Chapter 18: What about...Brielle?

Continued from chapter 17:

“I need to see you punished, Amy. Your friends too—at least Jenna and Rose, if they are going to continue calling you their friends. They need to be punished with you.”

Shock washes over her, a chill running down her spine at the implications of my suggestion. I can see her mind racing as she considers the gravity of my words.

After a long moment, she speaks, voice trembling but resolute.

“I... I think I might know someone. An old college professor of mine, Dr. Eliza Thorne. She’s known for her unconventional methods in couples therapy, especially with cases involving infidelity. While she has a reputation for being stern, even harsh, her goal is always to facilitate real change and reconciliation.”

Amy takes another deep breath, steeling herself for the next part of her suggestion.

“I could reach out to her, explain the situation, see if she would be willing to take on our case, to design a program of punishment and redemption for me and…”

I smile sadly.

“You're on the right track, Amy, but I prefer to keep it a little closer.”

I continue trying to navigate my feelings, hoping Amy understands where I’m coming from.

“I just don’t know, Amy, about any of this. I hope we’re doing the right thing by going down this road. I feel so disconnected from you. I’m too angry to punish you, but I think you really need to be punished for what you did.”

Chapter 18:

My heart jackhammers in my chest as I propose my solution. It’s something I’ve contemplated all day, and it will hurt Amy more than I ever could. How will she take it?

“What about your kid sister, Brielle? Have you told her what you did yet? Isn’t she a cheerleader at Pomeroy University? Do you think she’d do it if you asked? I know it would be humiliating for you, given that she's only twenty-one and your younger sister, but at least it would be someone you know.”

I pause, gauging her reaction.

“After your mom cheated on your dad, I feel like Brielle never got over that. She has the context and the anger to do it right, but also enough love for you to approach it from that place.”

“Plus, she loves me, and us, and I think she’d be willing to fight for us to restore our marriage, no matter how uncomfortable it gets as we explore how to punish you properly.”

“And she hates your friends, so I don’t think she’d have any problem punishing Jenna and Rose either…”

Amy’s eyes widen in shock at my suggestion. Disbelief, horror, and a strange, twisted sense of relief war within her as she considers the implications of involving her beloved younger sister in such an intimate and painful scenario.

“Brielle? Oh God, Ero… I haven’t told her yet. I couldn’t bring myself to. She’s so young, so innocent. The idea of dragging her into this mess, subjecting her to the ugly realities of adult betrayal and punishment…”

Despite her reservations, Amy can’t deny the perverse logic behind my proposal. Brielle’s youth, her personal history with infidelity, and her deep love for both Amy and me create a unique dynamic that could potentially balance the scales in a way no one else could.

“But…”

She bites her lip, considering the logistics and emotional toll of such an arrangement.

“It would be incredibly humiliating having my baby sister oversee my discipline.”

I smile encouragingly.

“That’s the idea, sweetie. Let’s call her. Right now. I want you to call her and tell her that I’m on speakerphone, for transparency's sake. Then, you are going to tell her everything—leaving nothing out—about all of it: what you did, how it felt, how you made me feel, and the involvement of The Sexy Six.”

I pick up Amy’s phone and hand it to her.

“I want you to take whatever disappointment, anger, and rage she gives you.”

“When she is done scolding you, I want you to ask her about becoming our marriage counselor. Ask if she can come for a week over her fall break and help us restore our marriage—by punishing you, humiliating you, and taking you apart piece by piece so that the scales of our marriage can be balanced again.”

“If she’ll agree to it, you can also ask if she’ll provide the same measure of discipline to Jenna and Rose if you still want their friendship.”

With shaking hands, Amy takes the phone from me. Her heart pounds in her chest as she contemplates the monumental step she’s about to take.

“Okay… Okay, I’ll do it. For us, for our marriage.”

She takes a deep, shuddering breath, steeling herself before dialing Brielle’s number. Activating the speaker function, she ensures complete transparency, just as I requested.

The call connects, and Brielle's cheerful voice fills the room.

“Hey, sis! What’s up?”

Amy swallows hard, her voice trembling as she begins to speak.

“Brielle? I…” She chokes back a sob, her eyes tearing up.

“Amy? Hey, sweetie, are you okay?” Brielle’s voice is full of concern.

“Brielle? I’ve got Ero here on speaker…”

She turns away from the phone, chest heaving as she tries to keep her composure.

“Hi, Ero,” Brielle says cheerfully.

Her familiarity with me is apparent; she loves me.

Brielle Lovelace—Lovelace being Amy’s maiden name—has always loved me and approved of me. When I started dating Amy four years ago, Brielle was 16, fighting the world after what her mom did to her dad.

I became a steady presence in Amy’s life, teaching Brielle to drive, talking to her about boys, and being a strong male figure as her dad drifted away in light of their mother’s infidelity.

She has become a strong, confident young woman of 20—beautiful and accomplished as the cheer captain at Pomeroy University, and president of her sorority—all while being only a sophomore in college.

I hear her concern as she picks up on Amy’s tone.

“Amy, what is it babe? You can tell me…”

Amy takes a shuddering breath, gathering every ounce of courage she possesses.

When she speaks again, her voice is thick with emotion, each word a struggle to get out.

“B-Brielle, I... I need to tell you something. Something terrible I’ve done.”

She pauses, composing herself before continuing, her tone heavy with self-loathing and regret.

“I... I cheated on Ero. While he was out of town. At W-Wild Willy's. Girl's night. I betrayed Ero in the worst possible way, and I can never forgive myself for the pain I’ve caused him.”

Amy’s voice breaks, tears flowing freely as she lays bare her soul.

“I’m so sorry, Brielle. I know how much you love Ero, how much you care about our family.”

There’s a stunned silence on the other end of the line, broken only by the sound of Amy’s muffled sobs.

When Brielle finally speaks, her voice is low, trembling with barely contained emotion.

“Amy... How could you? After everything Mom put Dad through, how could you do this to Ero, to yourself?”

To be continued in chapter 19...