[UNEDITED][MATTHEW]
“Sorry Amanda but I’m not in the mood for all you damn questions right now. Daddy is leaving because daddy is a lying, cheating, good for nothing, useless scumbag,” Chloe’s voice was all I heard and her words hit me right where it hurt but, to say those words to our daughter, that hurt me even more. “Oh. Manipulative. I forgot to mention manipulative.”
“Chloe!” Jason’s voice quickly followed in shock. I was shocked as well and I didn’t like that Chloe was talking about me in the way that she was, even less so since I hadn’t actually done what she was accusing me of doing.
Forgive me for being all fashioned but, when you marry someone, I tend to believe that it’s for life and you’ll do anything to keep them. I’d never do anything which would risk my relationship with Chloe, I especially wouldn’t sleep with Charlotte and, if I was going to, then I wouldn’t be stupid enough to do it in our own home.
I loved Chloe. She had been through more than enough shit in her life. I wasn’t in a hurry to hurt her or make her hate me. I wasn’t that much of an idiot.
“Oh. You can shut up as well. You’re no better than that cheating fucker upstairs,” Chloe shouted. It was those words which confirmed what I didn’t want to know, Chloe really did want a divorce and she wanted me out of her life.
Funny thing is, all it would take was Charlotte being brave enough to show her face around here again, and I could have my family back. I could have the life I had now come to love back and I would be cleared of something I know I didn’t do.
Charlotte never really loved Jason and she wasn’t planning on marrying him either. She confessed that to me while she was drunk one night. She also confessed that, while Jason was at work, she would often invite men around in order to please her because he wasn’t doing a good enough job.
Jason was a good guy, in fact he was amazing and he was the reason his sister hadn’t totally lost her mind. He was there for her, even when she had a nightmare and I was in the bed next to her, he was still there to make sure nothing serious had happened. He loved his sister and he made her happy so, that in turn, meant I loved him and was happy.
“I don’t want you anywhere near this house,” I heard voice mutter from behind me and I turned to see Chloe standing there, still with tears in her eyes. She couldn’t even bring herself to look at me as she kicked me out of our house. Apparently the floor was far more interesting. “I also don’t want you anywhere near Amanda.”
“You can’t stop me from seeing our daughter. I didn’t do anything wrong,” I snapped. She could kick me out of the house, divorce me and tell me that she never wanted to see me again but there wasn’t a chance in hell of her keeping me from my daughter. I loved that little girl and no one was going to take her away from me.
“You are a bad influence on her. I don’t want you around her right now,” Chloe muttered again and went to walk out of the room.
“I won’t let you do this Chloe,” I replied before she had a chance to properly disappear from view.
“Let me do what? You were the one who crawled into bed with that bitch, not me,” Chloe chuckled heartlessly. Her tone told me that she really did hate me and, no matter how many times I apologised, it was never going to be enough and she wasn’t going to forgive me in a hurry.
Not that there was anything I needed to apologise for. I hadn’t done anything wrong and I wasn’t going to admit something I didn’t do. Even if it meant there was a chance it would save my marriage to the woman that I loved, I wasn’t going to do it because I wasn’t going to be called every name under the sun for something I didn’t do.
“How many times do I have to tell you that I didn’t do anything? I love you Chloe so why would I fuck it all up for the sake of a cheap affair with a complete bitch?” I said and I didn’t even bother raising my voice to her. I knew it was useless and wouldn’t achieve anything since I had spent the last few hours doing nothing but shouting at her, insisting that she believe what I am telling her.
“You tell me Matthew. You tell me,” she sighed and then she was gone.
I took my bag from the bed and took a moment to look around the room one last time. I looked at the picture which hung above our bed. It was a picture from our wedding day. Chloe was looking to the side, speaking to Marcus, and I was stood behind her with my arms around her waist with my head resting slightly on her shoulder.
I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I looked at the picture though I am sure it won’t be there for too much longer. The moment I walk out the door, she will be in here and she will be ripping the picture from the wall as she does her best to remove every single last trace of my apparent lying, cheating arse.
Marcus.
I wondered if he would let me stay with him. The last time we spoke, it didn’t go to well. Though I suppose, when I accuse him of trying to sleep with my wife, the least I can expect is a black eye and a few profanities. Things have never really been the same since then and when I say that, what I actually mean is that he told me he never wanted to speak to me again.
He was my best friend and I had to act like a dick to him so, at a time like now when I actually need him, he probably won’t be there for me and I will be stuck living on the street somewhere.
I was warned that karma is a bitch but I never listened.
“You still here?” Chloe muttered as she walked past me and threw herself onto the bed, immediately switching the TV on and flicking through the channels.
“Just leaving,” I sighed.
“Best hurry. I wouldn’t want to keep you from whatever it is you have planned now,” Chloe said and I took that as my sign to leave. I didn’t want to give the opportunity for there to be another argument between the two of us. I was tired of arguing now and trying to defend myself, I was just going to take whatever she threw at me.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket as I walked out of the front door and immediately dialled Marcus’ number in the hope that he would actually pick up.
“Ah. Matt. What can I do for you my friend?” I heard Marcus’ voice on the other end of the phone, doing his utmost not to sound sarcastic but failing miserably.
“I need a place to stay for a while and I was hoping you would be able to help me out,” I sighed as I got into my car and threw the bag into the back. My eyes washed over with tears as I caught sight of Amanda’s booster seat just behind me and the teddy she always took in the car with her thrown onto the middle seat.
“Did I not make myself clear the last time we spoke? I do believe I told you that I never wanted to see you again,” Marcus stated.
“Look, I am sorry that I accused you trying to sleep with Chloe. I was having a bad day and I took it out on totally the wrong person,” I replied.
“It’s always a ‘bad day’ with you Matthew. That time you punched me in the face, you were having a bad day. The day you broke my arm, you were having a bad day. The day you told me you didn’t want to marry Chloe, you were having a fucking bad day,” Marcus raised his voice and it sent shivers down my spine as I admitted to him that I didn’t want to marry Chloe.
I’d gotten myself drunk and was suddenly in the mood to confess all my secrets to Marcus after he had picked me up from the bar. I allowed it to slip that I didn’t want to marry Chloe and, because I couldn’t tell him the real reason, I made up some bullshit excuse in which I claimed that I wasn’t sure whether I loved her or not. When he reminded me of it the following morning, I claimed to have not remembered any of it.
“I know. I know I have been a shit friend and I always take everything out on you, but I need you right now,” I said as I held back the tears which were about to fall as I imagined my life without Chloe and Amanda. It left me with an empty feeling and that was a feeling I didn’t really like.
It was a feeling I hadn’t felt since before I realised I was in love with Chloe. I didn’t want to go back to the kid who was only popular because he fucked girls over and screwed with their emotions, or the kid people only loved because he did as he was told my his friends, or the kid who was a lot lonelier than anyone ever took the time to actually realise.
“Matt? What’s happened?” Marcus asked. His tone was actually one which told me he was genuinely concerned and he wasn’t simply saying it for the sake of being a twat.
“Chloe. She want--“ but I couldn’t finish the sentence without breaking down in tears. I didn’t want to lose Chloe. I just wanted my family back.
“What’s going on mate?”
“Divorce. Chloe wants a divorce.”
So, yeah, I know this is crap but I am feeling pretty down at the moment. I wrote this to take my mind off everything, so I know it's not anything amazing.
I hope it gives you a view of what's going on in Matthew's mind though with regards to everything. Marcus, the first returning character from My Best Mistake. Braydon will be returning soon and Charlotte is making her debut.
I hope you like it though. It will be better next time. Promise. Love El xox