Nick:
While scrolling the pictures and seeing what Tessa sent her, the angrier I grew, then I snapped, causing Brianna to jump. "I knew that bitch was up to no good!"
"I guess now I know why you brought home flowers," she sarcastically said. "You were feeling guilty. And now I know why. You were with her today. You weren't going to tell me, were you?"
"I was going to tell you. I even mentioned I had another talk with Tessa."
"You didn't say it was today," she retorted.
I held up her phone. "This isn't what it looks like. That fucking conniving bitch set me up. Jesus, Brianna. Some pictures she sent are old. Very old..."
Brianna angrily threw her arms into the air and walked away.
I rushed over to her and stepped in front of her, stopping her. "Get away from me," she snapped, pushing and walking around me.
"Damn it, Brianna. I'm serious! This isn't what it looks like!"
She walked back to me and snatched her phone out of my hand, and re-looked at what Tessa sent her. "Explain what all of these pictures are about, then! This one, you're talking to her outside of the hotel, standing awfully close to her. This one, you're holding hands in a restaurant. This one, the two of you are kissing inside the same place..."
"Stop. Just stop," I demanded. "Listen to me. It's not what it looks like. When I left the hotel to come home, Tessa was standing against my car. We talked for a couple of minutes, and then she asked that I meet her at the cafe so we could talk about the divorce, the papers, and such. At first, I said I couldn't because I needed to get back to you, then she begged me. With her persistence, I thought it was because she needed closure. So I finally agreed to meet her there."
"Go on," she insisted when I paused to take a breath. "Is that why you sent me a message saying you were running late?"
"Yes. I had a feeling it was a bad idea. But when I walked inside and saw the people inside, I figured it was a good thing and felt she couldn't do anything unusual there. I sat, we talked, she asked questions and questioned me about you. She wanted to know why I chose you and why I loved you—things like that. Of course, she claimed she loves me, gave me her famous crocodile tears, then she got weird and started saying things that made no sense. Then I got uncomfortable being around her and said I was leaving."
"She's holding your hands, and you're kissing her," she snapped.
I violently shook my head. "No, Brianna, it's an illusion. She tried holding my hands. I shook them off. She tried kissing me when I wanted to leave. I pushed her off and told her never to do that again. I kept telling her I was in love with you. She refused to hear it."
Brianna sadly looked away and sighed. "Why did you go meet with her? You know what she's capable of..."
"I told you. I thought Tessa needed closure. And when I talked with her. I gave her all the closure I thought she needed to hear to move on with her life. I had no idea she brought me there to set me up to try to break us up. And since we were in a public place with people around us, I thought it would be the safest and the right thing to do. I know the pictures look bad. But they're not. She had it all planned out with what she was going to do so she could send these to you. I'm telling you, that woman has seriously lost it."
Everything I was telling Brianna, I could see she didn't want to hear it, which was a bit upsetting and frustrating. I'm doing everything I can to satisfy her, to get it so that we can move on and so that we can get Tessa out of our lives. "Brianna, please don't be upset with me. I wasn't going to hide that I saw her."
"Why the flowers?"
I blew out air. This is where I know Brianna was going to get pissed. But I can't lie to her. "Because I felt guilty," I quietly said, and with disappointment in my voice, then added, "Either way, I would have bought you flowers because of my love for you and how happy I was today."
"Guilty..."
"The feeling guilty part was a reminder for me not to forget to buy you flowers," I truthfully added. "And if you want to know why I was feeling guilty. It was because Tessa's lips found mine. They may have only touched mine for a mere second, but it still had me feeling ill to my stomach, and it had me feeling guilty. But I had to try to talk her into signing the papers. And as I said earlier, I think I finally got through to her to sign them."
"I've heard enough. I'm going to lay down for a bit."
"Ah, come on, Bri," I pleaded. "I don't understand why you're so damn upset? Don't you see I'm trying to resolve the situation we're in so we can move on with our lives? I want Tessa and I to be officially over, and I felt by telling her what she needed to hear would push her over the edge to finally sign the damn papers and grant me the divorce. I thought that's what you wanted?"
"It is what I want, damn it!"
Brianna looked down, shaking her head. "You said it yourself, Nick," she said, looking up. "Tessa has some screws loose. You fell into the web she spun by meeting her where she wanted you to meet her. And by doing that, you made her believe there's a chance you would take her back. She got what she wanted. You just didn't see it. The two of you have no children together, so there should be no more communication between you and her anymore. It should all be done through your attorneys."
She spun on her heel and walked away, leaving me standing there feeling like a heal. Brianna is right. Any communications that need to be discussed between Tessa and me should be done through our attorneys, and Tessa just proved why it should happen in that way.
I walked over to the breakfast bar, sat, lowered my face in my hands, and closed my eyes. By the way Tessa was acting and had been acting had me feeling there is something definitely wrong with her. And it had me wondering if there has been something wrong with her the entire time I knew her. I was curious to know, so I called her mother.
