Page 43 of The Regrettable Mistake

“Yeah, Sis. Ollie’s the one who put it all out there to get everyone off your back. He also told them they’re free to keep the cameras on him, because he deserves the ridicule and shaming, since he was the one who did wrong by you. He told them in no uncertain terms that you and Den are off fucking limits, though. He also called out the school board and they’re now under investigation for the wrongful termination of a pregnant woman. So, he helped the case Hutch was building against them for you.”

“That’s all well and good, but his actions are the reason all of this was necessary in the first place.”

“Truer words were never spoken. I just wanted you to understand that you aren’t stupid. Ollie might have started things with you for the wrong reasons, but you weren’t dumb. He was. Your husband was an idiot for thinking that he wouldn’t fall for someone as perfect as my sister.”

“Thanks for saying that.”

“You don’t get to thank me for speaking the truth.”

Mom brought out a tall glass of water for me. “Drink. You don’t have an IV anymore. You need to stay hydrated.”

“Thanks, Mom.” I’d forgotten what it was like to be taken care of. My thoughts trailed off to the last time I felt pampered by anyone.

It had been a couple weeks before my husband stopped touching me. I’d had a crappy day at work. A parent yelled and screamed at me for daring to suggest that their child might need extra help to be successful in school. The woman’s husband had to pull her away before she hit me. She had done that in front of her children. I felt horrible for them and after the couple finally left, the principal had come in and told me the student was removed from my classroom. As if I had done something wrong.

Four months earlier

When I got home that day, I’d made dinner and helped Denmark with his homework. Then, I’d retreated to the bedroom and sat at the chair by the window and stared outside as I reflected on if I could have handled it any better. There didn’t seem to be a better way, though. No parent wanted to hear that their child struggled, but to behave the way she did in the face of it meant that child probably wouldn’t get the help they needed to do well. It made me incredibly sad to think that there was nothing I could do.

“What’s going on Steph?” I glanced toward our bedroom door to find Ollie standing there. “You okay?”

“It’s been a bad day and I needed a minute to reflect and think about things.”

“Anything I can help with?”

I shook my head and went back to staring out the window. In a way, it felt like a huge failure on my part, even though I couldn’t see another way that would have made things better. Ollie moved past me into our ensuite and started to run a bath. All of it was noise on the periphery of my thoughts.

“Come on, Precious. Let’s get you naked and in the tub to relax. Then, I’ll go down and get you a drink.”

“What?” I finally snapped back to reality. “You ran me a bath?”

Ollie grinned down at me as he held a hand out. I took it and he pulled me from the chair before he immediately whipped the shirt I was wearing up and over my head. “You need to relax, not wallow in whatever happened today. I guarantee, whatever it was, it’s not your fault even if you are sitting here beating yourself up for it.”

I tipped my head to the side and sighed. “It might not have been my fault, but maybe there was a better way to-”

His finger came down on top of my lips as my husband shook his head. “Nope. What happened is already in the past. You need to let it go and leave it where it is. I know you, Steph. If there is a gentle way to do something, that is what you try first. Always. You are the sweetest,” He planted a kiss on my temple as he said that. “Kindest.” Another kiss to the middle of my forehead. “Caring.” My husband dropped a third kiss to my other temple as he reached down and unbuttoned my pants. “Most loving person I know.” He kissed the tip of my nose then.

“You can’t convince me that whatever happened today landed anywhere near your shoulders, because there’s no way it was your burden to bear.” He leaned down and tapped my left calf. “Up.” I obeyed his order and raised my foot in the air. Ollie immediately removed my shoe and sock and then slid my pant leg down until it was free. He gently placed my foot back on the ground and kissed my belly. “Up.” His order was again immediately obeyed.

After everything was removed, I stood in front of him in just my bra and panties. “Into the bathroom now, sweet Steph. It’s time to go relax.”

“You’re not going to finish undressing me?” I asked in a teasing tone.

He shook his head, but the grin on his face didn’t match the denial. “If I do that, you won’t be relaxing. We’ll be doing different things. Energetic things.” He winked at me. “I’m going to get your drink. Then, I’m going to keep Den busy until bedtime. You are going to think of all the ways I can make your boneless-self feel even better once he’s asleep later. What you aren’t going to do is dwell on the things that can’t be changed.”

Ollie held true to his word that night. After my relaxing bath, long after Den had gone to bed, he had given me a few more reasons to turn all the thoughts in my head off. His words still haunted me though. It was almost like he knew they’d apply to him one day. “What you aren’t going to do is dwell on the things that can’t be changed.”

“Do you really think Jia will end up in prison for what she’s done?” I asked Steve.

“Yeah, Sis. It’s looking like it. I don’t want you on the internet, but I will tell you that there are a lot of people coming out of the woodwork now. The wife of the producer who she was blowing in her car before the accident is one of them. Apparently, he is facing hit and run charges and a few others as well because he didn’t come forward.”

“If she was blowing him, how is the accident her fault?”

“She was performing a sex act on the person driving. His happy ending caused the wreck.”

“Oh. I guess that makes them both responsible.”

“It does.” He grinned at me. “The wife of the producer is now telling her side of the story and how Jia is the home wrecking whore she accused you of being.” Steve winked at me.

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