Chapter 132

Pearl hailed a cab and headed back to her bungalow. She opened the door and exhaled the breath she felt like she had been holding in since she left the restaurant. She looked around the room and remembered her break down the night before. It was humiliating but necessary experience for her. She really was grateful for Erik. He had just listened to her. He didn't try to sleep with her. He didn't want anything from her. He just cared because of what she spoke about at a charity event. And he was right. She hadn't had time to process anything that had been happening to her. The men, the band the business. It had all been a whirlwind and she hadn't had a moment for herself. She realized what she needed to do. She picked up her phone and called John.

When she arrived back at the house, Rhys was there, packing their things. "Hey." Pearl said as she opened the door to the bedroom.

"You're home. I didn't know if you'd come back." Rhys said. She could see the relief in his eyes but she was still uncertain about his feelings toward her.

She started to gather her things and then she asked Rhys "Why are you packing up? You have the awards in three days. I thought we'd be staying until then."

"I'm not going. I don't want to go." He said without looking at her.

"Oh". She replied, folding her clothes and putting them in her suitcase.

"I don't want to go without my wife. I don't want to be anywhere without you. Last night was the longest and worst night of my life." He said, looking up at her.

"Now you know how I felt when you left me those nights. Not telling me where you were. He does it feel? Never mind. You don't have to answer that because I know." She said, feeling the tears forming. She was angry at herself for starting to cry. She was angry, not sad.

"I know." Rhys said, looking pained, yet still not apologizing or saying he wasn't embarrassed of her. She wasn't falling for it again.

"I should regret leaving you last night. I should regret the whole thing but I don't. I'm glad I left you here. And that's why I think we need to take a break. I'm going to take a few weeks and travel, alone. I need some time to process some things. I need to regroup. I hit rock bottom last night and I never want to feel that way again. I wont ever allow myself to feel that way again." Pearl didn't care what his reaction was. Her mind was made up.

"What? What are you saying? Like a separation? No. I don't agree to that. And what about the album? The appearances and promotion? You can't just leave." Rhys was pleading now.

"I talked to John. He said a couple of weeks he could manage without me. And he said he was happy I was doing it. He thinks I need it, too." Pearl told him. "And yes. A separation. I'm not asking for a divorce. Yet. But we need time apart. I need space to think. If you feel the need to see other people, fine. I called Iris. She is taking care of it. My flight leaves the day after tomorrow." And she closed her luggage and walked to the door.

The flight home was silent and the next day was brutal. Rhys continued to plead with her not to leave and when she had packed and started to leave to catch her flight, he begged her one last time to stay. She hugged him and told him she loved him and opened the door. "I hope this doesn't change anything. I hope you realize what you're doing and that you could be losing me by doing this." Rhys said. Pearl looked at him in utter disbelief. She knew what he meant. He meant there could be another woman, or other women involved. He was threatening her in his own way. It was only two weeks she had planned to be gone and he was saying this shit. And with that, she was even more thankful for her decision and closed the door behind her.