Shattered Vows His Mistress Killed My Baby

After Otis Henson came home from his friend's wedding, I asked for a divorce.

He frowned, confused.

Just because the bride was Vivian Whitmore?

Vivian Whitmore had been Otis's secretary three years ago. There'd been something between them, an unmistakable flirtation that nearly crossed the line before I caught them and put a stop to it.

Otis raked his fingers through his hair like a man driven to the brink, his voice rising in accusation.

"She just married my best friend. What, you think I'm going to rekindle things with her?"

"If it really bothers you that much, I won't go to any event she's at. Is that enough?"

I let a thin, mocking smile pull at the corner of my mouth and slid the divorce papers across the table toward him.

"That won't be necessary. Just sign."

I was done with this marriage built on lies.

...

Otis studied my stubborn expression, then pulled out his phone and held it in front of me.

"Go ahead. Check it."

"Every password is your birthday."

He thought I was spiraling again, that I needed to inspect his phone to feel secure.

It was the unspoken agreement we'd settled into after the incident. His phone was an open book. His schedule arrived in my inbox like clockwork. Every business dinner, every social event, he brought me along.

All to give me peace of mind. All to prove his loyalty to this marriage.

But this time, I just looked at the phone. I didn't take it.

Because I knew that even if I tore that phone apart, I wouldn't find a thing.

Not because he was innocent. Because he had a second phone.

Hidden in the false bottom of the drawer where I kept my lingerie.

Otis was confident I'd come up empty. He tossed the phone onto the bed and strolled into the bathroom without a care in the world.

The sound of running water soon drifted through the door.

I turned and walked into the closet. I reached into the hidden compartment of the drawer and pulled out the second phone.

It was locked. The passcode was Vivian Whitmore's birthday.

The lock screen and wallpaper were both photos of Vivian.

The photo album was filled with intimate snapshots of the two of them together, moment after moment of stolen affection.

Ten minutes ago, Vivian had sent him a message.

"The wedding isn't even over yet and you already ran home. Let me guess, your nagging wife threw another fit?"

"We had a deal. Marrying Melvin Gilbert was only supposed to throw her off the scent. You're the one who's supposed to be sharing the bridal suite with me tonight."

Even though I already knew the truth, the words still drove through my chest like a blade.

Otis had no idea that I'd found this phone a week ago.

That I already knew today's wedding was nothing but a performance staged for my benefit.

I scrolled further up. The messages grew worse. Explicit. Shameless. The kind of things that made my stomach turn.

The very first message had been sent three years ago today.

The same day I'd discovered Otis's wandering affections and demanded a divorce. The same day he'd slit his wrists to keep me from leaving.

He'd gripped my hand, his eyes bloodshot and wild.

"Elaine, I know I was wrong. Can we start over? Please?"

But two hours after they saved his life, he was already flirting with Vivian.

A sharp, twisting pain tore through my lower abdomen. It didn't compare to even a fraction of the agony in my heart.

I saved every last one of those messages.

That was when Otis came out of the bathroom. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, his voice soft and coaxing.

"See? I told you there was nothing. You still don't trust your husband?"

I pushed him off and tapped the divorce papers.

"Now that you're all cleaned up, sign these. I don't like dragging things out."

The light in Otis's eyes went dead.

"Elaine Delgado, I handed you my phone. How long are you going to keep this up?"

"Vivian and I are ancient history. Why do you insist on dredging it back up? How do you think Melvin would feel if he heard you talking like this?"

Melvin Gilbert was his best friend.

Every time he saw me, he'd flash that easy grin and call me "sis." When I'd first caught on that something was off between Otis and Vivian, Melvin had stood firmly on my side. He'd torn into Otis, called him out, and all but forced him to apologize to me.

Like a self-appointed guardian of my marriage with Otis.

And this was the same man who'd been covering for him behind the scenes all along, helping him cheat again and again without getting caught.

A sharp cramp twisted through my abdomen, so fierce it stole the words right out of my mouth.

That was when Otis's phone rang.

It was Melvin's custom ringtone. Every time he called, it was either a company emergency or some business dinner. Otis would drop whatever he was doing and leave me behind.

This time was no different.

Melvin's voice came through, drunk and accusatory:

"You son of a gun, Otis! It's my wedding day. Bad enough you didn't bring your wife, but you left early too? Are you even my brother?"

"You've got ten minutes. If I don't see your face, we're done."

Otis gave an awkward agreement.

Then he turned to me, his expression grave.

"Relationships can't survive constant testing. Stop threatening me with divorce. I get tired too."

