Your Wife
BELLA
When Cyrus and Sarah left, I returned to the party, hoping to find Cullen. Was I the only one who thought he and Sarah could actually work if they just gave themselves a chance? If they just tried to see each other? They were married, after all. What other options did they have?
I knew Sarah wanted that chance. I could see it in the way her eyes lingered on me and Cyrus like she longed for something like that. I could hear it in her voice when she said Cullen wouldn’t touch her, wouldn’t even look at her. I knew my friend was the problem. He was the one poisoning their marriage, holding on to that WHICH no longer existed.
Even now, I still can't wrap my head around the cruelty Cullen showed me. The way he cut me out like I was the villain. The words he used or sometimes didn’t use, hurt more than anything physical ever could. He made me feel like I was the problem. And I knew he was doing the same thing to Sarah. In his mind, she was the villain of his story.
But the truth is, Sarah didn’t ask for any of this either. I doubt she ever wanted to be married to a man who avoided her, who couldn’t bring himself to even sit beside her. It was an arranged marriage, not something she planned. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
And maybe you could blame me for being part of it all, but Cullen is a grown man. I couldn’t control him. Long before Sarah came into the picture, Cullen would come over every morning for breakfast. He loved that time with his godson, Caesar. It was a tradition, one I know also annoyed Cyrus, which Cullen enjoyed.
When Cullen got married, I couldn’t just shut him out. This house was as much his brother’s as it was mine. It was also Caesar’s home. I tried talking to him, telling him to take a few days to actually get to know his wife. I even suggested he bring Sarah with him when he visited, so I could get to know her too. But he never did.
At first, I didn’t even think much of it. I wasn’t hiding his visits. Everyone knew he didn’t spend much time at his family home anymore. He used to have dinner with his mom all the time, especially when his father was busy. They were close, she always said he was her best friend.
But after the wedding, things changed. Because Sarah was now at the house, Cullen just...stopped existing in his own home. I knew Sarah had to be feeling abandoned, and I tried. I tried telling him. But again, he’s an adult. You can't force someone to do the right thing.
And I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I was married to his brother. He was my brother-in-law. For years, he’d felt like a real brother to me. We never crossed any lines. I tried to encourage him, like his mother did, to focus on his marriage. But he never listened.
I’ll never forget the day I heard Sarah screaming downstairs. I had just taken Caesar upstairs to clean him up after he threw up on his godfather. Cullen had spent the night because he told me that he and Sarah fought. He said he’d use the guest room downstairs to shower. I didn’t ask questions.
I cleaned Caesar up, got him settled and sleepy, and then laid him in his bed. I went to my room and took a quick shower too, he’d thrown up on me too. But just as I stepped out, I heard shouting downstairs. I didn’t think much of it at first. I got dressed and started heading down... and that’s when I saw Sarah. Speed-walking out the front door like she couldn’t get away fast enough.
That was the last time she even pretended to be okay with me. After that, it was like she shut down completely. I don’t know if she had been drinking that morning, or if something snapped inside her, but from that day forward... things only got worse....
I looked everywhere inside the party hall, but there was no sign of Cullen. Then I saw him through the glass windows out on the balcony, talking to a young redhead woman. She was obviously attracted to him. Her face was red like her hair, I couldn't tell if it was from embarrassment or nerves but her body language screamed green lights.
She was into him. I sighed. I really hoped Cullen wasn’t cheating on his wife. He knew his family’s stance on cheating, his father’s, and his mother’s. Everyone's.
I made my way over.
The moment Cullen saw me, his whole face lit up. He reached for my hand, kissed the back of it dramatically, and smiled as he introduced us.
"Samia, this is my beautiful sister-in-law, the princess of the family."
Samia nodded, avoiding my gaze. "Of course. Hello, Bella. Everyone knows about you."
"Really?" I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly.
"Yes..." she muttered.
I don’t know why, but the bitch in me decided to wake up right then.
"Cullen is married," I said pointedly.
Samia turned even redder. "I’m sorry..... I should go."
"Oh, don’t go," Cullen said casually, but she was already retreating fast.
I turned to face him fully and raised an eyebrow. "Please don’t tell me you’re cheating on Sarah."
He groaned, taking a long sip of his drink. "I’m not cheating on her, okay? What now, I can’t even flirt. Is that it?"
"We have bigger problems than you trying to flirt your way out of your issues."
"Yeah," he said, voice sharp, "because that’s all I seem to do these days."
"Well, nobody’s stopping you from sleeping with your wife, are they?" I shot back.
He looked at me for a long second, then gave me a bright, sarcastic smile.
"Oh, look who showed up today. What, you want to give me the sex talk now?"
"Cullen, this is serious. This is about your wife."
"What about her?" he asked, the irritation suddenly sharp in his voice.
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