Those beautiful eyes, the very ones I fell in love with a long time ago. Surely there was still a way to make this work. I loved her, and she must have loved me if she wanted to have my baby so badly.
I’d made a mistake, and perhaps so had she, but we could get past it. We could find our way back to each other, if only she would be truthful with me.
“Tell me what happened, sweetheart,” I begged her softly, and for a moment, her eyes filled with remorse and guilt as we gazed at one another.
But then, just like that, as if a light had been switched off, the moment passed, and venom filled those pretty eyes of hers. “Nothing to tell,” she said coldly, moving away from my touch before I could pull her back in my arms.
“By the way, Dev,” she added, her voice syrupy sweet and dripping with fake kindness as she once again turned her back on me. “I know you’re not man enough to give me the child I want, but the least you could do is make sure our mule takes care of herself.”
Her words were pure evil, and they fucking stung.
I stared at her, my mouth gaping open, unable to believe she really said those hateful things to me. My jaw tensed up; my teeth ground together. I could’ve thrown our marriage away right there and then by saying something hateful right back, but before I had a chance to reply, she looked me right in the eye to deliver the final blow.
“I hope our baby will be more like me than you,” she said matter-of-factly, like we were discussing a business transaction. “It would be bothersome to have to deal with your shortcomings in that way, too.”
Who was this woman? I thought.
My wife had her straight, sharp edges at times, but she was never this cruel or unpleasant. What kind of monster had Monique become? Did I do this to her?
With that, she turned on her heel and walked right out of the room. I stared at her retreating figure, watching her go upstairs and into our bedroom.
Robotically I headed towards the den. Her words were still ringing in my ears, but I attempted to block them from my thoughts. I tried to stay numb, as if it didn’t matter at all what she had said. As if she hadn’t just humiliated both Mila and me.
I took it all, because I deserved it. I kissed my stepsister today, which proved just what a crappy husband I really was. But did Monique hate me so much that I’d somehow changed her over the course of the years? Made her become this nasty person that I did not want to be around?
My mind heavy with liquor and regret, I set up my bed for the night. There was no way I could sleep in the same room as Monique, not after what had spilled from her vile mouth, even if I’d wanted to be close to her, which I didn’t. Regardless, I was sure she would have kicked me out had I tried.
I lay down and pulled the flimsy blanket over my body. My mind was swimming with so many thoughts; I knew sleep would elude me for a good while.
But despite all my worries about Monique and our marriage, one thing stood out amidst the chaos.
Mila.
Beautiful, laughing, pure Mila, who made me feel like I was worth something, and whose seductive body felt so goddamn right under the tips of my fingers.
Why did it have to be her that I wanted?
Why couldn’t I stay true to the vows I’d made to Monique?
Why did I want what I couldn’t have?
11
Mila
My head was pounding as I woke. As soon as I opened my eyes, it felt like the sunlight was slicing right through my head, the shaft of light pummelling its way into my skull like an unrelenting power drill. Groaning, I got up and shut the drapes to reclaim the soothing darkness.
Just as I started to move back to the bed, my eyes widened as I remembered everything that had happened. Seeing Monique with another man, breaking her rules by eating junk food and drinking, and then, oh fuck… Kissing Devan.
My hand flew up to cover my mouth as the memories started trickling in. Dread caused my hand to tremble.
I needed to get ready for work, but just the thought of seeing either Devan or Monique so soon after last night made my stomach churn; I was petrified of going downstairs to use the bathroom and kitchen in the main house.
Desperate and annoyed with myself, I groaned inwardly, cursing the fact that there was no bathroom and kitchen in the studio above the garage. Going into Dev and Monique’s home to pee had been awkward enough before, but with the added discomfort of her affair and the kiss I had shared with Dev, my anxiety levels were spiking through the roof.
Had Devan told her about last night? Our kiss? Had he come clean?
Fuck, what if he had? I thought as my eyes widened. I shook my head. Monique would’ve bashed the door down, interrupting my morning sleep, if all had been revealed the night before.
I thought about my options for a second, wondering what I could do. Obviously, I could grab a bite on the way to work instead of making breakfast downstairs, but I desperately needed to pee and brush my teeth. With a heavy sigh, I gulped down the lump in my throat and headed on shaky legs towards the back door below.