Chapter Five.

Pearl's POV 

“Killing my babies isn't the only thing you do in your free time?” He spits in a venomous tone and I grip the hem of my shirt, holding myself from causing a scene.

“Killing what babies?” Paul retorts.

“I wasn't speaking to you, so shut your mouth!” My husband sneers at Paul.

“What the fuck?!” Paul springs up from his seat, “I'm her…,” I shoot Paul a warning glare, we can try to play this safe and see how far it goes.

“Paul, Please sit..” I plead desperately, I'm already having so much misunderstanding in my marriage, I can't risk letting Fabian know that I'm the daughter of the man he hates the most in this world.

“Yeah, Sit like the puppy that you are,” Fabian adds sarcastically, I signal My brother to not react.

Fabian slams his hand on the table, earning the attention of people around, “You did not answer my question, what are you doing here?” His gaze moves from my eyes to my body, “Who are you, Pearl? So you like going out and you never, not even once left the house with me? You're no longer the shy wife, huh? Or is it an exception for me?” 

His words sears through my mind, piercing my heart, I had my reasons.

I want to come clean, I tried to do it many times but I was scared of losing him.

“Today's your wife's birthday, Asshole,” My brother counters.

“You didn't tell me you've found my replacement?” 

Tears prick my eyes, “Fabian…” My breath hitches in my throat, “...you're misunderstanding things?” 

“Oh really? Indulge me,” Fabian draws a seat for himself, making us three on the table, one of his bulgy hands under his jaw and the other on the table, “Please explain the dress, the make-up, the expensive necklace, the pricey restaurant…you don't know how shocked I am, as if what I saw in the morning wasn't enough I have to see this, really Pearl? I may have lived with you for a long time but I swear to God I don't know you,” 

“You know me,” I cry out.

“No, I don't, I think I never did. The Pearl sitting here is not the Pearl I know, the Pearl I know won't want to come here on her birthday. She would rather cook and celebrate with her husband at home. What changed? Were you so ashamed of me? Did you even love me?” 

“Stop saying these words, I've been real with you,” I counter weakly through sobs.

Without looking at my brother I know he doesn't like this.

“You've not been real, you never liked public places,” 

“Yes, I don't,” 

“But we are here now, And you're all dressed up,” Paul asked me to dress well so I wouldn't be sent out of the restaurant, I did the makeup to conceal my real look just in case the Media or reporters were here by chance, but It's either Fabian has marked every hair on my skin or my make-up facade did little to hide my true look.

“Fabian, Can we talk about this at home, please,” I beg desperately.

“No, I want to talk here, tell me everything I don't know,” he said in an insistent tone, tears pooling in my eyes.

“Mr whatever the fuck she calls you, today is her birthday I'm sure you know that, and shame on you if you didn't remember your wife's birthday, you can save the interrogations for when you get home, you interrupted our dinner,” Paul states with an air of pride and confidence.

Fabian snaps his head at Paul and they exchange glare. They look like they are about to devour one another.

“If I remember correctly, I told you to shut up, or didn't I?” I grab Fabian's hands before he loses it.

“Fabian, Please, Let's leave here. I'll tell you everything when we get home,” He snatches his hand from my grip and springs up from the chair.

“So you can feed me more lies? As you lied about pushing my Mom, or the pills I found in our room as if that was not enough, you're seeing someone…you're cheating on me, I can't forgive that, that's more than I can take…,”

“Your wife is not cheating on you, Asshole,” Paul rises from his seat to interrupt Fabian, Fabian's fisted hand lands on my brother's jaw before I even notice his trying to harm my brother.

“Urgh,” Paul groans painfully and I rush out from my seat to check on him.

But before I reach my brother he returns the punch with great intensity and closeby customers rush them before they tear themselves apart.

The blood gushing out of my brother's nose catches my attention and I reach for my handkerchief to clean off the blood. “Sorry,” I tell him, I look over my shoulders after cleaning his face. My husband is wiping the blood gushing out of his nose himself.

I rush over to my husband to clean his face, “Don't,” he stops me, “You've picked sides, I've been stupid all these years, wasting my energy on a woman who doesn't give a shit about me, it's fine. I think I know the truth for myself now, Mom was right, we should get a Divorce, I can't be with someone that pretends to love me,” 

I want to protest, tell him I'm sorry, tell him the reason for my actions, tell him I don't want to Divorce, tell him that I'm not my father, but he walks away before any of it even leaves my mouth, leaving me heartbroken.

I turn to my brother who is already closing the distance between us, “Pearl, I don't care who you say that guy is to you, he doesn't look like a husband to me. He is a potential danger to you and I can't have you living with such a person, you will Divorce him, if you don't, I'll give Father your location and he will come and take you away from him, it's either you do it the easy way or you do it the hard way, But one thing is sure, you are leaving him whether you like it or not,” Paul straightens his rumpled dress shirt harshly and goes back to his seat, taking a large gulp of his wine.

My brother has never put me in such a situation. Fabian must have thrown him over his edge.

The chattering around me fades into the background, the two most important figures in my life have given me ultimatums, and I can't choose between them.

I don't want to leave Fabian, he has been there for me, for the hard times and struggling times, and there's my brother who has shown me nothing less than pure love all my life.

I feel like an internal war is brewing inside me.