BAD WIFE

Chapter {1}

*tap tap tap." She knocks lightly.

He looks up at her surprised, but not a good kind of surprise. If she could guess what he was thinking it would be; what the hell are you doing here? He gets up from his leather reclining office chair and opens the door for her.

"Is everything okay?" The first thing he notices is that she lost weight; too much."

"Everything is fine."

He shuts the door behind her and clears his throat. "Sit." He gestures to one of the two chairs across his desk then sits.

She lowers herself onto a seat and takes her bag off her shoulder. She didn't look up but with her peripheral vision, she could see he leaned his chair all the way back, folded his legs, and studied her.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Clair?"

She bites her lips. Where did she start? It was annoying how nervous she suddenly became.

"Clair." He calls her attention from the ground. "If everything is fine, then what are you doing here?" And after months and months of her ignoring and avoiding him, she was vulnerable and sitting in front of him.

"I like what you have done with the place." She acknowledges the light changes he's made. Like new photos of the children. She picks up a frame from on top of the desk. It was a picture of all four children seeming to be at some kind of farm. Looked recent. She sets the picture back down and finally meets his eyes. His serious gaze was as sharp as razors. "Umm... I don't know how else to say this....nervously she plays with her fingers. "I miss you...and... I want you to come home."

His serious glare didn't falter. He didn't even blink. The only thing that moved was his Adam's apple when he swallowed.

"With some conditions, if you choose to accept them." She adds. Like never repeating his mistakes.

When it went too long with him silent, she pleaded. "Say something."

His expression stays fixed but he suddenly stands and begins pulling down the glass window shades.

She expected a smile, a surprised expression, but he seemed upset, mad even. She honestly thought he would be happy on some level. Didn't he want his family back? "What's wrong?"

Like he was hot or wanted to jump out of his clothes, he takes off his blazer and puts it neatly on the back of his chair. He loses his tie and unbuttons the first few buttons of his shirt. "Clarissa." He breaths out and pinches the bridge of his nose.

Oh no... he was calling her by her full name. Why? What did she do? What was so upsetting about wanting him back? "What?" She whispers  "Is Regina still in your life?"

"Clarissa." He drops himself back into his seat and lets out a breath. He puts his elbows onto the desk and steeples his fingers together. This was how he acted when he was stressed or backed into a corner.

"Jacob, I know I wasn't perfect..."

"Stop." He shows her his palm. "I don't want to hurt you anymore."

Her head tilts. "What do you mean?"

He blinks up and slowly releases a breath. "The truth is I never cheated on you. I lied. I didn't mean to. I was drunk and it just happened and I went with it."

"You went with it?" Her brows joined.

He nods. It was easier to let you believe I'm a piece of shit. I..." he hesitates. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I've birthed four of your children. I can handle it. Just tell me." She didn't really know if she could handle it, but she would have to.

He shuts his eyes. With everything in his being, he didn't want to ever say these words to her.
"I'm not in love with you anymore." He opens his eyes.

Her mouth gapes open. Her cheeks turned pale with shock. It was as clear as day she was hurt.

He clenches his fists and clenches his jaw. He hated causing her pain. "I'm sorry." He knew that he was doing the right thing by telling her the truth but it was torment.

Her heart literally stopped. Tears, tears were building up, waiting to pour out, only she kept trying to hold back. She has to get out of there before the Hoover dam bursts out of her. She had so many feelings screaming. Sadness, shame, hurt, and guilt. She should have known.

"With you always being distant and distracted, it happened without me realizing."

"Stop please." This was too hard.

"I never cheated on you." He declares.

"I've seen pictures." She admits.

"I don't know what pictures you're talking about, but I stand by that. Look, if you admit it to yourself, Clarissa, you fell out of love with me too... first probably. You just haven't admitted to yourself yet. And it's okay. Maybe we rushed things and maybe we forced things."

As he talks, she stands up and throws her bag over her shoulder. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, her knees were weak to the point where she might fall, but she had to get out of there. "I have to go." She turns and walks her wobbles legs straight for the door.

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