in the event you’d been successful in killing her? Did you really think you’d erase her from my heart?”
She turned away from me, walking toward the living room across the foyer, causing me to follow behind her, unwilling to leave until I had her confession. Emily may not press charges, but I certainly was not going to let her get away with hurting the woman I loved.
“What would you have me say?” she finally stated blankly, almost sounding defeated. She gingerly strutted to the corner bar, grabbing a bottle of gin and pouring herself a glass.
“What would I have you say? Is that all you can say for yourself? You went as far as to physically attack the woman I love, and you ask me what I would have you say?”
“Yes, Jules, I did it. But don’t lecture me about the evil of my deeds, when you lay on a sea of evil all on your own. Taking over my father’s vineyard to force my hand at divorce, when you knew, very well, it is the only thing I hold dear to me. You threatened to destroy me. Me! The women who agreed to marry you. The one who remained on the sidelines while you paraded around, defiling our marriage? Don’t you dare cast stones when you live in a house filled with sin, Mr. Belmont!”
Her anger was apparent in the way she trembled as she spoke. I was left speechless. It was true that I wasn’t the model husband, but it was the terms we had agreed on. It was our arrangement. Never did I think she would require more than what I had offered. Apparently, I had been wrong.
She moved to the leather couch, which made a squeaking sound as she sat down, her glass of gin held close to her.
“Did you ever once stop to consider me? All those years... Attending these events, hand in hand, appeasing our contract. Had the thought never crossed your mind?” she asked, as she looked up at me with the tiniest voice.
She looked so small at the moment, like a little girl who’d prayed for the chance that her school crush would take notice in her, and was now, deflated when he’d passed her up for something he thought was better.
I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help but feel remorseful at that moment. I knew what she wanted to hear, but I couldn’t offer her that. Had I thought about Charlette in a romantic sense? No... Had I, in the past, considered bedding her? Of course.
I released a breath and brought my hand to the back of my neck.
Deciding that I could only tell her the truth, I responded, “I don’t know how to answer that, Charlette. We had an agreement. I was ok with that. Had I considered us in a sensual setting? Yes. But, at the time, that was all I wanted. It wasn’t until I had met Em...”
“Spare me the name of your whore...” she responded, cutting me off. “Sorry,” she added, when I tensed up. “I appreciate your honesty. She wins, I lose, Jules... You may have your divorce and I... I will be forever alone.” She finished before standing to her feet and walking toward the door, her glass of clear liquor still held firmly in her hand.
She opened it wide and waited for me to move toward it, but I was torn by conflicting emotions. I had never met this woman before tonight. She wasn’t the same controlling, overbearing woman I had come to know. She was bare at this moment, broken somewhat. I couldn’t help the pity I felt toward the pain she endured and the realization that Charlette and I were not much different.
Both of us fell in love with someone who’d chosen to walk away from us. Both of us would have done anything to be with the one we loved. Looking back, had I been in Charlette’s shoes, I couldn’t say I wouldn’t have tried everything in my power to win Emily, and I had... Except attempted murder , I reminded myself. But that only showed how much she was willing to lose to gain love.
Cursing myself internally, I slowly strode toward her and stood before her defeated form. I would never be able to give her the love that she wanted from me. My heart was closed to
She turned away from me, walking toward the living room across the foyer, causing me to follow behind her, unwilling to leave until I had her confession. Emily may not press charges, but I certainly was not going to let her get away with hurting the woman I loved.
“What would you have me say?” she finally stated blankly, almost sounding defeated. She gingerly strutted to the corner bar, grabbing a bottle of gin and pouring herself a glass.
“What would I have you say? Is that all you can say for yourself? You went as far as to physically attack the woman I love, and you ask me what I would have you say?”
“Yes, Jules, I did it. But don’t lecture me about the evil of my deeds, when you lay on a sea of evil all on your own. Taking over my father’s vineyard to force my hand at divorce, when you knew, very well, it is the only thing I hold dear to me. You threatened to destroy me. Me! The women who agreed to marry you. The one who remained on the sidelines while you paraded around, defiling our marriage? Don’t you dare cast stones when you live in a house filled with sin, Mr. Belmont!”
Her anger was apparent in the way she trembled as she spoke. I was left speechless. It was true that I wasn’t the model husband, but it was the terms we had agreed on. It was our arrangement. Never did I think she would require more than what I had offered. Apparently, I had been wrong.
She moved to the leather couch, which made a squeaking sound as she sat down, her glass of gin held close to her.
“Did you ever once stop to consider me? All those years... Attending these events, hand in hand, appeasing our contract. Had the thought never crossed your mind?” she asked, as she looked up at me with the tiniest voice.
She looked so small at the moment, like a little girl who’d prayed for the chance that her school crush would take notice in her, and was now, deflated when he’d passed her up for something he thought was better.
I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t help but feel remorseful at that moment. I knew what she wanted to hear, but I couldn’t offer her that. Had I thought about Charlette in a romantic sense? No... Had I, in the past, considered bedding her? Of course.
I released a breath and brought my hand to the back of my neck.
Deciding that I could only tell her the truth, I responded, “I don’t know how to answer that, Charlette. We had an agreement. I was ok with that. Had I considered us in a sensual setting? Yes. But, at the time, that was all I wanted. It wasn’t until I had met Em...”
“Spare me the name of your whore...” she responded, cutting me off. “Sorry,” she added, when I tensed up. “I appreciate your honesty. She wins, I lose, Jules... You may have your divorce and I... I will be forever alone.” She finished before standing to her feet and walking toward the door, her glass of clear liquor still held firmly in her hand.
She opened it wide and waited for me to move toward it, but I was torn by conflicting emotions. I had never met this woman before tonight. She wasn’t the same controlling, overbearing woman I had come to know. She was bare at this moment, broken somewhat. I couldn’t help the pity I felt toward the pain she endured and the realization that Charlette and I were not much different.
Both of us fell in love with someone who’d chosen to walk away from us. Both of us would have done anything to be with the one we loved. Looking back, had I been in Charlette’s shoes, I couldn’t say I wouldn’t have tried everything in my power to win Emily, and I had... Except attempted murder , I reminded myself. But that only showed how much she was willing to lose to gain love.
Cursing myself internally, I slowly strode toward her and stood before her defeated form. I would never be able to give her the love that she wanted from me. My heart was closed to
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