Chapter 63-The Truth Shall Set You Free

"What are you doing here?"
"Well I was a little offended that I wasn't invited to the wedding, but I've gotten over it.  You can thank your daughter for that."
Bynni and TK still lived with Marisol.  Regardless of how we felt about each other she never did any harm to either of them and I tried not to be upset at the fact my daughter lived with the woman who was the sole cause of my torment.

"So where is that handsome husband of yours?"
"Not here so will you please leave.  He's been gone all week and I would like to spend some alone time with him before the boys get home from school."
Ignoring what I said, Marisol walked further into the house.

"You can't be here.  I need you to please leave before Marcus gets home." 
"But dear I'm here to see Marcus, not you."
My thoughts started racing, was she the mystery caller?  Why would she need to see Marcus?
Marisol started laughing clearly reading my thoughts.

"I came to make the offer directly to your husband.  He may be more agreeable once he learns the whole story and taking into account his current situation."
"There is no situation.  Marcus loves me and I have already told you I'm not into trading people for sport so you can leave.  My answer hasn't changed!"

She let out a cold laugh.  "Secret phone calls, business trips.  It seems to me that you are already losing him.  What are you trying to hold on for?  I can give him something you can't."
I couldn't do this today, not with her.  I was barely holding myself together with the thought of my impending conversation I didn't need her here to make things worse for me.

"Will you just get out of my head and out of my house you crazy bitch!"
Before the words were even fully out of my mouth, Marisol had me by the throat with her fangs hovering above my neck.
"You would be wise to remember who I am you stupid girl!" she hissed in my ear.
"Go ahead.  You keep threatening to kill me, to drain me dry just do it already!" My heart was racing but I was tired of the same empty threat.

We both knew I was more fun to her alive, she released me.
"As I was saying, once he accepts my offer I'll cut you a new deal.  I'll reduce your number by half since I'm not totally heartless.  You won't get a total reprieve since you didn't give him up the first time."
I wrung my hands together trying to fight back the nausea, the tears, and the anger.
"I want you out of my house.  Why must you continue to torment me?"
She just smiled at me.  "Show time."
Marcus walked in "Honey I'm home."

Marisol sauntered towards him smiling the whole time.  "Hello handsome." she spoke as she out stretched her hand.  I watched has he smiled back at her and brought it to his lips.
Was she really going to seduce my husband in front of me?  Stop it. I screamed in my head.  Marisol looked over her shoulder at me as I stepped to Marcus' side.
"Amari who is our guest?"
"She's um, this is..."
"Oh spit it out girl.  I'm Marisol.

He shot me a look of confusion as the name clicked with what I had told him in the beginning.
"This can't be the one..."
"Yes it's me in the flesh." she spoke with a smile.
"Amari do you want to explain what is going on here?"
"He doesn't know, how interesting.  The whole family has been in on this little cover up."
This was not how this was supposed to happen.  I had planned this out, I had been preparing my speech and get it all out in the open.  Why did she show up now, after months of nothing to mess things up?
"What don't I know, what cover up?"
"I think I will just go for now.  It's obvious you two love birds have a lot to talk about."  Marisol walked towards the door.  Before she walked out she turned back to Marcus.

"Marcus just know no matter what your wife says, I can give you what you want most."
As soon as she walked out he started in with the questions.
"Amari, what the hell is going on?  Why isn't she old like your father? And what did she mean about giving me what I want most?"
The urge I had been fighting all morning hit me again.  I dashed to the bathroom, locking the door behind me before getting sick again.  Marcus was pounding on the door.
"Open the door! You can't just run and hide."

I ignored the pounding praying he would just go away.  I needed to think, to collect myself before facing him.  He was right, I couldn't stay in here forever.  I pulled out my phone to text Aric.  He would need to pick the boys up from school today and keep them tonight.  I sat on the floor listening to him rattle the door knob trying to break in.  I wiped the tears from my cheeks and opened the door.
"You need to explain what's going on Amari."

Without meeting his gaze or speaking a word, I went over to my dresser and pulled out the papers.
"What are those?"
"Can you stop bombarding me with questions.  Please sit and I will explain."
Reluctantly he said on the bed. "Fine, now explain."
I twirled my wedding ring around my finger.  Such a light piece of metal yet it felt so heavy.  I would miss it.
"Amari."
I looked up at him and the tears started falling as I spoke.

"She doesn't look old because she is a vampire." The words tumbled out "And so is Mulo, Aric, Bynni, TK, and now Nina."
Marcus got up off the bed. "Seriously.  You are not only still lying to my face but you aren't even trying to make it a believable lie!"

