Forsaking All Others - Part Two


Cory Green is 48; Rose Green is 35; Samantha Bradshaw is 25, Chris and Aaron Green are 47.

June 2025











---

So far, the day had been perfect, but that didn't stop Helen from drawing in her breath sharply when she saw Dustin approaching.  Up until now, they'd managed to keep her eldest half-brothers apart, but there was no avoiding it this time.  Dustin went straight to Cory.


"So... I hear you've finally stopped living with mum and dad?  Left it a bit late, didn't you? I mean, most people leave home at 18 or so... "
"Dustin, leave him alone," Helen said.
"You know, that's half his problem," said Dustin.  "Everyone jumps to stick up for him.  He's never had the chance to learn to stand up for himself."
"He's lived in worse places than you could imagine," Helen said, "I'm pretty sure he can stand up for himself more than you could ever - "


"Can you please stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Cory said.
"Can you please... " Dustin mimicked.  "Is that how you stand up for yourself? By saying please?"


"I'm not listening to this... " Cory said, as he walked away.


"Is Dustin always like that?" Leo asked, when they were alone again.


"With Cory, he is," said Helen.  "He always has been.  The divorce hasn't helped his mood, either.  It's been almost a year, I kind of hoped he'd bring a partner today, but... 


Serder interrupted them.  "Can I just see you two for a moment?"  He gestured for them to come with him. 


The sun was setting as he led them out to the little courtyard between the church and the reception room.  "I just wanted somewhere quiet to give you this," he explained.


"But... what?" Helen looked at the envelope he handed her.  "You've paid for all this today, this had better not be a wedding gift as well."
"It isn't," he said, "at least, not in the traditional sense.  I want you to think of it more as an advance... "
Helen opened the envelope, and she and Leo both gasped as they looked at the amount on the cheque inside. 
"It's for your business," Serdar explained.  "Leo was telling me that he'd found an old building he could convert into a gardening shop... "


"But... our loan was approved," Leo said.  "We don't need you to give us this."
"You shouldn't have to start your life as a couple with a loan over your head," Serdar said.  "And I'm not giving you anything that Helen won't inherit anyway, when I'm gone."


"So wait until then!" said Helen.  "When the time comes, we can use the money to pay back whatever we still owe... "
"... and deny me the pleasure of seeing you put it to good use?" Serdar said.  "I much rather give it to you now, while I'm still here to see the results.  Please, take it." 




"Now," said Serdar, "lets go back inside.  You don't want to miss too much of your own party."

---

 "Oh, no way!!"

Cory turned around to see what his brother was protesting to.  Aaron saw him looking and gestured him over.  He turned to his twin.  "Does he know?" he asked.


"No," said Chris.  "We've only told Dad and Brandi... and you now, of course... "
"Know what?" Cory asked.
"Tell him," said Aaron.
"We've got some big news," said Chris, grinning.  "Marsha's pregnant."
"What? How?!"
"Cory!"


"I mean... she's... what... 46, 47?  I didn't think it was that easy to have a baby at that age."
"Well, nor did we," Chris said, "but obviously we were wrong.  We've got some other news, too. We're moving back."
"To Richmond?" Aaron asked.
"Well, to Redwood City, to be exact, but its close enough.  The girls are starting high school, and it'll be nice for the baby to grow up close to family.  We actually found a house this week, so we should be back before too long."
Rose came to join them.  "What's up?"


"Chris is moving back."
"Oh, because of the baby?"
"You knew?"
"Marsha told me." She turned to Chris. "Congratulations."
"Um, yeah, same," said Cory, still taking in the news.  In the background, a new song started.
"Shall we?" Rose asked, taking Cory's arm.  They stepped out together onto the dance floor.


A few moments later. Serdar and Samantha danced up beside them.  Serdar touched Cory's arm.  "May we swap partners?"
"I.. .I don't... I mean..." Cory stammered, staring at Samantha.
"Oh, come on," Serdar said.  "I'm sure Rose won't mind you dancing with a friend."
Rose nodded.  "Go ahead," she said, moving to face Serdar.


"But..." he looked at Samantha.  She shrugged.
"Cory, you can't just leave her standing there," said Serdar.  "And she's a good dancer.  Go on."
So, tentatively, Cory took Samantha in his arms, and they began to move in time with the slow music.  His father was right, he thought... she was a good dancer...






"Just stop!  Just... don't!"


