Chapter 9
“No… no, Peter, it’s not what you think. I came to take you home…” Andrea stuttered.
“Home?” I let out a cold laugh. “What home?”
“Andrea, don’t forget–we’re already divorced. The papers are signed and stamped. There’s no ‘home‘ left between us.”
Her face went pale in an instant.
“No… that’s not true! I never wanted a divorce! You tricked me into signing it!”
Hearing her excuses, I snickered.
“Andrea, do you hear yourself? How could I possibly trick a grown woman into signing divorce papers? How did I make you agree to process them with the civil office?”
“If your memory is foggy, let me remind you–it’s because you were too busy cooking for your little lover. Too busy sweet–talking him to notice what you were signing.”
Tears welled up in Andrea’s eyes. “Yes, I admit it, Peter. I was blinded by the temptation–I made a mistake…”
She stepped toward me carefully, reaching out as if to take my hand.
But before she could touch me, Helena slapped her hard across the face, sending her crashing to the floor.
“Andrea, I haven’t even begun to settle the score with you–and now you have the nerve to show up uninvited?”
“Perfect. We’ll settle all the old and new debts today.”
She raised her hand again and landed another slap.
“If you couldn’t love him properly, if you couldn’t stay faithful, why provoke him in the first place? Do you know how many women would’ve given anything to marry him?”
Again. Another slap. Helena didn’t hold back.
I knew she wasn’t just angry–she was heartbroken for me. Furious at what I’d endured. “Andrea, you’re fucking shameless,” she shouted.
“You locked your own husband in the basement for another man. You even hit him. I despise you! If I had known this would happen, I would’ve crashed your wedding seven years ago and taken Peter away myself!”
Andrea had been lying on the floor motionless. But those words made her bloodshot.
“Take him? You think you can?” she spat.
snap. Her eyes turned
“Let me tell you something–Peter loves me. He’s only marrying you out of spite. It won’t last. I will win him back. And when I do, don’t come crying!”
Helena roared back, “You think you’re worthy of even saying his name? I love him more than you ever could. And I will never give you that chance!”
Seeing my woman this upset because of someone who no longer mattered–how could I stay. silent?
1/2 77.3%
3:43 am
DD
I stepped forward and gently helped Helena to her feet. Then I took a wet wipe and carefully cleaned the part of her hand that had touched Andrea.
After that, I looked down at Andrea’s pitiful, disheveled form on the floor.
“Andrea, what right do you have to talk about love?”
“Do you know what it felt like–seeing you and Harvey in that hospital room for the first time? thought I was going insane.”
“But I still forced myself to smile, to act mature and forgiving. I swallowed every ounce of rage and humiliation.”
“And right then, I made a promise to myself: I’d only forgive you once. Just once. The next time saw you with him–I stopped loving you.”
Tears finally broke through her eyes. She dropped to her knees.
“Peter, I know I messed up. I really did. I betrayed our love, and I hurt you…”
“I’m here to say I’m sorry. Please… come home with me. Let’s start over. Let’s go back to who we were in college…”
“I swear, I’ve already ended things with Harvey. Even that child… I’ve taken care of it.”
“I promise–nothing and no one will ever come between us again. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness, but please–just give me a chance to make it right.”
She clung to the hem of my pants, kneeling, begging with trembling hands and tear–soaked eyes.
