10. Embarrassing

GIANNA

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When I knocked on the door to my parents’ place, Sheila opened it for me. She squealed when she saw me, wrapping me in a hug. I hugged her back immediately, feeling slightly better already.

After a while, she pulled away and stared at me. “You didn’t mention you’d be coming home today.”

I shrugged. “Well, here I am.”

“I’ve missed you so much.” Sheila and I were only two years apart so we grew up very close. She was bummed when I got married as soon as I graduated but it was nothing either of us could control. “Are you staying for a while?” She questioned, eyeing my bag that was flung over my shoulder.

“Until further notice,” I responded as we entered the house and Sheila closed the door behind us.

“What? Did you fight with Brandon?”

“Who fought with Brandon?” My mom asked, coming out from the kitchen. My mother was a housewife and since she married my father, she never worked for money. She merely focused on managing the house and looking after us. She thought that was the kind of life I was going to live too but I’d merely been a trophy wife for the past two years.

“Gianna fought with Brandon.” Sheila was quick to throw me under the bus.

“Well, she did lie about visiting us yesterday so I’m not surprised they fought. I’m surprised she ran away after that.”

“Mom!” I exclaimed. “I didn’t run away.”

“This is the first time you’re visiting with an overnight bag in two years, Gianna.”

She was kind of right but that didn’t mean I would acknowledge it. “I’m hungry.”

“You came just in time. I just finished preparing breakfast.”

Grateful that she accepted the subject change, I helped set up the table as she served the dishes. I hadn’t eaten anything in hours and I was starving, especially after expending my energy by arguing with Brandon.

I didn’t even know what we were fighting about. We had no reason to quarrel. We had mutually agreed to divorce. There was nothing to be sour about. At least, that was what I tried to tell myself.

I tried to convince myself that I didn’t care about him and Bailey anymore. They could continue fucking for all I cared. They could do whatever they liked as long as it didn’t stain my reputation. I didn’t know what I’d do after divorcing Brandon because I wasn’t working, but I knew that I wanted my reputation to be intact. In this world, reputation mattered a lot. I couldn’t let my cheating husband and his mistress ruin mine.

God, I even hated thinking about them.

“Gianna, why do you look so dissatisfied? Do you hate the food? Or has your tastebuds changed after being fed by million-dollar chefs?”

I couldn’t stop myself from laughing, grateful for the distraction from my failing marriage. “Don’t be so dramatic, mom. Your food is the best.” To emphasize my words, I took a spoonful and stuffed it in my mouth.

“That’s more like it.”

Sheila and I shared a glance, rolling our eyes in unison. My mother lived for compliments and was always fishing for them.

Breakfast took a while because Mom wanted to catch up on every aspect of my life. I was more than happy when she gave up and allowed me to go upstairs to my old bedroom.

Sheila didn’t give me time to settle down before she ambushed me. She locked my bedroom door behind her and sat on the bed. “What’s going on with you and Brandon? Did that evil witch do something?” She asked, referring to his younger sister, Bernice. “Why don’t you let me take care of her? She won’t bother you anymore.”

I chuckled. Sheila was a very scheming person so they would fit. “She won’t be bothering me anymore anyway.”

“What?” Her forehead creased in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“Brandon and I are getting divorced.”

“What!!???”

“Shhhh,” I placed my hand over her mouth, not wanting her to alert our mother.

“What do you mean?” She removed my hand from her mouth. “You’ve only been married for two years! I would ask if you guys fell out of love but you were never in love in the first place. Tell me, what did Brandon do?”

“How are you so sure he did something? What if I was the one who did something wrong?”

Sheila scoffed. “Be so for real right now. What did Brandon do?”

I sighed. There was no point in hiding it from her anymore. I didn’t plan on telling anyone when I first found out about it. It was embarrassing to let my family know that my husband slept with another woman and I was still staying with him, but now the papers had been signed and we just needed to go to court to finalize the divorce. Besides, they were going to find out anyway.

“You know Bailey, right?” I wrung my hands together awkwardly.

“Yes, she and Bernice are the evil twins.”

She was right about that. “Well, she’s pregnant for him.”

“No way.”

I nodded.

“That jerk!” She stood up instantly. “I’ll teach him a lesson about respecting his wife.” I pulled her back down on the bed but she wasn’t done. “He’s so stupid. Isn’t Bailey his supposed best friend? How would he feel if you slept with Tyler? What was he thinking?”

Sleeping with Tyler? Brandon would go feral. He didn’t even like me but he claimed ownership over me. He hated my friendship with Tyler but he couldn’t say anything because his relationship with Bailey was even worse.

“Why are men all the same? Do they think with their dicks instead of their brains?”

I wanted to point out that he was drunk but I enjoyed her bashing him. It made me feel better. Besides, saying that would make it sound like I was defending him.

Sheila opened her mouth to speak again but sudden incessant knocks on the door stopped her. “Gianna! Open the door!”

My mother’s voice sounded frantic, which was odd so Sheila rushed to open the door.

“Gianna.” My mother approached me. “What’s this?” She showed me the screen on her phone. “Brandon’s best friend is pregnant?” Everyone knew about Brandon’s relationship with his best friend and now, the phrase was starting to sound like mockery. “She isn’t married, is she?”

“She isn’t.”

“Then how come she doesn’t mind being photographed like this going to the doctor’s office with Brandon?” My mother was also very traditional and while she was focused on the fact that Bailey was announcing that she was a single mother, I was more focused on the fact that Brandon went with her. I knew he was a good man and was going to take responsibility but it still hurt me.

Subconsciously, I placed my hand on my stomach, wondering what would happen if I told him I was pregnant too.

I quickly shook the thought away and answered my mother’s question. “Because he’s the father of her child.”

“Who? Brandon?” She was in disbelief.

“Yes, Mom,” Sheila answered for me. “Brandon slept with her and got her pregnant.”

“Sweet Jesus.” She reeled back as though she had been hit. “This is unbelievable. Is that why you came back? This calls for a family meeting! I need to have a talk with Brandon’s parents about how they raised their son.”