𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐅𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐑

~𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝓌𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓎-𝒻𝒾𝓋𝑒~

KOHEN

Tara and I walked inside after being at the beach. She felt a little better, and we even fell asleep for a while. It was dark now, and I was just glad she seemed to be getting better.

As soon as we stepped inside and walked down the hallway, we found Kristina sitting on the couch with her head in her hands. As soon as I saw her face, I could tell she's been crying.

I also noticed an empty bottle of alcohol. She's been drinking.

"How could you do this?" She said while approaching Tara in tears.

Tara glanced at me, but I gave her a little head shake to say nothing. I've learned that talking before knowing why the person is upset will get you into more trouble.

"Kris, what's going on?" I ask while stepping in front of Tara.

Kristina frowns and grabs some papers, and hand them to me. I looked at her confused and then began to read what's on the printed papers.

Shit. Tara's book.

I hand the papers to Tara, and her eyes widen in shock once she reads it.

"You went through my laptop?!" Tara yells. "Why the hell were you even in my room!"

"I was looking for you, and I noticed your laptop on the floor. Why the hell are you writing about my husband?!" Kristina yells back.

"You had no right!" Tara shouts and throws the papers at her feet.

"No, right? You're writing about my husband. I'm not stupid. The character fits him perfectly!" Kristina says, picking up the papers and throwing them at Tara. "I read everything you wrote!"

I know Tara didn't print anything yet, so I know Kristina must have printed them in my study.

"Enough Kris." I say to her firmly.

"Why aren't you upset about this?!" Kristina yells at me. "The writing.. the things she says, it's... it's disgusting!"

"Kris, she's a writer. It's fiction." I say, trying to calm her down.

"I don't want to fucking hear it!" She yells at me and then turns to Tara. "I want her out of this house."

"Bullshit. I'm not leaving." Tara answeres angrily.

"I don't want you here anymore! God!" Kristina shouted. "And you wondered why I fucking left. You're so... difficult! And stubborn and hard-headed."

I can tell that hurt Tara because she went silent. Her face no longer expressed anger... just hurt.

"I was a kid." Tara said, choking up on tears.

"Not a good one," Kristina replies

"Tara." I say softly, but she runs upstairs in tears.

I take a deep breath out, trying to keep my anger at bay.

"I want her out." Kristina says to me with her arms folded once she hears Tara's door slammed shut.

"No." I mumble.

"What?" She asked, stunned.

"I said no. She's not leaving." I answer.

I don't bother looking at her. She's drunk. She gets mad when she's drunk.

"Kohen. She wrote about you and her.... having sex!" She yelled.

"I don't care." I answered, but that only seemed to anger her.

"I'm your wife!"

"And she's your daughter. Are you really about to abandon her again?" I say snarkily.

"I can't.. this is unforgivable." She says while pacing around the room.

"And abandoning a five year old isn't?" I ask. "You lied to me for eleven years, and the only reason you were honest was because a social worker showed up with your sixteen year old daughter that you seemingly forgot to mention."

"I was young. I wasn't ready to be a mother." She says while tearing up.

"What's your excuse now?" I ask sarcastically.

I can tell she's upset. Furious, in fact.

"It's either me... or her." She says.

I chuckle and make my way towards the staircase. "I hope you remember this when you wake up with a hangover in a motel room tomorrow because I choose her."

Her jaw drops, but I don't stick around to hear anything else. I just make my way up to Tara's bedroom.

When I met Kristina, she was an amazing woman. She seemed like she would make a good wife. She told me about her ex-husband, Tara's father, that he was abusive and that he constantly beat her.

When I asked her if she had any kids with him, she said that she had a miscarriage after he beat her once night when he came home drunk and she had to make her way to the hospital all alone.

So imagine my surprise when a sixteen year old and a social worker shows up on your doorstep and figuring out your wife lied to you. I didn't leave Kristina because I figured I could help Tara, plus I was to focused in my own company to have the time for divorce. I didn't want to find someone new either. I just wanted to work and live my life.

I've grown to love Tara, and seeing her in pain makes me sick, knowing that Kristina just up and left her. I don't know what's going to happen. Maybe Kristina will come to her senses. Maybe she won't.

I open Tara's door to find her sobbing and laying down on her bed. I close the door behind me and lock it.

"Tara." I mumble, but she keeps sobbing into her pillow

I get into bed next to her and wrap my arms around her waist from behind. Tara turns her body to face me and cries into my shirt for the second time today. I'm not going to defend Kristina. She was wrong.

"I'm sorry." Tara says up, choking up on tears.

"Shh, it's okay." I whisper while holding her. "It's not your fault."

I just hold her as she cries. I really contemplated telling Kristina about the affair as a fuck you but I'm not going to do that to Tara. If she chooses to tell her mother, I'll stand by here. Because in the end...

I choose her.

~☆~