He stormed out of the room and I ran behind him.
"I'm not lying.  Why would I make something like that up?  I know it's hard to comprehend, but..."
"Hard to comprehend is an understatement.  You are standing there expecting me to believe that vampires are real and you have five, well six if you count the one that just left, in your life."
He threw his hand up in disbelief and I watched as he paced back in forth.
"Please Marcus you have to understand.  I wanted to tell you everything but it was all too crazy.  I just didn't know how." I choked out the words in between my sobbing.  I reached out for his arm but he yanked it away.

"So that whole story you told me was a lie?"
I shook my head, "No, not all of it.  What I told you about Marisol wanting the babies and her dating my father was true.  I just left out the part where she was a vampire and that this all happened a really really long time ago."
He continued to pace stopping every once in awhile as if he was going to say something to me but stopped himself.

"How is that even possible?  I mean your dad is old so how is that possible?"
I told him the whole story, the one I had learned the day we met again at the park. 
"I was trying to make sense of it all when I saw you again.  I still didn't fully understand and then when I learned that my father had basically given me to her in order to keep his secret, you have to understand how I wouldn't have been thinking clearly.  I mean would you have believed me if I had told you all of this before?"
"I don't know, you never gave me a chance.  You were thinking clearly enough to lie about it though."
He was right.  I knew what I was doing by keeping the truth from him but I honestly told myself it was for the best.

"Marcus, I love you and I didn't want to hurt you.  You know that much is true right?"
"I don't know anything right now."
I looked at the papers in my hand and debated on if I should continue.  He was already hurting, I was hurting.  If he was going to leave me anyway, why cause him any more pain?  My rustling of the papers attracted his attention.
"What are those?"
I glanced at them one more time and then with a shaky hand handed them to him.  I watched his face as he read through the papers.  He looked up at me and threw them to the ground.  Marcus walked over and picked up his suitcase.
"Marcus wait, please where are you going?"

He turned to face me and there were tears in his eyes.
"It's one thing to know that my wife loves some other man more than she loves me, but to find out she has me living in his house is more than I can handle.  At least..." he quit speaking as if he got a sudden realization and he turned and punched the door.  I couldn't help but to scream.  I had never seen him be so angry or to lose his temper. 
"Even on our wedding day, I couldn't be the only one even on our wedding day!" he spoke through clenched teeth.  "Soulmates for all eternity.  You were talking about him, you made a vow to him on our wedding day." He punched the door again.  His hand was bleeding but he didn't seem to notice or care.
I stood there crying unable to say anything to defend myself.  There was nothing that could be said for what I had done to him.  I put my hand on his back but he shrugged it off.

"Please don't touch me.  I was such a fool.  Thinking I could love you so much that it would be enough for both of us.  I should have listened when you said I deserved someone better."
Those words cut me deeply.  I wanted to make this better.  I wanted to be able to say something that could fix this, but there weren't any words that could do that.  Marcus went over and collapsed on the couch.
"Do you think about him when you are with me?"
"What?"
"When we are making love are you thinking about him?  Wishing it were him?"

I went over and knelt beside him tentatively reaching out to touch his arm. He didn't pull away this time.
"Marcus, I do love you.  When I am with you, I am thinking only of you.  I never wanted this, I never wanted to be the cause of this much anguish.  I loved, love our life as a family.  I need you, and the boys."
"So why tell the truth now?  Oh that's right you were forced into it."  His voice was dripping with contempt.
I closed my eyes as the tears continued to fall.  "That's not true." I whispered
"Some how I think it is."  He got up "I need to get out of here.  I'll come by later when the boys get home from school but I can't look at you right now."

"Of course.  Go run off to see your girlfriend." I spat angrily wiping the tears from my cheeks.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I know I haven't been honest but I would never cheat on you."
"You are in love with another man, it doesn't get much worse than that." he scoffed.

"I'm not an idiot Marcus.  The secret phone calls, the increase in business trips.  Why did you marry me if you were only going to cheat on me within a matter of months?"
He looked genuinely shocked and hurt by my accusations.

"You're crazy.  I think all your lies have gotten you confused."
"Confused?" I screamed "Am I confused on the fact that you went from not being able to keep your hands off of me to barely touching me?  It's been almost a month since we had sex last Marcus, am I confused about that?"
I had come clean I had told him everything and he was still going to stand in my face and pretend he wasn't doing anything wrong?

"I've been tired, working a lot late to provide for our family.  Although I guess it was all for nothing since you own two houses and two cars on top of having a nicely padded bank account."
"That's bullshit!  You are different and you know it.  Who is she Marcus?  Who is the woman that has you needing to shower as soon as you walk into the house?"

"I'm not having an affair damn it!"
"I'm not crazy Marcus.  Something is going on and don't tell me it's just work.  Now who is she?" I screamed
"You think I don't want to be with you?  You think it's easy for me to lay beside you every night knowing I can't be with you?" he yelled back
"You aren't making any sense Marcus."
"Well I'm sorry for that but not everyone can live forever like your beloved Mulo!"
"What the hell does that mean?"
"It means I'm dying!"