8. The media

GIANNA

~•~

I couldn’t stop myself from scoffing. “What are these?”

“You don’t recognize the papers you gave me yesterday?”

My teeth automatically gritted at the attitude in his voice. What right did he have to speak to me in that tone? “What was with the drama yesterday about you not signing it? All I had to do was give you space for you to realize you actually want me out of your life?”

My voice was laced with pain and I didn’t even care if he could detect it. I had complained when he had put up a fight yesterday, but that didn’t mean I wanted him to give in so easily. Couldn’t he try to fight for our marriage? Did I mean that little to him?

I couldn’t deny that it stung realizing that he didn’t care about me as a wife. He just didn’t want to be the bad person which was why he resisted divorce and tried to apologize three weeks ago.

I had given him enough grace, hadn’t I? I stayed with him after learning that he slept with Bailey twice. Couldn’t he fight harder? Why was the pressure all on me to keep our marriage together when I wasn’t even in the wrong?

I could feel tears start to gather in my eyes so I closed them briefly and forced the tears back. I didn’t want to cry in front of him anymore.

Instead of answering, Jackson stood up, opened his phone, and showed the screen to me. I squinted my eyes to see that it was a picture of me entering the hotel where I met Bernice.

I looked up at him with a confused expression. “What are you showing me?”

I saw the outline of his tongue poking his cheek as he withdrew his hand, swiped something on his phone, and shoved it in my face again. This time, it was a picture of me… me and a man in bed together.

“What the fuck?” I snatched the phone from him. “Who sent you this? What is this?”

“Shouldn’t I be the one asking that question?”

My top was peeking out of the covers and it was the one I was currently wearing. I gasped. Was this yesterday? Was this Bernice’s doing? “I don’t know who that is!”

“But somehow you’re in bed with him and he’s kissing you.”

I reeled back at the accusation. To him, the evidence was clear that I was cheating on him, but I finally realized why I had a bad feeling all through my talk with Bernice. That bitch set me up on purpose. How the hell was I supposed to explain this? “I–“

He didn’t let me speak. “If you’re going to sleep with other men in a bid to get back at me, then divorce is the best option. It’s better for us to separate than to ruin our reputations with the way the media is watching us.”

I opened my mouth to speak but a bitter laugh left it instead. Was that all he cared about? How the media viewed us as a couple? “The media?” I echoed. “You didn’t think about the media when you were fucking your childhood best friend? How do you think the media will take it when they find out she has a child for you, huh?”

“G–“

“Don’t!” I stopped him before he could call me by my nickname. The nickname only he called me by. “You’re so fucking hypocritical! Do you believe I’ll make a cheap move like offering my body to a stranger just to get back at you? I’m not stupid! And even if I am, what position do you think you’re in to judge me for it, Brandon? You fucked your best friend.” He flinched at those words but I didn’t mind repeating it for him. “Your childhood best friend. The same one you told me not to worry about. The same one you told me I was overthinking about. The same one you and your sister told me not to be insecure about! That’s the same woman who’s pregnant for you! You have no right to judge me.”

“I’m not judging you.” He tried to be calm but his voice rose with every word. “But do you think we should keep sleeping with others to get back at each other? Would that help in any way? Aside from the fact that we would just be punishing ourselves and will never get back to the way we were, we would be embarrassing our parents too who worked hard to solidify their reputation.”

“Stop fucking speaking about their fucking reputations! I don’t want to hear it!” It was the stupid reputation that made us get married in the first place. It was because of their so-called reputation that I was in a loveless marriage for two years. Fuck that reputation.

Brandon took a step back and breathed in deeply, trying to calm himself down. I couldn’t even calm down if I tried. “There’s no point in us arguing. I’ve signed the papers you served. All we have to do is file them and we’ll be done with each other.”

I scoffed. Done with each other. He had no right to be done with me. I was done with him, not the other way around. He should get his facts right.

“I’m going to stay at my parent’s place for the day.” I didn’t even know why I was telling him about it but the asshole didn't appreciate it.

“Sure you are.” His tone suggested that he didn’t believe me and it irritated me.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“That’s what you said yesterday yet your parents saw no sign of you and were even worried when I called them.” His tone was accusing and even if I knew he wasn’t at fault for that, I hated the arrogance that accompanied his words. “You were out doing who knows what.”

“I’m not like you, Brandon.” I gritted out. “I’m not cheap enough to be seduced by the opposite sex and fall into bed with them.”

Brandon’s eyes blazed at my words but he couldn’t deny them. “Then how do you explain this picture?” He put his phone up in my face again.

I slapped it away. I didn’t want to see that picture. I couldn’t fathom the fact that his disgusting sister checked me into a room and brought a man in there while I was vulnerable. I didn’t want to accept that fact. “Ask your sister. I’m sure she knows all about it.”

After those words, I went upstairs to pack a bag. I hated that I had a screaming match with him so early in the morning. I doubted such stress was good for my baby. The baby. I wanted to tell him about the baby but after the attitude he displayed downstairs, I saw no reason to.

It was clear he wasn’t going to believe a word I said anyway so there was no need explaining. He wouldn’t believe it if I told him I was likely drugged and framed. Even I wouldn’t believe it if someone else told me. Speaking of drugs, I needed to make a quick stop at the hospital to be sure nothing harmed my baby.

I took a shower first because I didn’t bother to shower when I woke up in the hotel room. I was rushing to come home, not knowing I was going to get even more disrespected.

After showering, I got dressed and packed a bag. When I got downstairs, Brandon was still there.

“For your information,” I couldn’t hold myself back from speaking one last time. “I didn’t cheat on you and if your sister claims she knows nothing about yesterday, then she’s lying.”

With that, I walked out the door, not bothering to hear if he had a response or not.