Getting Even Ch. 03: The Final Chapter

Bella dressed as Katherine changed Olivia's diaper and dressed the little girl in the dark green dress and matching tights. Once dressed, Bella took Olivia into her arms and the two women walked downstairs. Thomas and Amanda were sitting on the sofa with Tommy and Sophie. Thomas was wearing a dark suit, Amanda a black dress. Little Tommy was wearing a suit and Sophie was wearing a navy blue dress and white tights.

"There's my other granddaughter," exclaimed Amanda, who rushed over and took Olivia into her arms.

"Momma," said Sophie.

Bella knelt down and said, "Yes baby."

"Why did Daddy die?"

Bella shook her head and sighed. "I don't know sweetie. I guess God needed him in heaven."

"But I need him here," she whined.

Bella set her hand on Sophie's chest. "He's right here, in your heart baby. He'll always be there. No matter what."

Tears rolled down Sophie's cheeks. "Really Momma?"

"Really baby."

Bella hugged Sophie tightly and kissed cheek. Then she extended her arm and gestured for Tommy to join them. He rushed into his mother's arm as she said, "And Daddy's in your heart too, son. You know that right?"

"Yeah, I know that," he said softly.

"Come on you two, the limo should be here shortly to take us to the church."

"It's already here," said Thomas. "It arrived just before you came downstairs. The driver and I put the car seats in so it would be one less thing you'd need to worry about."

"Okay then, let's do this, shall we."

Bella stood up, took her children's hands, and walked out of the house with her head held high. Olivia and Sophie's car seats placed on the side seats the limo, and once everyone was seated, they headed for the church in silence. Even Olivia was quiet as they rode along.

They arrived at the church, just behind the hearse carrying Grant's body. Four of Grant's coworkers were waiting by the curb, to be the pall-bearers for the day's services. When Bella and family stepped out of the limo, they all quietly greeted her. She acknowledged them, then quickly darted into the church as Olivia began to fuss.

Once the casket was placed, more guests and mourners arrived. Bella sat in what would normally be the bridal room, nursing Olivia. Amanda and Thomas kept Sophie and Tommy occupied, greeting guests as they arrived. One by one, the church where Bella and Grant were married, filled with mourners and friends. Some asked about Bella's whereabouts, others expressed their condolences to Grant's parents.

Grant's sister, Marlee, arrived exclaiming, "Mother! Father! Where's Bella?"

"Feeding Olivia," said Amanda.

"Oh right," said Marlee, "she and Grant had a baby not too long ago. But why did they name her Olivia?"

"That was my idea," said Sophie, proudly.

"Oh, hello Sophie," said Marlee, surprised. "I didn't see you there. Where's your brother?"

Sophie pointed, "Over there."

"Ah yes, the spitting image of his father."

"Uncle Zane!" cried Sophie, running toward a tall man in a black suit, entering the church.

Zane quickly knelt down and took the small girl into his arms. "Hello princess. How are you today?"

Tommy darted over after Sophie. "Hi Uncle Zane."

"Hello Tommy," said Zane reaching out and taking the boy into his arm.

Marlee, Amanda, and Thomas walked over. "Hello," said Thomas. "And whom might you be?"

Zane released the children, stood up, extended his hand, and said, "Zane Masters. I'm a friend of Grant and Bella's. Well, I was anyway."

"A friend huh?" questioned Marlee.

"And you might be?" asked Zane, his hand still extended.

Thomas took Zane's hand and said, "Thomas Hamilton, this is my wife Amanda, and our daughter Marlee."

The two men shook hands and Zane instantly could tell, Grant was very much like his father: forceful, strong, and a real alpha-male. "I do wish we were meeting under better circumstances," said Zane.

"Zane?"

Everyone turned to see Bella holding Olivia, with Katherine standing beside her. It was clear to all that Zane's presence was a surprise to Bella.

"Hello Bella," said Zane.

"What ... how ... when ... when did you get back?" she asked.

"Last night. Carmen called me and told me when the funeral was."

"Oh," said Bella, her voice was flat, "that was nice of her."

Olivia squirmed in Bella's arms. "She's gotten so big," said Zane.

"Yeah, she slept six hours. I knew she'd sleep past two after a while."

"Bella!" exclaimed a woman behind Zane.

Carmen and Miguel stepped up, passing Zane and hugging Bella. "Hello," Bella said.

Carmen turned and smiled. "Zane! Oh I'm so happy were able to make it."

"Hello Carmen. Miguel," said Zane.

"Zane," said Miguel.

The two men shook hands as Carmen said, "She's getting so big."

"Yeah, she slept six hours. I told Grant she'd sleep past two after a while."

