Chapter 20 Melanie #2
“We need to talk about that.” I mumbled and sat down in the seat next to Griffin and glanced at my father.
My mother and Kyle froze and finally looked to my father.
“Leonard?” my mother asked, “What is she talking about?”
“I don’t know enough to say.” Dad grumbled.
Kyle looked between Griffin and I with narrowed eyes. “What’s going on? I knew it was weird that Griffin has been at your house.”
“Benjamin, just sent us lovely flowers… was it to apologize for not coming with you again?”
“No. It was likely to assuage some of his guilt.”
“Guilt?” Kyle scowled.
“I’m going to say this as quickly as I can because I’m really starting to get a headache.” I rubbed my forehead, and my father reached out to push a bottle of water towards me.
“Drink and eat while you tell us.” He instructed. I nodded and grabbed a few of the crackers that had been placed on the table.
“When I returned home, I found Ben in the middle of an inappropriate meeting with a coworker… in my hot tub.” I mumbled.
The silence that I was met with was deafening until it was shattered by a string of curses from Kyle.
“That slimy dirtbag piece of fucking shit, was cheating on you while we were burying Gram?!” He roared.
“Oh dear.” My mother whimpered.
My father and Griffin remained silent.
“It would appear so. I kicked him out, and have already filed for divorce, he was served this morning and according to Penelope isn’t handling it well. His coworker wasn’t the first, it appears that he has a long history of flings.”
“You knew?” Griffin met my brother’s accusation with a calm expression.
“Not before she called me, of course, but she asked for help gathering footage from the security system.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?!” Kyle slapped his hand down on the table, and my father cleared his throat.
“Kyle.” He said in warning.
“I asked him not too. He agreed but only if I let him stay to help deal with the technical side of things until I told you myself.” I rushed to explain. “He knew you’d be angry he kept it from you, but he said that you’d be even more angry if he let me deal with it alone.”
Kyle took a deep breath and nodded.
“I can’t believe Benjamin would do that to you…” My mother said quietly. Her eyes were filled with tears, and she looked at me with devastation in her eyes. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Melanie…” My father said softly. “Is there more?”
“I’m pregnant and he doesn’t know.”
My father rose from his seat and walked to the liquor cabinet. “I want to pour this down the drain since he sent this to Kyle, but it’s a good brand, and I need something strong.” He grumbled when he came back with four glasses and a bottle of expensive scotch.
“Are you sure?” My mother asked and reached across the table for my hands. “I’m going to be a grandmother?”
“Yes…” I nodded, and a tear slipped down my cheek. “I don’t want him to know… I don’t want him to use it to fight the divorce.” I admitted. My mother squeezed my hands in hers.
“Oh, I’ll get the fucker to cooperate.” Kyle snarled.
“What do you need from us?” My father asked.
“Just your support… and to call the police if he shows up here.” I shrugged. “I know he’s like another son-“
“You’re our daughter.” My mother gasped, and her eyes flashed with indignation.
“You always have our support. If the boy shows up here, I’d like to have a word with him.” My father said through clenched teeth.
“Same.” Kyle downed a glass and set it back down loudly.
“We can't engage or antagonize,” Griffin interjected. “The lawyer wants to use the footage in court if he shows up. We will have plenty of notice he’s coming because there’s a PI following him.”
“You can both ask him to leave, but you can’t do anything that would make Ben look like a victim.” I pleaded. “He’s already pretending that he’s suffering from addiction and going to therapy for it.”
“Addiction? Does Ben use drugs?” My mother looked alarmed.
“No, mother…” I winced. “Sex addiction.”
Kyle snorted, and my mother turned bright red.
“Oh my.” She mumbled and took a sip from her own glass. My father’s lips twitched into a tiny smile when she grimaced at the flavor.
“While I don’t think it’ll impact the prenup but based on the evidence we found I think that it’s going to be a fairly convincing defense.
” Griffin gave me an apologetic look and then continued.
“I don’t think he believes it to be true, but, as far as we could tell the man has never been monogamous.
Sex addiction wouldn’t be a farfetched explanation for why he didn’t think it was a big deal.
However, there was also evidence of financial fraud.
Hiding assets from Melanie and possibly some tax evasion. ”
“What assets?” Kyle’s fists clenched on the table.
“Secret properties, offshore accounts, investments.” I waved a hand, “The usual white collar shit.”
Everyone sat in complete silence for a few minutes while I munched on the snacks and they drank Ben’s guilt scotch.
“Can I punch him if I can make the footage disappear?” Kyle suddenly asked with an excited grin. Everyone cracked up laughing, and I shook my head with a small smile. Kyle scowled and mumbled something under his breath.
"How far along are you?" My mother asked. Her eyes were still misty, but there was a flicker of hope in them.
"I'm not sure, but it's still early."
"You haven't been to the doctor?" My father looked at me.
"I found out the same night I found out he was cheating on me." I shrugged. "I've been a bit busy every since."
"How did you already get him served?" Kyle asked.
"The lawyer Gram hired for the prenup is very efficient.
Griffin was able to compile the evidence very quickly, and the quicker we move, the less likely I will be showing by the time we see a judge.
" I looked down at my flat belly and placed a hand over it.
"I won't hide it forever..." I looked back up at them.
"I know he deserves to be a father, even if he wasn't a good husband. I just need time..."
"We understand..." My mom said softly, "Sweetheart, it's been less than a week since you left here. I can't imagine how unsteady you must be feeling with all these rapid changes. That boy doesn't deserve anything from you right now." She insisted with a firmer tone.
I nodded and tried to blink back the tears. She was right, it had only been a handful of days since my entire life was turned upside down and then set on fire.
I hadn't slowed down long enough for reality to catch up to me, but I knew it was coming.