The dent in our vows

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David's Pov

My footsteps thundered down the hall as I stormed over to my mother's room, ignoring any and everyone who greeted me along the way. The rush of adrenaline made it hard to think properly but all I knew at this point was that I had had enough of this. I was sick and tired of this and it was ending today.

By the time I stormed unannounced into her room, she was getting ready for bed with a few maids pacing around the room.

"All of you, out," I commanded with an edge of impatience and warning in my voice but they all stared doe-eyed at me like what I'd asked them didn't make sense, and that made a spasm of irritation hit me in my core. "I said get the fuck out now!" I barked with exasperation, watching as they all hurried out the door.

"David!" Mother scolded hysterically. "What's the matter with you?!"

I ignored her and ground out my next words between clenched teeth. "Why. Did. You. Do. It?"

She leaned back against the headboard and sighed. "If this is about Dawn, I simply do not have the strength for it. She spoke disrespectfully to me. I had to discipline her."

My fists clenched. "By hitting her?!"

She waved her hand dismissively at me. "It was just a slap. Stop trying to make something out of nothing. And are you really going to take her side after she made your father have a heart attack? That girl is terrible, I don't get why you still refuse to see it."

"Dawn is not terrible, she's the nicest woman I know and you might be my mother but there are things I will not accept from you and that is touching even the slightest hair on her head!" I took a step forward whilst clenching and unclenching my fist. "For a long time, I've condoned your mental and verbal abuse towards her but this! This is where we draw the line!"

She got up from the bed and stood toe to toe with me. "David listen to yourself! This woman is clearly controlling you. Why don't you see it?!"

My stomach clenched with the force of my restraint. For a moment, I just held still, trying to calm myself but the more the images of her red cheek flashed in my head, the more I felt like jamming my fists into a brick wall, smashing and smashing until my knuckles bled.

I'd never thought I could despise the woman standing in front of me so much but I did, I loathed her with every fiber of my bone for hurting the woman I love.

"Whether or not Dawn controls me doesn't matter. That woman has been nothing but tolerant towards you! And what you've done today, I simply can not forgive!"

"How can you do this to me!" She moved closer to me. "How can you stand here and spit such nonsense to my face!" She palmed her chest. "I am your mother David! How can you embarrass me by taking her side over mine?! She's known you for only a few years but I've known you all your life! I clothed you, fed you, and took care of you, I've always been there for you, not her!"

"Don't you get it?!" I equally took a step forward and towered over her. "You might have known me all my life but without Dawn, my life has no meaning!"

"And do you think the woman you claim to love so much will still be there once she finds out the truth?!"

The beating of my heart silenced for a moment at the realization of her words.

"Do you think she will stay by your side knowing her life is on the line?!" She continued to yell. "Do you think what happened with your first love isn't going to happen again?!" She grabbed my arm. "They are all going to leave you, David! I am the only one who would never leave because I am the only one who has genuinely loved you! I am your mother and I-"

"For heaven's sake, you are not my mother!" I exploded and yanked my hand away from hers. "My mother is dead! She is dead! And so are you, Amanda, because as of today, you are dead to me!"

"David..." The look she gave me, made my chest ache. God, I didn't want to do this. I was very well aware that I hurt her feelings, though it might have slipped out of rage, it was still the worst thing to say to a woman who raised me and cared for me as her own. I hated breaking her heart with my words but I just wanted her to see what I saw, I wanted her to feel what I felt; to feel the despair and pain that came from seeing Dawn hurt. I wanted her to see how much I loved my wife and would do anything for her and until she did, we were going to be this way.

"David..." Her eyes watered as she came forward. "Everything I do, it's-"

I held up my hand to cut her stream of words. I felt worse than I felt when I stepped in. "No more lies." My voice was stern with no vestige of sympathy in its hardness. "Do not deceive yourself more than you already have." I turned away from her and released a shaky breath.

It didn't matter if hurting her made my heart bleed, it didn't matter if the look in her eyes made my body ache, she deserved it. She hurt my wife and she deserved to be hurt for a little while.

"We'll leave first thing after the wedding tomorrow. I'm afraid this might be the last time we see. It's best if we both avoid each other in the meantime." I told her with bitter resentment, prepared to leave but she hugged me from behind and began to sob against my back.

"You cannot do this to me, David." She cried out, squeezing me tight. "You cannot treat me this way, all I've ever done is care for you and you know that. I might not be your mother but I love you and I want the best for-"

"Stop." I peeled her hands away and turned around to meet her glassy eyes. "If you want the best for me like you say you do, if you love me like you say you do, you'll apologize to my wife and promise to never hurt her again." I turned around again and walked towards the door but when I reached for the handle, I paused and turned. "If you don't, you'll lose me for real."

With that, I was out of the door and ignoring her cries.