Page 61 of Ma Belle Marguerite
Chapter 27
Isabella
Ileave Rex’s office without a word. I don’t trust myself not to give away that something is bothering me. Thankfully, Josh was too into his research to notice me slipping out.
Once I get into my room, I lock both doors. I don’t want Rex to slip in using the door between our rooms. I just need to be alone and think everything through and how to talk to him about it. This can’t be what it seems. I mean, it could be possible, I guess.
Walking to the bathroom, I decide to soak in the tub while I process. I lock the bathroom door behind me, too, just in case Rex decides to unlock the others and enters against my wishes. Maybe he’ll get the hint. With his stubborn ass you never know.
Who am I kidding? He won’t care what I want. But it’s worth a try.
I turn the water on to fill the tub while I look through the medicine cabinet. I find a green apple scented epsom salt, my second favorite smell. I add a bit to the water and strip down. As I step in I feel that the water is scorching hot, but I need something to distract me a bit.
Careful to keep my bandage dry I turn the water off and the jets on. This feels so amazing, even if it’s practically burning my skin off. How have I gone so many years without one of these?
Seeing Rex’s bloodwork on Josh’s computer screen really has me questioning the last thirteen years.
How did I never know Rex had VWD, Von Willebrand Disease, which is an inheritable bleeding disorder. Remi also has it, but we didn’t know where it came from as no one in my family or my late husbands had it.
When I met my late husband, Adrien, things moved quickly. On our first date, we ended up at a party. I was heartbroken, drunk, and wanting to forget everything.
We ended up sleeping together, and then I ghosted him for about two weeks. I didn’t want a relationship, I just wanted to forget. Although sleeping with him that night didn’t do that. If anything, it only made me feel worse. I was still holding out hope that Rex would come for me even though my letter kept coming back to me unopened.
I missed my next period, took a test, and two blue lines came up confirming that I was pregnant. I assumed it was Adrien's child since he was the last person I had slept with. So I contacted him, and we decided to make things work the best we couldfor the baby, which we found out later was actually two. Being college students expecting twins was crazy, but we made it work.
We grew to care for each other and became best friends, and although thinking of Rex still stung, I knew it was for the best. Or so I thought. Now, I’m not so sure about that. I may have cheated Rex and my twins out of many years together.
Would things have been different if I had come home and told him I was pregnant? I should have known there was a chance the babies were his. Nothing can be simple, that is the way my life goes.
I lay back and think about the things I should have realized years ago. According to my last period, Brielle and Remi were born five weeks early but were healthy and well-developed. Nothing seemed off about their being born before full term, as it is quite normal with multiples.
But if I go back and think about when I last was with Rex, the dates would line up with their birth date being about a month early, which lines up with their stage of development at birth. That means I had my period while pregnant and didn’t know. How does this shit even happen? I mean I’ve seen that show about people who gave birth without knowing that they were pregnant, but I thought it was all made up for ratings.
Remi weighed five pounds eight ounces, and Brielle weighed five pounds twelve ounces. That isn’t very small for preemie twins. The signs were all there, but I missed them—or maybe I just didn’t want to see them.
What is Rex going to say? Is he going to be angry with me thinking I lied all these years? I didn’t keep the kids away from him on purpose. I wouldn’t fault him for being upset. I just hope he will give me a chance to fully explain.
Maybe I should try to do a DNA test without him knowing, making sure before I tell him. There is no reason to get himupset for nothing. It could just be a coincidence that Remi and Rex have the same blood disorder.
I always thought Brielle got her blue eyes from Adrien, but the color is brighter like Rex’s eyes. Remi has black hair that we figured was passed down from grandparents on Adrien's side, but it could be from Rex instead. This is going to change so many things if he really is their father.
What are the kids going to think? Their mother lied to them their whole lives, and while unintentional, it is the truth.
Are they going to hate me? Will they accept Rex as their true father if the blood test confirms my suspicions? Shit this will put a bigger target on their backs, something they do not understand, thanks to my stubbornness. I tried to keep them away from this life ‘for their safety’ and it may have been the wrong choice.
How could I be so selfish? I kept them away from here and their family because I was too scared to face the fact that the man I loved didn’t want me. What kind of mother does that? A self-centered one, I’m that kind of mother. I may have ruined my children's lives.
They had a great father in Adrien. He was always there for them and made sure they never went without anything they wanted or needed, but that should have been Rex.
I can feel my emotions spiraling all over. I need to figure this out, and quickly, before it consumes me.
Josh is my best bet to figure it out fast, but his loyalty is to Rex. He would blab what is going on faster than I could walk out of the room after asking for his help. If Camille or Giselle aren’t mad at me for ignoring them the past couple of days, maybe they can help me.
Just add ‘horrible friend’ to the list—’selfish mother and friend.’ I could probably add “shitty daughter” on there too. Not only did I leave my parents but I didn’t give them much of achance to get to know the twins either over the years since I refused to come home.
I can hear banging coming from the bedrooms. It must be Rex. What is his problem? He told me to go to my room, and I did. I may have locked him out, but he didn’t say I couldn’t. Maybe he will be more specific next time. As for right now he can just stay away if he wants to order me around like a dog. I am nobody's bitch.
Before I even have a chance to think about getting out of the tub and dressed to go see what Rex wants, he is in the bathroom with me.
