Page 21 of The Homewrecker's Fate

“They told us that people at your work are treating Miss Aviva very badly because of the bad things you did. Why don’t they treat you bad instead of her? You’re the one who lied to everyone!” Rich’s son started off speaking quietly and ended what he had to say in an angry yell.

“This is adult stuff, and doesn’t concern you,” Rich tried to reason with him.

Gavin, pointed at his mother and then me. “They’re both pregnant. I have two new siblings coming.”

The kid had a point. Everything that Rich had done, lying to me, his family, getting me pregnant, cheating and causing the issues that may have led to his wife’s pregnancy… It all fell on him, and it all affected his two children, possibly soon to be three or four children.

“This is a tough enough situation for the adults to understand, but the children aren’t stupid. They heard your coworkers talking at that ‘welcome to the office’ party. They have overheard our conversations. They needed to be told something because like it or not, Rich, you got another woman pregnant. They’re going to have an extra sibling in the mix as a result. You might not like the question your son asked, but it deserves an answer because I don’t want him to grow to think he can do horrible things to people and that it’s okay to make the victims of his actions pay for his mistakes. Which is what we tried to explain to the kids earlier when they both tried to treat Aviva awfully.”

“They did what?” Rich stepped back, stunned by his wife’s revelations.

“What did you think they would do? They see her as the reason you don’t live with them anymore. We explained that your poor decisions are the reason because I won’t have them blame Aviva when you weren’t honest with her.”

Rich’s shoulders slumped and he turned to his son and kneeled down. “I’m sorry, son. Your mom is right. Sometimes, I forget that you’re old enough to understand more things. I did…” Rich took a long breath and then continued. “I made some mistakes and didn’t tell the truth. Sometimes, being an adult is complicated.”

“We were taught not to lie already. What’s so complicated about that?” His son asked and I had to dip my head down so he wouldn’t see me smile as I tried to hold back my laughter. ‘Out of the mouths of babes,’ as they say.

“Okay, yeah, you’re right. I screwed up. I did some bad things and I forgot that you and your sister need to hear me apologize for that, too. I didn’t mean to hurt you guys or our family.”

“Then why did you?”

“The truth is that sometimes we meet people and before you know it, they’ve attached themselves to you. They get under your skin. That happened when I started working with Avi. She’s a wonderful lady, super smart, and has a great sense of humor. I shouldn’t have fallen for her, even though she is all those things, because I already gave my heart to your mom. It was wrong of me and I shouldn’t have lied to Avi and made her think that I was free to love her. My heart wanted…”

His son sighed as a tear dripped down his face. “Do you still love my mom? Or did you hate her because you had Aviva?”

“I will always love your mom because she is your mom. I fell in love with Aviva when I wasn’t supposed to, though.”

“That’s different?” His son asked.

I turned to look at Mel who couldn’t look away from the scene in front of her, but I could see the devastation on her face because what her husband just admitted to, what her son was asking, it was too much for her to have to stand there and listen to. I moved closer, not sure if it was the right thing to do, considering I was the source of this heartbreak. Luckily, she welcomed my arm around her and none too soon, because I felt her knees weaken and moved us slowly backward until we were close enough to seat Mel on a stool.

“You can love someone and not be in love with them, yes.” Rich answered his son, even though his shoulders stiffened as he heard us moving around behind him.

“What if Aviva doesn’t love you back now that you lied to her?”

Rich sighed heavily. “That is the price I am paying for doing everything wrong, son. Now, neither your mom or Aviva are in love with me because they’re too hurt by the lies that I told them. That’s why we always taught you guys not to lie, especially when it’s important.”

His son nodded his head. “I think I fell out of love with you, too.” His son turned and ran to his room then. Mel went to stand to go after him, but Brax put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head.

“I’ve got him. Stay and deal with this, or just kick his ass out before he causes more damage.”

Braxton took off after Gavin and ignored Rich as he skirted around the man. Rich watched him go and turned around to face the women he’d screwed over. It had to be weird to see his girlfriend holding his wife together after the damage he’d just inflicted with his truth bombs. Part of me wanted to feel bad for him because it had to be the most painful thing in the world to hear your child tell you that they aren’t in love with you anymore. We all knew what he meant by that. He no longer respected his dad, maybe even hated him a little bit. Even if it was only temporary, it still stung.

“Every time I think I can’t make things any worse, I do,” Rich lamented.

“Why did you bother coming back for us, and ghosting Aviva, if she was the one you wanted to choose?” Mel finally asked.

“The kids. I didn’t want to hurt the kids. I love you, Mel. I always will, but we were in a rough spot long before Avi even came into the picture.”

“So, she wasn’t the first?” Mel asked.

Rich shook his head. “She was the only person I ever cheated on you with.” He hesitated a moment to collect his thoughts before he continued. “Mel, every time I came home, and was with you, that was when it felt like I was cheating.”

“You son of a bitch!” Mel whispered.

“You need to go,” I told Rich.

“Aviva,” the wounded way he said my name did nothing but disgust me.

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