He may not have accepted it, but at least realised he was destroying his relationship with Debbie, so tempered his words.
Brianna after several days of beseeching and pressuring made me go and visit my parents. She was right, and I knew it. I did need to speak to them, and it really needed to be face to face.
I refused her offer of going with me for support, I knew that wouldn't help. I knocked on the front door of my parents' house. When it opened and mum saw me, I saw her face drop, "What do you want Charlotte?" She snapped.
"Mum, I just want to talk, please, I need to explain things from my perspective."
She swung the door fully open and waved me in, "Hurry up then."
She almost bundled me in through the door in her haste to get it closed before anybody saw me. Once inside dad wandered out and he replicated mum's expression, he seemed sad, "Hello Charlotte, to what do we owe the pleasure?"
"Dad, I just want to clear the air, try and get rid of any misconceptions."
"Huh!" mum sneered, there are no misunderstandings here, you abandoned your daughter and your husband to run off with some disgusting floozy."
Waving her hand angrily she snapped, "You should be ashamed of yourself, you're nothing but a tramp, and a woman no less. Good heavens have you no morals at all?"
I came expecting these words, her reaction. It didn't make it any easier, my pre-prepared speech dried up in my mouth unspoken. Like a chastised girl I muttered, "Mother, you're right. I am embarrassed about what happened, but I did not abandon my family. John kicked me out."
"What did you expect, carrying on the way you did. He had every right."
I nodded sullenly, "Perhaps you're right, maybe I deserved it, but I didn't act maliciously, I didn't do it to hurt anyone. Brianna and I fell in love, I couldn't hide from it."
"Fell in love!" She ranted, "Good lord Charlotte, you're not some silly teenager, you're a grown woman, with a family."
With added insult she snapped, "Do you even understand what love is, that man gave you everything, he adored you. He was so hurt by all this, we feared for his sanity, we prayed he wouldn't do something silly."
Dad grabbed mum and cuddled her for support as she broke down. He gazed at me with confusion, but there was an underlying warmth. He and I had always had a closer relationship than me and mum, "Charlotte honey, can you at least tell us why?" He asked.
Sucking in deeply I sighed, "Dad, I'm trying. I can't explain it fully, all I can say is we love each other."
He nodded as he held mum tighter, "But John... what about him, why couldn't you try to sort things out? Marriage counselling."
"Because he wouldn't let me dad, he was angry, yes, I understand he had every right, but he wouldn't talk about it. He jumped in his car and disappeared for days. I didn't plan on leaving him."
"So you were just going to carry on some tawdry affair with the slut, were you?" Mum growled caustically.
"I don't know mum; I'm trying to explain. It all happened so quickly. I want to try and fix things, that's why I'm here."
Mum interrupted, "You want our forgiveness, do you?"
I nodded my head slowly, trying to smile before whispering, "Yes call it forgiveness if you want, I see it more as understanding. Brianna and I are a couple, we live together, and I want, no need you to accept that."
"What about John?" Mum asked, what are we supposed to do about him?"
"Love him, I am trying to, if he will let me. I want us to remain friends, for Debbie's sake if nothing else."
SEDUCED BY THE WOMAN NEXT DOOR CH. 10
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