Helen turned to see Cory abruptly push Samantha away from him.
"But I - " Samanatha stammered
"Just stay away from me, ok?!  Just... just stay away!"

And he ran from the room, leaving her alone in the middle of the dance floor.

Helen started towards her friend, but stopped when she heard Dustin behind her.
"Typical Cory!  Has to make himself the centre of attention somehow."

She spun around to face him.


"Sorry," she said sweetly, as he wiped the drink off his face.  "I tripped on your obnoxiousness."   Ignoring his response, she turned back to the dance floor.  Samantha was already gone.  

---

Rose found Cory pacing around the little courtyard behind the church.  "Cory, stop," she called.  "What the hell was that about?"


He turned to face her, but he didn't reply.  "Something's going on," she said, "you can't pretend it isn't any more.  And I can't ignore it any more."
He took a deep breath, but otherwise didn't respond.


"Cory, please!"
"Yeah, something's going on," he said finally, "but you might not want to know."
"I want to know," she said.  "I need to know.  This has gone too far... "
"Samanatha," he said.  "She... um... I... we..."
"You what?"
He just stared at her.


"Cory, what about you an Samantha?"  She asked again, even though she already knew the answer.  She had to ask, just to hear him say it.
"I never meant it to happen... it just... I'm so sorry."
"Sorry?! What do you mean, you're sorry?  How long has this been - "
"Since the holidays.  That night, when she was drunk... she kissed me, and - "


"And, what?"  He didn't reply.  "I thought we... we... " she stammered.  "Was it me?  Was it something I did?"
"No... no it was never you! It was just.... I don't know what it was.  I tried to stop it, I really did.  But I can't stop what I feel.  I can't stop thinking about her.  I think... I think I love her."

Later, when she remembered that evening, Rose wouldn't remember exactly what she said after that.  She did know that is wasn't kind, not at all.  She would remember the anger, and the hurt, and the grief, and the way she lashed out, wanting to hurt him the way he'd hurt her.  


And, she would remember Cory.  She would remember the way he stood there, still, silent, not defending himself, not apologising, not doing anything at all.  Just taking whatever she threw at him.  And finally, when her emotions were spent, and there was nothing more she could think of to say, then he spoke again.


"Would it help if I moved out?"

"Moved out?"  she repeated.  He'd said it too easily, almost as if he'd planned it this way.  "Move out where?  To live with Samantha?"
"No. not to live with Samantha!  I don't know where... just... this is the way it works, isn't it?  I cheated, you're angry, I move out..."
"But it's your house."
"What's the alternative?  You find a place for you and the kids?  You leave the kids with me?  I don't think it's going to work either way like that.  I have to be the one to leave."
"Alright, then," she heard herself say.  "I think that would be a good idea."



"Ok," he said, "but I just have to ask you one thing.  We can't wreck Helen and Leo's wedding."
"You should have thought of that before you - "
"I know, I know... but, please?  Can we just not tell anyone about this tonight?  Tomorrow morning they'll be safely away on their honeymoon and it won't matter... can we please just walk out of here tonight like nothing's wrong?"

He was right, she'd give him that.  Angry as she was, she couldn't punish Helen and Leo for what he'd done.
"Ok, we can do that," she said, wiping her eyes as she started back towards the reception room.
"Thank you."



"I'm not doing it for you."
---

"Are you sure you're ok?" Helen asked. "Rose said you were leaving now."


"I'm fine," he said. "I'm just sorry I spoiled your reception..."
"Nothing's spoiled," she said, gesturing around the room, where people were dancing and chatting like nothing had happened.  "Everyone's forgotten already. I just... what happened?  Can I ask what was it about?"
"It was nothing," Cory said.  "I'm tired and I've got a headache, and Samantha made some innocent comment... I misunderstood... " He shook his head.  "I feel stupid now..."
"As long as you're ok."
"I am, or I will be," he said.  "But I still don't feel well, that's why we're calling it a night.  Rose is just rounding up the kids."


He pulled her into a hug.  "You have a great time on your honeymoon, and don't even think about what happened."  He shook Leo's hand then, forcing a smile, he crossed the room to where his wife was waiting.

----

It was very late, but Samantha didn't feel remotely like sleeping.

She should have left when she'd wanted to, all those months ago when Jeff went.  She should have told Helen she was going, instead of agreeing to be her bridesmaid.  Then none of this would have happened.

She'd been ready to go tonight, too.  She'd come back from the wedding, ready to just pack her bag and leave before this mess got any worse.  



