CHAPTER 8

          He didn’t want to talk to Danielle about what he had just seen. Her choices were hers alone. At least now things were clearer. And all Shawn wanted to do was to go home, to his wife, and try to fix everything before it would be too late. He put the cellphone in his pocket and ran towards the car. Finally, he had all the answers to all the questions. It was absolutely necessary to go back home to his Belle and show her that video. He got behind the wheel and before starting the engine, he began laughing like a mad man.

“This is quite a discovery! This is why Danielle wanted to ‘save’ herself for the matrimony... While she was playing me around, she was keeping herself… busy with someone else,” he said totally perplexed, but also quite relieved. “This video is the ultimate proof! Belle, love, once you would see this thing, you wouldn’t doubt me anymore.”

          Even though he couldn’t see the dawn light, it was almost morning. There had been twenty-four hours since he last slept, but Shawn was more awake than ever. He wasn’t tired, he was eager to get home, to show Isabelle what he had discovered, and then finally start their life together. Shawn was driving fast, keeping his eyes on the road, and his wife on his mind. Getting back to Isabelle was his priority.

“I'm coming, my love!” he exclaimed, but his words were covered by a very loud noise made by the engine.

          All he could see was the thick white smoke that was coming out from under the hood of the car and an awful smell.

“No! God, please, no!” he shouted but even so, he managed to bring the car on the side of the road.

          Shawn got out of the car and once he raised the hood, he realized that the car was dead. With a desperate look on his face, Shawn looked around. It was too early, there was no one on the street at that hour. His cellphone was dead and he didn’t have that damned charger with him. Frustrated, he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to find a solution.

“No! I need to get home to you right now, my love!” Shawn said and started walking along the road.

          There was no car in sight, so there was no one able to help him. All he could do was keep walking until he’ll get to his destination.

“You are the only woman I want and if by proving it means I have to crawl back to you, I’ll do it! Don’t give up on us yet, my little Belle! Don’t give up on me just yet!”

          As he was walking towards home, Shawn started laughing like a fool again. ‘Great way to start our marriage,’ he thought. He hoped to find Belle home, waiting for him. He hoped that his wife would finally understand that he loved only her, that he couldn’t lie to her about such an important thing.

          Half an hour had passed since the car died and he was still walking towards home. Shawn stopped for a second and looked at the road. No cars were passing by, nobody to ask for a ride. He was tired, sweaty, thirsty and he was craving to kiss his wife. He couldn’t stop walking, he had to get to Isabelle.

“A dreadful way to spend our wedding night, Belle, but I know that I’ll have your forgiveness!” he said and he resumed his march towards home.

          Terribly tired, after more than an hour, Shawn managed to get home. He called her name, looked for her, but Belle wasn’t there. On the bed, in the room where they were supposed to spend their first night as husband and wife, Shawn saw Isabelle's wedding dress. It was the only thing that reminded him that she was in this house at one point.

          All her other things were gone. Instinctively, he knew that she must’ve called his uncle and his aunt to come and help her. Shawn shook his head and touched the fabric with his fingertips. ‘She’s gone…’ he whispered and embraced the dress. Shawn could still feel the smell of her perfume, the warmth of her body.

          On the dresser, he saw a note. He recognized his aunt’s handwriting.

‘I have tried to call you on the cellphone... I just wanted to warn you that we took YOUR WIFE to our apartment in Pacifica. I don’t know what the hell is going on with you, but if you love her, go there and do something to win her back! If not, just let her go! Stop hurting her! She loves you desperately even if you broke her heart, so she doesn’t deserve all the suffering you’re causing her with this behavior.’

          Shawn sighed and dropped onto the bed. He began to squeeze the dress in his arms and closed his eyes. He only needed to rest for a second, then he would go looking for Belle and bring her back. Tired and sad, he fell asleep holding Isabelle's wedding dress in his arms.

          A hard, extremely loud noise on the door woke Shawn up forcing him to open his eyes. How long had he been sleeping? A voice calling his name made him touch base with reality and get out of bed quickly. When Shawn opened the door, he found himself in front of his uncle who was looking tired and very angry. He was holding a cup of fresh coffee.

“There you are!” he yelled at Shawn staring at him coldly. “Can you tell me why in the world aren’t you answering your phone? After what happened last night, your aunt and I spend the night imagining the worse.”

          Chris sat down on a chair, crossed his arms on his chest, and with a very critical look in his eyes, he gazed silently at Shawn. His nephew took the cup of coffee and, without saying a word, took a few sips. He needed a shower also… he needed to recover the strength before going to Pacifica.

"Sorry, uncle, my cell died on me and the car is somewhere between SoMo and Westwood Highlands." He sipped some more coffee. "I think the cell should be fully charged by now. Did Aunt Marie sent you to check on me?”

“No one sent me to do anything, Shawn Grayson! But I just can’t stand aside and watch passively while you are destroying your life and the life of the woman you have chosen as your wife. I hope you realized by now that she left you...”

          Those words had the same effect on Shawn as a kick in the teeth. He felt a sharp pain in his heart. Shawn sat down on a chair, facing his uncle.

“I doubt that she really left me...”

“She called us last night, completely desperate. Belle is convinced that everything is over between you two since you went away to be with... your other woman.” Chris leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands. "Son, I hope you are not that stupid to leave a great, wonderful woman such as Belle, that loves you with all her heart even now, and run after that gold digger. If it is so, I have no words to express my disapproval and I must tell you that you are a disappointment.”

“Uncle Chris, I already made up my mind yesterday when I got married to Belle. I just want her.”

“Shawn, you went away and left her alone... It’s not the right way to show a woman you want her. Belle believes that you married her because you wanted to put your mind at ease; because you felt pushed back against the ropes and you didn’t know how to solve this mess differently,” Chris added shaking his head avoiding looking at his nephew. “Belle told your aunt that she is willing to... give you back your freedom if this is what you want her to do. And she will do it without fighting you.”

“But I didn’t ask her to leave this house! And I don’t want a divorce!” Shawn exclaimed angrily. “Damnit! I am hopelessly in love with her and this is why I asked her to marry me, not to get revenge or to calm my conscience!”

"Son, if this is how you really think, how you really feel, the time has come to make a choice: to stay with your wife and send the other one to hell." Chris got up from his chair. “But before paying a visit to your wife, take a shower and calm down a bit. You look awful. Belle could get spooked and refuse to talk to you.”

“After the night I had, the way I look is quite normal. My phone died, my car died, I am tired, hungry and I got home only to find out that my wife wasn’t here,” he replied angrily.

“This is karma, son! It strikes when you least expect it!” Chris said and smiled for the first time since he had arrived at the house. “Your aunt managed to convince Belle to stay in our apartment in Pacifica. She decided to stay there while waiting for you to decide if you want to end your marriage or not.”

          Shawn finished drinking the coffee, got up from his chair, and stared at his uncle's face with a determination that Chris had never seen in his nephew.

“There is no reason to end our marriage. Belle is my wife. I love her, I want her in my life forever. I will never leave her out of my sight again!”

          He said goodbye to Chris and went into the bathroom. He had to wash away the last twenty-four hours; a hot shower was the perfect solution.