The Devil's Kings

Chapter four

Another month had passed since Annabelle told Brandon she wanted a divorce. He had continuously asked her to think about the divorce. It seemed like he was actually fighting for their relationship. As much as she wanted to maybe give him another chance, there was another part of her that was angry. He waited till now to start listening to her. He waited till she wanted to leave to try and work on their problems, to even acknowledge that they had problems. He would never change and she knew it. He continued to berat her after a week, saying that she was giving up without even trying to fix their relationship. Annabelle could see his point, she also remembered all the times she tried to talk to him and tell him how she felt and he brushed it off or turned it on her. To appease him she did go to couples therapy. She made him do all the work, figuring that he wouldn’t follow through, he never did with anything else. Why would this be any different.

Much to her surprise, Brandon had been able to find and book an appointment with a couples counselor in just two days. She went and it was a disaster. They had to take the baby, no one could watch him and Brandon was not willing to reschedule. The consular barely listened to anything she had to say. The women mostly just talked to Brandon and was very judgemental towards Anabelle. Towards the end of the session, Annabelle mostly up on her feet and making sure her son didn’t break anything or hurt himself, the counselor asked Annabelle a question and then cut her off when she tried to answer. She looked over to Brandon.

‘Well, I hate to say it, but it seems to me that her mind has already been made up. She has no interest in trying to fix anything, she wants out. Any further sessions would be  a waste of time.’

Annabelle stood there, wanting to say something to the women. How could that women sit there and tell her husband that she wasn’t willing to put forth the effort to fix her marriage? The women had barely talked to her, asked her two, maybe three questions. Each time she interrupted or put words in Annabelles’ mouth. At first she had tried to call the women out, but it wasn’t worth her time or effort. The woman was right, she did want out of her marriage. She was wrong that Annsbelle has done nothing to try and fix their marriage. It bugged Annabelle, but she knew she needed to let it go.

The drive back home was silent and tense. Annabelle focused on her son and Brandon on driving. She wanted to say something to him, what do you say? It would probably be better to leave him alone until he was ready to say something. They arrived home and just like she expected, Sarah was waiting for them when she got home. 

‘How did it go?’ Annabelle may not always like or get along with her mother-in-law but she could admire her straight to the point attitude.

Brandon threw himself on the couch and pulled out his phone while everyone stood, waiting for the answer.

‘She’s done.’

Sarah turned accusatory eyes on Annabelle. She sighed, she knew what was going to happen now. Her mother-in-law was going to grill her about why she wanted to divorce her son.

‘Why?’ she questioned with a snappy tone. Her arms now crossed and her hip jutted out. She was gearing up for battle.

‘I’m just not happy and he’s not willing to listen. No one is. I can’t live like this anymore.’ She tried to be as general as she could. She didn't want a heart to heart with Sarah about everything that had happened in her marriage, not that Sarah would believe her anyways.

‘That's not how a marriage works. You both have to listen to each other and figure out the solution to whatever the problem is.’

‘I get that Sarah, really I do. I’m not asking for the divorce just because or for the fun of it. I have tried to talk to Brandon but he’s always busy and I know he works..hard, but he should make time for us. He demands it of me. I already feel like I have done everything I can to help my marriage, it’s not working. We don’t work together anymore.’