Then she'd seen her pictures.  Photo booth shots of someone she'd known, a long time ago.  And she remembered the last time she'd taken those pictures down.

I'll do better next time...


She thought about Jeff, and the harm she'd done by just running.  But she'd had to, she reasoned, someone had threatened her.

No one was threatening her now.  

It was her choice alone.  She didn't quite know how she could do it better, now that the damage was done, she knew she had to try.  She owed them that.  She had to make it right somehow.

It was after 4am when Samantha finally went to sleep.  She'd be far too tired tomorrow, but it didn't matter.  She had a plan of sorts.  

A plan to do better.

Comments

  1. Ugh!!! Corey made it sound like he and Sam did much more than kiss! Of course his wife is going to be mad!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love Serdar - that was an awesome gift for Leo and Helen. Dustin's "gift" of stirring up a fight at the wedding was not so awesome. :\

    But wow...poor Rose. This has been coming for a long, long time, I guess but I don't think that would ever take the sting of discovering the truth out of it for her.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh what a tangled mess this is! He's lost so much, and he'll have nothing to show for it when Samantha leaves.......it's all just really sad. And poor Rose........ I need a dad like Serdar! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for reading!

    Apple, yeah, Cory has lost all perspective on what actually happened. Not that kissing her was ok, but his is making it seem a lot worse than it was.

    Carla, it made sense for Serdar to help them out, he's well set to do so and I think he'd enjoy the chance to do it. As for Dustin - I hacked his relationship with Cory back to what it was in the old hood (ie very negative) and he immediately picked a fight. He also did some other autonomous stuff that guaranteed him a bigger place in the story, so you'll see more of him in the future.

    You're right, I don't think anything could have made it easier for Rose, at least not after he hid it for so long.

    Mizzgin03, Cory has lot a lot, and its going to get a little more tangled, too... I feel sad for both of them.

    I could use someone like Serdar, too! Like many of my older sims, Serdar is quite wealthy - having lived in the 'old days', back when you I hadn't installed the many hacks I have now to make life financially harder/more realistic :) .

    The money he gave Helen and Leo is roughly the same as the value of the house he gave Cory, and he still has enough left over to share between his other two sons and Brandi. Not many sims would accumulate that much money in their life with the way my game works now!

    ReplyDelete
  5. First of all I have to say, I LOVE the wedding location!! Did you build it yourself?

    The wedding was nice as well, but poor Rose, this must be hard on her, and how awfull to hear it on a wedding!

    Serdar is a great dad, what an amazing gift for Helen and Leo.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Aww I feel so bad for Rose. And Cory said it so calm, making it sound much more than it actually was. Samantha is just a master of messing up relationships, isn't she?

    I'm glad Helen and Leo are finally hooked. I hope they hav tons of fun on their honeymoon.

    Great update!:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tanja, thanks! I think Serdar is definitely winning the popularity contest here :)

    It was sad that Rose found out at a wedding, but the fact that it was a wedding, was probably part of what pushed Cory to behave the way he did.

    As for the lot, the answer to whether I built is is no - and yes :) There is a little bit of trickery involved here. The beautiful original lot is downloaded from here:

    http://www.modthesims.info/download.php?t=326390

    ... I modified the interior of the church a little... but I found that, as much as I loved the idea of a reception area joined to the church, it was too small to take the pictures I wanted, and the lot crashed frequently with lots of sims there like I had for a big wedding.

    So, I made a simple square lot and decorated the interior as a reception room. By taking the interior reception pictures there, and the exterior ones at the real church, I gave the illusion that I was using the attached reception room.

    Coolcat, thanks. Somehow Samantha manages to mess up things without even trying! I could see Cory as being so calm in that situation because he always had this sense that it was predestined to happen that way... right back a few posts ago, when he visited his mother's grave... it's like he believed this script had been written for him, based on his parents' marriage, and all he was doing was playing it out in a way that he couldn't change.

    Honeymoon post coming up! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. "I tripped on your obnoxiousness." = best line ever! LOL

    Oh wow, Cory! He was just about at the snapping point, wasn't he?! Awww, they're just falling apart so fast! Rose must be in such a shock right now!

    Serdar is amazing, and the wedding was beautiful! I love Helen's dress - wishing her and Leo lots of happiness! :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Laura, thanks! :)

    I'm wishing them a lot of happiness, too - because, someone in this family needs to have a happy, uncomplicated life!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for reading and commenting!

Popular Posts