“Um…well, Bryan and I talked about how I needed to tell you everything. I haven’t told you that Michele has been blackmailing me the last few months. ”
Amanda’s body looked like it was shaking. “Why?”
“Money. She just wants money from me. ”
She took a deep breath and looked into my eyes. “What is she blackmailing you with?”
“A video. ”
“Oh. My. God. You didn’t…you didn’t sleep with her, did you?”
“What? God no, Amanda. I already told you that I just kissed her, but she…she, um. . . she had a camera. She recorded me taking the drugs, and then…me, um—”
“You kissing her? You touching a woman who wasn’t your wife while you were higher than a kite?” Amanda shouted at me as she stood up.
“Amanda, why don’t you sit and calm down? It’s not good for you or the baby to get so upset,” Bryan said.
Amanda just turned and looked at Bryan. “Fine. ” She sat back down and put her hands on her stomach as she frowned.
“What’s wrong? I jumped up and went over to her.
She stood up and moved away from me. “Don’t touch me!”
“What?” I almost fell to my knees.
“Just don’t touch me, Brad. I can’t stand the thought of you touching me right now. ”
I looked over at Bryan and then back at Amanda. “Amanda, please don’t say that, baby. ”
“Don’t call me baby. ”
My heart started pounding in my chest. “Amanda…god, please don’t do this. ”
“Why don’t we all just sit back down? Amanda, Brad wanted to say some more things to you. ”
Amanda took a seat as she gave Bryan a dirty look.
I almost wanted to laugh. My feisty girl.
She looked over at me and raised her eyebrow, signaling for me to get on with it.
I cleared my throat, looking first at Bryan and then back at Amanda. “Well, first off, I know that asking for your forgiveness is a lot, but—”
“You think?”
I took a deep breath. “I’m ready to get down on my knees and beg you to please forgive me. My life is nothing without you. I love you so much, and it absolutely kills me that I’ve hurt you. I promise you…if you can find it in your heart to forgive me…I promise, baby, I’ll do everything in my power to make it up to you every single day for the rest of our lives. I’ll be the best husband and father I can be. I would lay down my life for you. ”
Her eyes filled with tears as she shook her head. “I gave up my dreams for you. I became something I wasn’t just to make you happy, so you could keep your goddamn parents happy. Do you know what it’s like to walk into your college classroom pregnant and have everyone stare at you? Do you know what it’s like to tell your parents that you’re leaving your husband because he’s taking drugs? That he flipped out on you one night and told you to give up the baby? Oh, and then to say…by the way, Mom and Dad, the night I got pregnant, my husband forced his high-ass self on me!”
I was doing everything I could to keep from crying.
Bryan cleared his throat. “Amanda, you have to know that he was not the Brad you met and fell in love with. ”
“At this very moment, I have to say no…I can’t forgive you. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive you for the way you treated me during all those months or for making me go through half this pregnancy by myself because I thought you were no longer in love with me. ”
I fell down to my knees and looked up at her. “Please, God, no. Amanda, please don’t give up on me. I’m begging you, please. Baby, I love you more than anything or anyone. ”
I saw a tear fall from her eye.