Tessa's mother and I talked for quite a while. And after I explained the situation, I brought up wanting Tessa evaluated for mental issues. Then her mother surprised me. She offered to bring her in, apologized for her daughter's behavior, and said she was surprised I lasted this long with her.
This is for your own good, Tessa. By the sound of it, her mother wasn't surprised at all by Tessa's actions, which makes me wonder. Has Tessa been hiding something from me since we met? And has her family been hiding something from me this entire time? The anger inside me was growing, and I felt like I was about to lose it myself. Between what happened earlier with Tessa, the pictures she sent Brianna, and now the phone call with her mother? It now has me wanting this bitch to pay for trying to break Brianna and me up.
The pictures sent to Brianna was the last straw. And she's going to know I mean fucking business and that I'm done trying to be friendly with her. I picked up my phone and messaged Tessa:
Nick: It's on. I've had it with you. Setting me up and sending those pictures to Brianna was the last straw. Again, I tried being nice to you, but not anymore. You're going to find out how serious I'm fed up with your shit. And if you get pissed. So fucking what. You played all of your chess pieces, and you have no more moves, and now I say checkmate. Goodbye, bitch.
******
Two weeks ago, Tessa's mother brought her in to have her evaluated. And after evaluation, she was committed to an institution for further evaluation. Her family and Tessa failed to tell me that Tessa was diagnosed as bipolar when she was younger. And now, her family fears her new diagnosis, which is psychosis. Also known as psychotic disorder.
This was a shocker. Had I known about her mental issues, I could have helped her.
More like, I would have helped her.
Tessa's mother's confession pissed me off. She also mentioned Tessa was supposed to be taking medication for it. And come to find out, she quit taking it before we married.
It all is making sense about the health and wellness clinic she was adamant about opening and how she had Brianna work on the medication project for the convention, the night that nearly cost my relationship with Brianna.
While on the phone with Tessa's mother, I also understand the meaning behind all her mood swings. Her sadness and crying, anger, delusions, paranoia, and sleep issues. She was also sometimes disoriented, having hallucinations, and most recently believing things happened when they didn't.
Just as I hung up with her, Brianna walked in the door. I stepped out of the kitchen and stood against the wall, watching her remove her shoes. "You'll never guess who I just got off the phone with."
"Tessa's attorney, informing you she signed the papers?"
"I wish," I breathed, scratching my head. "No. Instead, it was her mother. And now I know why Tessa is the way she is and why she was the way she was since we married."
Brianna walked over to me, kissed my lips, and smiled. "So what's her deal?"
I grabbed the bags from Brianna's hands, set them on the counter, then leaned against it. After Brianna sat, I explained everything her mother admitted to and where Tessa is now.
"No way..." Brianna said, surprised.
"Her mother thought she had been taking her medication this entire time. Tessa admitted that she was trying not to take her medication, hoping it would go away on its own."
"Damn. And here, I presented secondary options to medications the night of the convention. But like I explained that night, you still have to take natural supplements to make up for the medications you're supposed to take."
"She wasn't doing anything. According to her mother."
"Wow... that'll explain her bitchiness, the out of the blue outbursts, and nasty attitude all the time."
I nodded. "Yep... I guess when they brought her in to be committed. She put up one hell of a fight."
"I'll bet she did."
I looked away from Brianna and looked to the ground. I felt somewhat bad for her, and I also felt guilty about where she was, thinking I was the reason for Tessa's downfall. "I guess now she'll get the help she needs."
"True." She leaned over, looking for my face. I slowly turned my head, and when I looked at her, she frowned. I could tell she was studying me, and she didn't like what she saw. So I turned away and looked back to the ground. "You're not blaming yourself for Tessa's issues, are you?"
I waved my head slowly, then I turned around and slammed my fist on the counter. "If only she took her damn medication like she was supposed to, we wouldn't be in this mess."
I felt her hand rest on my back, and now that I thought back to what I said, it sounded wrong. Like I'd still be with Tessa, and Brianna and I wouldn't be an item. Shit...
"What do you mean by that?"
"I'm sorry. What I meant to say, had Tessa been taking what she needed to be, I wouldn't have been forced to have her committed, and the problems she's caused between you and me wouldn't have gone the way they have. We probably wouldn't have had any problems."
Her face fell, looking worried. "Isn't court next week?"
"Yes. But I'm sure someone will be there on Tessa's behalf," I assured. "Her parents could have even hired her an attorney." I reached an arm around Brianna and pulled her to me. "I have a feeling we'll soon be able to live in peace, and we'll be free of Tessa."
Brianna pinched my chin, turned me to her, then kissed me. "Two months, Nick. She'll be born in two months, and all I want is for this shit with Tessa to be over with. I need you to focus on us after our little girl is born, not Tessa."