Carmen rubbed Bella's arm, then said, "We're going to find a seat. We'll talk later. Maybe next week we can meet for sushi."

Bella smiled weakly. "Sure. That sounds nice."

"Great. Miguel, shall we."

"I think I will follow Carmen's lead and find a seat myself. I'll see you all later," said Zane, excusing himself from the group.

"Uncle Zane?" questioned Marlee.

"What are you getting at?" asked Bella.

"You're an only child and I'm Grant's only sister."

"Zane is a family friend," Bella said, coldly. "Why do you care?"

Before Marlee could answer, the minister stepped up and said they were ready to start. Bella handed Olivia off to her mother, took Tommy's and Sophia's hands, and with her head held high, walked down the aisle she had gone down when she married Grant, and took her seat in the front of the church. She could hear the whispers of the crowd, but ignored them.

The service was touching. Friends and coworkers of Grant spoke about what a great friend and family man he was. There was a brief slide show presentation showing Grant's life from birth, to his marriage to Bella, and ending with the family picture Zane took the day Olivia was born.

After the service in the church, there was a graveside ceremony where Grant's coffin would be laid to rest. Bella nursed Olivia during this, remaining stoic the entire time. Tommy and Sophia cried as they watched their father's coffin lowered into the ground. Some guests whispered about her not crying, wondering if she was all right. Zane watched in silence, debating what he should do next.

A reception was held at Bella's home. People shared stories about Grant, or Grant and Bella. Bella was in her hostess mode, making sure no one's glasses were empty, and that they had something to eat. Zane was intercepted by Tommy and Sophie, so he sat with them, playing a game to keep them entertained when Marlee walked up.

"So, explain to me how you knew my brother."

"Grant was your brother," said Zane, "then I'm sorry for your loss."

"You didn't answer my question."

"We had some common business associates."

"Is that the story you're going with?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, never mind," she said. "I see you're playing with the kids."

"I thought this would help."

"Help who?"

"Bella. Tommy. Sophie."

"What about you?"

"What about me? I didn't lose a spouse or father recently."

"Do you have any kids?"

"It's your turn Uncle Zane," said Tommy.

"Is it?" questioned Zane. "Are you sure?"

Sophie giggled. "Yes, Uncle Zane."

"Well, if you'll excuse me, it's my turn and I'm getting my butt kicked here."

Marlee watched Zane and the children play for a bit, then wandered off. Zane knew she was fishing and could be a problem later, but he choose to focus on the children. Their laughter was an odd contrast, but a necessary sound at such a somber event. It allowed others to share happy stories about Grant, which opened the gate for others to laugh as well.

Bella was taking a rare break in the kitchen, nursing Olivia when Carmen found her. "Hey girl," said Carmen.

"Hi."

"Lunch time?" asked Carmen, pointing at Olivia.

"She hasn't napped with all the commotion, so I'm hoping this feeding will put her to sleep. She's getting so fussy."

"She does seem a bit overwhelmed."

"My mother said she's over stimulated. I hate to admit it, but I think she's right."

Carmen chuckled. "Ouch, admitting your mother is right. No woman ever wants to do that."

Bella laughed. "I know, right."

"How are you doing?"

Bella looked up at Carmen. "How am I doing?"

"Yeah. I hear everyone asking you about Olivia, Tommy, or Sophie, but I don't know if anyone has asked how you were doing."

"Oh," said Bella, "I guess I'm okay. Did you like the service?"

"It was wonderful. Grant would have been pleased."

Bella moved Olivia from one breast to the other, fixed her bra and dress, then said, "You know he moved out of the bedroom permanently. I told you that, didn't I?"

"Yeah, we talked. Remember, I'm the only one who knows all your secrets."

Bella snickered. "Oh yeah, I forgot. Oh, and thanks for telling Zane about all this."

"I knew he'd want to know."

"It was so nice of him to come. Where is he anyway?"

"Getting his ass kicked at Chutes and Ladders with the kids."

Bella laughed. "I swear he cheats so they win."

"I was watching, he's totally cheating. Sophie is clueless, but I think Tommy is catching on."

"Tommy is a smart boy. Just like his father."

Katherine walked into the kitchen. "How is she doing?"

"She's quieter, calmer."

"Is she sleeping?"

"Not yet, she's still eating."

"That's a good sign. Didn't you say she hadn't been eating as normal these last few days?"

"I asked the doctor, she said it was normal, especially with all that's been going on."

"Really?" asked Carmen.

"With all the stress that Bella's been under," said Katherine, "plus everything else, I'd say that sounds right. Speaking of eating, have you eaten today?"

