends were, what I did, and even what I wore. I wasn’t even allowed to look at the drivers of other cars on the highway because he was convinced if I met their eyes that I was flirting with them. He had his affairs; in fact, he had several of them.” After taking a deep breath, she continued, “Bryan opened the front door, and you thought he was simply going to leave, and maybe he was, but then he changed his mind. He began shouting at you, calling you some really ugly names, cursing you, ranting and raving like a lunatic.”
When Susan’s eyes widened in horror, and she placed one palm protectively over her abdomen, Bree’s watchful gaze followed the simple movement. “I should probably tell you the truth,” she confessed. “You’re not pregnant.”
The breath whooshed out of Susan. “Are you sure?” she questioned. At Bree’s simple nod, her emotions became conflicted. “Then what about Bryan? Does that mean I shouldn’t bother to say anything?”
“That’s up to you,” Bree answered. “He is going to hurt you. If not tonight, then another night. You have to decide for yourself what to do. I only want you to think about one thing,” she murmured with concern shining in her eyes. “What if you don’t confront him and continue this relationship, only to discover you’re pregnant later on?”
Susan started to shiver uncontrollably. Shivering again, she untied her shoelaces and removed her ice skates. She walked over to the lockers standing against one wall and opened her designated locker, removing a pair of tennis shoes. She slammed the door shut and then walked back over to where Bree was sitting.
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