******
Brianna:
Nick left for work about an hour ago, and since then, I've laid in bed, staring at and rubbing my belly, thinking hard. There has to be some way to get Tessa to sign the papers. I know I got upset with Nick for meeting Tessa, but something tells me I should talk to her. I turned to my nightstand and rested my hand under my cheek as I stared at my phone and biting my bottom lip.
I think I'm going to call and see if she can have visitors.
And I called.
After being told there was a small window Tessa could be seen, and seeing the time started now, I quickly showered, dressed in my lazy comfy clothes, and hurried to my car.
I didn't know why I was going to see Tessa. Well, I did. But I still didn't understand why I would see someone who wished ill on me and who admitted to wanting to kill Nick, but I feel if she sees me, sees how far along I am in my pregnancy, she'll grant Nick the divorce.
Maybe...
I was nervous, and I was more worried about Nick and what he'll say. After all, I got on his case about talking to her. But this is different; she doesn't want me in her life; she wants Nick to remain in her life.
"Can I help you?"
"Yeah. I'm here to see Tessa Frederick, I called earlier, and they okayed my being here."
"Just a moment."
The nurse looked in her computer, then left and talked with a couple of nurses. She came back over and said, "Follow me."
"The doctor administered Tessa some medication earlier, and she may or may not be too coherent right now."
"I'll take my chances. It's important that I see Tessa," I said, as the nurse stopped in front of her door.
She opened the door and stood to the side, holding it, and said. "You have twenty minutes."
I nodded, then looked ahead and saw Tessa standing next to the window, wearing a white gown, with her hands against the glass, looking out. I closed my eyes, took a couple of more steps closer, then took in a deep breath, held it, then exhaled, "Tessa?"
With her hands still pressed against the glass, she turned her head around, saw it was me, then turned back and continued staring out the window. A few minutes later, she finally spoke. "What are you doing here?"
I took another step closer, bit the inside of my cheek, then said, "I didn't come here to fight or to argue with you; I just want to talk and to clear the air... Please. I'd like to talk with you."
Her hands slowly left the window; she turned around and walked to the table. She pulled out a chair, then pulled out another chair and sat, waving for me to sit in the chair she pulled out. As I walked to the table, her eyes were on me and my stomach. "You're getting big."
"Yeah," I said quietly. "I'm getting very anxious to meet her finally," I said as I sat.
She arched a brow. "Her?"
I smiled a little. I didn't mean to tell Tessa we were having a girl. It's just what I'm used to telling others when they ask. "Ah, yeah. We're having a girl," I said, covering my mouth.
She shrugged her shoulders and looked down at her folded hands. "Congratulations, I guess."
Twenty minutes is all I have, and it's already been about ten minutes. I better hurry and say what I need to say. "Look. Tessa. I came here to set the record straight with you since I never got the chance to tell you my side. And I want you to know; I never meant for this to happen. I never knew Nick was married. And I never knew he was married to you. Not until the night you introduced me to him."
"Nick mentioned that."
I slowly nodded. I knew Nick told her, but I don't think she's ever believed him.
"But the thing is. You never believed Nick. And I want and need you to know, had I known Nick was married and married to you, our relationship never would have started, and I also wouldn't be sitting here, as big as a house, and seventh-months pregnant."
Her eyes rolled away from mine and down to my stomach.
"But Nick and I happened. I fell in love with him, he fell in love with me, and we're both in love with the little girl that's about to show her face in two short months. And I'd like to ask and beg that you grant Nick the divorce. By you not signing the papers, and fighting him on everything, isn't solving anything. I hate to say it, but what's done is done, and I'd love for us all to be able to move on with our lives.
I saw tears flood her eyes, then she turned, clearing them from her face as the tears fell.
"I'm sorry, Tessa. Really. I am very sorry. But the truth is, you and Nick are over, and there's nothing you can do to change how he feels. And if you were to talk him into staying, nothing will ever be the same. And I think you know that."
Tessa breathed in deep and looked down, quietly speaking, "You know when I was a little girl. I always dreamed of finding my Prince charming and having a family with him. I thought I had that when I married Nick. I thought my dream came true when I found out I was pregnant-"
"Pregnant?" I questioned, cutting her off.
"Yes. Pregnant. I tried telling Nick. I tried many different times, but he was always gone, and he was always making excuses on why he wasn't coming home, or why he was coming home late, etcetera. But then I found out why... why he was always gone. And that's because he was always with you."
My mouth dropped. What? He always told me they never had sex. Or that they hadn't had sex in a long time before he met me. Tessa stood, then she walked over to the jacket hanging. She dug in the inside pocket and pulled out something. She walked back over to me, and as she sat, she slid what looked like a sonogram picture over to me. "I carry this with me everywhere I go."
I picked up the picture, saw her name at the top, then looked and saw that it was a picture of a baby. She was definitely pregnant. My head shook, and I handed her back the image. I was shocked and confused. And I'm sure the expression on my face didn't go unnoticed.
"I miscarried not long after I found out about you and Nick. I was due a month and a half before your due date."
I hope you enjoyed the chapter!!!🤞🤞