My Stepmother's Secret Affair

seconds, the wo

red at her. I

nous stepmother-just smiled lik

aid again, her voice

lse rip thro

in sharply.

e kept

was feeling neglected. Your son barely looks at me. You've

li

t, calcu

d with disgust. "You we

idn't. I couldn't. I stayed th

istake. But I didn't sleep with

mi

im that when she

ack. "Don't lie

st into

wless. We

verything. I would never..

s hard. "Is this true? Did

ed my

splintere

erything. Confessed. Expo

, shimmering with unshed lies-a

or a s

o quick, so deliberat

o

woul

coul

ce flat. "She told me.

mouth. A gasp. "Oh God. I

involved," I added.

ike I'd just handed

and you didn

one-time thing. A

s staring

ide. H

ump

my father. "It was a mistake

t her for a

nod

alked

n hour later,

k with silence. The sky

lie for me?

t look

know

pped. "You sa

"Are you

dn't a

ay dumb,

ned. "It mig

nearly

re ly

m

led her close. "If you're

u'll be a father? You'll tell

ead

this was j

a game the night

back. "Don'

s tr

your truth. I

d. "No, y

inside before I did s

l back i

ill

k was a blur

nto the g

overseas. Buried myself in numbers, in meeti

ably-found new

tie. Silk. The same one I'd wo

te: You left this

rned

ked her bro

ncy tr

e calcu

me

really p

it m

anyone. Not yet.

doctor. Paid in cash.

follow

lone. Drove thirty minutes out of the city to a

ere for forty

out, she smile

her s

I

as r

was pr

, I dreame

th her eyes

hand closing ar

white, laughin

ing, she knoc

re-chested. Exh

ws," she s

kno

ltered. "You

had

inside. I di

to tell yo

didn'

dn't know if

"Do you even kn

u're the only one I've

e th

. "No protection.

my face. "What do

you to c

er

no

l kil

never

the baby

ll r

think I'm going to raise a

lov

ate

my chest.

t her hand. The

re in

sm

till w

together

ai

time

ep

idn't know I was

ried

n't a

, I wondered what woul

I r

ng down and built so

phone

s my

Tomorrow.

at the

ver my shoulder,

kn

n't loo

exc

he whispered. "Let it al

her. "You'd

dened. "We'd

N

d survive it.

k away. This time,

whispered

would