"I guess I haven't had a chance to yet," said Bella.

"Bella!" exclaimed Katherine.

Olivia's head fell back. Bella looked down and smiled. "She's asleep!"

"Here, let me take her upstairs." Katherine took Olivia from Bella's arms, then turned to Carmen. "Will you make sure she eats something?"

"Yes Ma'am," said Carmen.

Bella fixed her bra and dress as she said, "I'm fine Mother."

"I'll be back in a bit," said Katherine, then took Olivia upstairs, and Carmen escorted Bella to the buffet and helped her fix a small plate of food.

"I'm not hungry," said Bella.

"I know, but with your nursing Olivia, you need to try to eat something."

Bella nodded. A few guests walked up and spoke with Bella about Grant and the children. Many expressed their sorrow at his death, or offering to help in the future. Bella and Carmen worked the room together, speaking with guests and sharing stories. Bella saw Zane and the children playing the game off in a corner and smiled. She chose not to bother them as the laughter of her children seemed to help her feel a bit better for a moment.

Bella retreated back into the kitchen, rinsing out wine glasses and throwing away trash. Carmen was bringing in glasses and helping her clean when Marlee stepped in. "You know the caterer will do that."

"I don't want my house getting trashed," said Bella.

Carmen stepped in with some wine glasses in her hands, setting them on the counter, and said, "Sophie just fell asleep on Zane's lap. Your father-in-law asked if you minded if he took her to her room."

"If he wants to, he can, that would be nice," said Bella.

Carmen stepped out as Marlee said, "So, tell me about Uncle Zane."

"What's to tell?"

"How did you two meet?"

Bella frowned. "What business is that of yours?"

"Were you sleeping with him?"

Bella dropped a wine glass in the sink. The glass shattered. She turned slowly, facing Marlee, and said, "Excuse me?"

"All day I've been asking myself, why doesn't Olivia look more like her father? Tommy is practically Grant's clone."

"Sophie doesn't look like Grant, she looks like me."

"True, but I can see Grant in her. It subtle, but it's there. Olivia on the other hand, looks nothing like Grant."

"She's three months old."

"Tommy looked like Grant from day one."

"So are you implying that neither girl is Grant's?"

"I did question Sophie's paternity," said Marlee, smiling wickedly. "I even shared that with Grant, but he swore you were as faithful as the day is long."

"I am."

"Then explain Zane to me."

"Why?"

"Why? Because I asked."

"So."

"So? Really Bella. A mysterious man appears in your life and becomes 'Uncle Zane' to your children. You magically get pregnant over a year after your husband has a vasectomy, and yet, the two of you swear up and down she's his."

"You knew he had a vasectomy?"

"He stayed with me when he had it done. Said you two were fighting."

"That fucking bastard!" cried Bella.

"Are you implying my brother was lying?"

"Implying? Implying! Bitch! Your brother was the king of lies!"

"Don't speak that way about my brother."

"I'll speak any fucking way I want!" Bella shouted. "Your dear brother and my beloved husband was a serial man-whore! He fucked any woman he could con into bed! I was nothing more than a trophy wife who looked good on his arm!"

"I will not have you talk such trash about my brother!"

Carmen was standing just outside the kitchen listening, when she darted off. Zane was sitting with Tommy playing Battleship.

"B-7," said Tommy.

"Hit," said Zane. "You sank my battleship."

"Zane!" she exclaimed, nearly running toward the two.

"What is it Carmen?"

"You need to come to the kitchen and quick. It's Bella."

"Excuse me Tommy," said Zane standing up.

"Okay, we'll finish later," said Tommy.

As Zane and Carmen approached, they heard a woman say, "... fucking whore!"

A glass shattered. "Me?" shrieked Bella. "You're calling me a fucking whore?"

Zane and Carmen stood at the kitchen entrance and waited. "I told Grant to divorce your ass after Sophie was born, but he wouldn't do it. Then when he announced you were pregnant with Olivia, I told him you must have cheated on him. But my idiot brother swore you were the most faithful wife in the world. Boy did you have him fooled."

"Didn't you ever question why he was having a vasectomy away from home?"

"I believed my brother."

"So you think we were fighting? It never occurred to you that he might be trying to hide his vasectomy from me to continue with his affairs?"

"My brother never had an affair on you!"

"Are you fucking kidding me? Wait, how many times did Grant stay with you?"

"Three or four times a year for the last seven or eight years."

Bella grabbed a wine glass and threw it at Marlee, missing her and hitting the opposite wall. "You! You were the one who enabled him to fuck so many women!"

"He wasn't fucking any women, he said he needed a break from you and your bullshit."

