CHAPTER 5

       When Isabelle opened the door, Marie just held her breath. The woman in front of her was extremely pale. The smile that lit her face earlier had been replaced by a gruesome mask of pain. Isabelle’s eyes were red from all the crying and she was walking around like a ghost. The wedding dress was gone and her old clothes, the ones she used to wear before, were back in.

          Marie turned toward Chris and asked him in a low voice, to wait for her in the car. Her husband caressed her face and disappeared in a second, leaving the two of them alone in the house.

“Dear, could you tell me what happened? Where's Shawn?” Marie asked approaching her.

“To be honest, I’m not sure. But if I had to take a wild guess... I would say that he went to see his... lover.” Isabelle started laughing nervously. “After less than a day he was married to me, my husband left me to go and be with his ex. Shawn doesn’t want me, Marie, he wants her.”

          Saying those words caused her too much pain and Isabelle bend over. She put her hands on her knees trying to breathe, but every gasp hurt her even more. She felt the urge to throw up. ‘Damn champagne!’ she thought. Marie approached Isabelle trying to help her, but Isabelle stopped her.

“I’m fine, don’t worry. And I’m sure that tomorrow I’ll be even better.”

“Belle, will you explain to me what do you mean? You aren’t making sense…”

“Today I’ve discovered that Shawn doesn’t want me. Better yet, I have the proof... Someone sent me an envelope with some photos as a ‘wedding gift’, letting me know that the love of my life is cheating on me. This is how I found out that he really wants... Danielle and not me,” Isabelle whispered and began to cry desperately. “He... left me here... alone... and… went to be with her.”

          Marie hugged Isabelle and helped her sit down. She took a glass and poured some water asking her to drink a few sips and calm down.

“Sweetie, maybe it isn’t so…” Marie said softly, caressing her back.

“You should’ve seen his face… There was no doubt what the truth was,” Isabelle replied and wiping the tears from her eyes. “I can't go on acting like this, it’s not good for me.”

“Belle…”

“Well, in the end, he tried to make it right, after what he did…”

          Isabelle stopped her speech. She couldn’t tell Marie that she and Shawn had already been intimate... even more than once. She couldn’t know that she had been so stupid to fall into his trap… again.

“I mean, he gave me his name... So, I will offer him something in return: his freedom. When Shawn will ask me for a divorce, I will say yes. There will be no hair pulling or crying, I will go quietly.”

“But you should stay here... You have rights, you know? He is your husband and this is your home...”

“No, it’s not... And even if it was, why should I stay here? Shawn doesn’t really want to be with me. If he did, he wouldn’t have cheated on me with Danielle. He kept lying to me over and over again. Oh well, I can't ask him to love me if he doesn’t feel like it. He tried, but this is all he can give,” she said softly wiping her nose.

“Where do you want us to take you, Belle?”

“I really don’t know... I find myself homeless a lot these days. I have some savings, maybe I will find a motel that doesn’t cost too much...”

“Are you kidding me?! Listen, I understand the fact that you don’t want to stay here, but… a motel? This won’t happen! We have an apartment that we really don’t use much. What do you think about that?”

“I could stay there for a few days until I find a solution to my problem.”

          Marie didn’t know what else to say to her. She felt so helpless... And she wanted to kill her nephew.

"I’m so sorry, Belle," she said softly.

“Mhm... Yes, me too,” she answered smiling sadly. “But at least now I know the truth. I finally understand that Shawn had buried his heart together with Jennifer. That’s why he’s incapable of loving someone. He’s talking about love and he’s doing it so well, but he doesn’t know a thing about it. Shawn chose Danielle because she never asked him to love her, so Shawn doesn’t have to work too hard to be with her. He will have an open marriage with Danielle. She will have his money and Shawn will be able to live the same life he had lived before knowing me.”

“You know, his relationship with Jennifer had been very complicated,” Marie tried to excuse her nephew's unforgivable behavior.

"Even so, he went across the ocean to look for her and to bring her home,” she said in a wise tone. "A stubborn heart doesn’t care if love is reciprocated or not.”

“Belle, but you love Shawn...” Marie whispered.

“And I will love him forever,” Isabelle replied, nodding. “But apparently, this isn’t enough. I thought that love was the answer to everything. After tonight, I’m no longer so sure about that.”

          She embraced Marie and kissed her on the cheek.

“I want to thank you and Chris for all you have done for me during all these months. You are better than my real parents. I am not sure how I can ever repay you. And I’m sorry that all this is hurting you too.”

“Dearest, maybe you should stay here and wait for him… Shawn will go out of his mind if he’ll not find you here.”

“No, I’m done with this… I’m tired to fight all by myself for this love,” she said quietly. “I’m done talking to him. Today he humiliated me for the last time. And I’m quite sure that Shawn will be just fine once I’ll be out of the picture.” Isabelle shrugged. “Marie, I’ve prepared everything. Can we go now, please?”

          After Marie nodded, Isabelle looked once more into the bedroom that she was supposed to share with her husband... That night, everything fell apart. All her hopes, everything she had dreamed of doing with him, had vanished into thin air. She needed Shawn, she still wanted him, but she didn’t want what he was offering her. She too deserved more and maybe she will find it tomorrow, in a month, in a year.

          Shawn had filled her ears with sweet, but empty words and she had fallen right into his trap. It will be hard and painful as hell, but she will learn to live without him. She will do it for herself... She will learn to stand and fight.

          Isabelle heard a car parking outside and went slowly to the window. It wasn’t him. For a second, Isabelle had hoped that Shawn had come back, willing to try and mend things between them. Wishful thinking… His message was as clear as the daylight: ‘we’re done’.