"Me and my bullshit? Try me and his children! He'd constantly bitch when Tommy was teething because he was so fussy! Sophie had bouts of colic! Olivia's a fucking newborn who isn't old enough to sleep through the night."

"A real mother could have kept that away from the father who was working to provide for his family."

Bella lunged for Marlee, but Zane stepped in and grabbed her around the waist. "Let me go Zane!"

"No," he said.

Bella struggled to break free, as Marlee said, "For a family friend, he sure does get rather personal."

"Excuse me?" questioned Zane.

"You play games with the kids, Sophie falls asleep on your lap, something she never did with Grant."

"That's because he rarely spent time with her!" snapped Bella.

"Oh please! How long have you two been doing the horizontal mambo?"

Zane's grip loosened up just enough for Bella to escape and pounce on Marlee, knocking her to the floor. The two women fought until Zane grabbed Bella and Thomas rushed in and grabbed Marlee.

"Get the fuck out of my house!" shrieked Bella

"You mean Grant's house!" shouted Marlee, her face swelling from the blows she received from Bella.

"NO! I mean my house. Check the deed. Grant put it in my name as a tax dodge. Besides, as his wife, everything he had is now mine!"

"My brother loved you!"

"The hell he did!" exclaimed Bella, struggling to break free of Zane's grip. "If he fucking loved me, he never would have cheated on me! He never would have left me!"

"Grant never fucking left you!" shouted Marlee.

"He always fucking left me! He left me for his whores! He left me to hide at your place! He left me! He left me to raise three children alone so he could resume his affair with his new secretary! My only fucking regret was not filing for the divorce sooner!"

"Divorce? On what grounds?"

"I'd say infidelity, but since this is a no-fault divorce state, it's irreconcilable differences!"

"And you think he'd let you have custody of the kids?"

"He sure as fuck didn't want them! If he did, he wouldn't have been in that car on his way to another 'No-Tell Motel' with his secretary!"

"Bella!" snapped Amanda. "Stop saying such trash!"

"It's not trash!" screamed Bella. "It's the truth! He never loved me! He cheated on me every chance he got! Then in the end he left me!"

Tears began to fall down Bella's cheeks. "He did love you," said Thomas, still holding Marlee.

"No!" sobbed Bella. "If he loved me, why did he leave me? Why wasn't I good enough for him? Why did he cheat on me all the time? Why didn't he love me?"

Zane spun Bella around, held her into his chest, and said, "You were too good for him, he wasn't good enough for you."

"Excuse me?" snapped Marlee.

"Zane's right," said Carmen, finally finding her voice. "Grant wasn't good enough for her. I know, I set up two of Grant's affairs before I knew what a great lady Bella was. I've spent the last ten plus years trying to make that up to her."

"Why didn't he love me?" wailed Bella into Zane's chest. She was now hysterically weeping.

"He did love you Bella, he just sucked at showing it," said Zane in a soothing voice, holding Bella as tight as he could.

"How dare you say such trash?" exclaimed Marlee. "My brother loved her even though she didn't deserve it."

"Get her out of here!" shouted Carmen. "She's upsetting Bella."

"Why?" bawled Bella. "Why didn't he love me?"

Zane held her tight, stroked her hair and said, "It's going to be all right sweetie. Let it out. Just let it out."

Bella wept into Zane's chest, her body shook with sobs, make-up ran down her face staining Zane's white shirt, and it seemed to all she was never going to stop crying. Thomas escorted Marlee out and told her to come back in the morning so her and Bella could work things out.

Zane and Bella stood in the kitchen as Carmen cleaned up the broken glass. Miguel and Carmen helped clean the kitchen while Bella's sobs began to quiet. Zane scooped her up into his arms. The black stain on his shirt from where her make-up and rubbed off was covered by her limp body. Bella's face was red with black tear stains. Zane quietly carried her out of the kitchen, past the crowd that had gathered to witness Bella's meltdown, and upstairs to her bedroom. He lay her on the bed, removed her shoes, and started to leave when she whispered, "Stay. Please."

Zane lay next to her, holding her close, assuring her she would be fine. Tommy came in, his face red and tear stained, and said, "Mommy?"

Seeing him stand there, Zane realized all too late he had witnessed Bella's meltdown. Bella tried to reach for him, but could barely move her arms. Zane gestured for Tommy who climbed onto the bed, and snuggled into Bella. Before long, both were sleeping peacefully. Zane carefully slid off the bed, kissed Bella's forehead, and began to leave the room when he found a crying Sophie in the hallway.

"What's wrong baby?" Zane asked.

"I can't find Momma," she sobbed.

Zane scooped her up and said, "She's sleeping in her room. Look."