"Stay home tonight and think about what you've done. Don't wait up."

He was out the door before I could respond.

After it slammed shut, I dialed a number I hadn't called in years.

"Mom, I lost. Otis really isn't the right man for me. I'm willing to come home and take over the business. Come get me in seven days."

Not long after Otis left, Vivian sent me a friend request.

"Elaine, you lost in the end. Now that I'm Melvin's wife, let's see you try to keep me away from Otis."

"Can't swallow that bitter pill, can you, old hag? Then come catch us in the act."

She sent me the address of the wedding suite.

A blatant provocation.

My fingers tightened around the phone. I got up, drove to the address, and parked nearby.

The entire building blazed with light. Crimson drapes hung from every surface, and an enormous decorative monogram at the entrance gleamed under the spotlights.

Otis had already changed into a groomsman's suit and stood at the center of a crowd of buddies, the scene loud and lively.

Melvin raised his glass and clinked it against Otis's, teasing him:

"I sacrificed my own marriage for the sake of your love with Vivian. You'd better make it up to me!"

Otis's lips curved. "Relax. You'll be well rewarded."

Someone in the group spoke up:

"Otis, if you love Vivian that much, why not just come clean to your wife, divorce her, and marry Vivian?"

Before Otis could answer, Melvin beat him to it:

"A man of Otis's caliber, circling around one woman his whole life? Where's the fun in that? Why else did he bust his ass making money? Keep the wife at home, enjoy the women outside. Best of both worlds."

Otis drained his glass in one swallow, saying nothing to contradict him.

I sat in the car, nails digging so deep into my palms they nearly broke skin.

So that was why he'd worked so hard to make money. To chase more women.

Back then, I'd cut ties with my own mother to marry him. I'd squeezed into that cramped, run-down rental with him and shared a single cup of instant noodles for dinner.

He was under so much pressure at work that he'd grown gaunt. So I'd hide the only hot dog at the bottom of the noodle cup, then pretend I was full halfway through and push the rest toward him.

When he fished out that hot dog, his eyes went red.

He pulled me into his arms, voice thick with guilt:

"I'm sorry, Elaine. You've suffered so much being with me. I swear I'll make something of myself, and when I do, I'll make up for every hardship you've endured."

After that, he threw himself into work even harder.

Maybe back then, when he said he wanted to give me the best life possible, he'd meant it from the bottom of his heart.

But now, giving his heart to other women was just as real.

Melvin and the others shoved Otis into the wedding suite with a chorus of laughter, then had the good sense to leave.

I stared at the window, eyes locked on the two silhouettes shifting behind the curtain.

Otis had his arm around Vivian's waist. He tilted her chin up and kissed her.

Vivian yanked the curtain open, her eyes locking onto mine with a look of pure provocation.

She'd spotted me.

And I watched them, like a masochist, tangled together right before my eyes. I watched until they were done.

My phone buzzed shortly after. A message from Otis, his tone almost weary with concern.

"Elaine, fighting is one thing, but you just had a miscarriage and your body hasn't recovered. Take your medicine. I already had someone deliver it. Drink all of it."

"Be good. Don't take risks with your health."

He'd noticed how pale I'd gone tonight from the post-miscarriage pain. Before he left, he'd even brewed the medicine himself.

I almost laughed.

Lying in another woman's arms and still finding time to worry about me. How thoughtful of him.

Otis pulled Vivian back down onto the bed, clearly not finished with her.

I twisted the diamond ring on my finger, my gaze hollow.

When Otis and I first got engaged, he'd been broke. He'd drained every cent he had and could only afford a ring with a cheap, flawed stone.

But I'd treasured it like it was priceless. Even after he made his fortune and bought me countless expensive rings, I only ever wore that one.

Once, I lost it. I cried for a full day and night, couldn't eat, couldn't sleep.

Then one day, while I was cooking dinner for him, I found an identical ring inside the belly of a fish.

I thought it was a miracle. That fate itself had returned my ring.

I found out later that Otis hadn't wanted me to be upset. He'd had someone craft an exact replica and slipped it into the fish himself.

In that moment, the ring became his get-out-of-jail-free card. His golden shield against anything.

But a ring that had been replaced, no matter how identical it looked on the outside, was never the same one.

Just like Otis.

The man who had only had eyes for me, who had loved no one but me, had ceased to exist a long time ago.

I'd been fooling myself. All I'd earned was more heartbreak.

So I pulled the ring off my finger and tossed it into the filthy gutter beside me.

Along with the wreckage of this marriage.

Over the next few days, Otis didn't come home.

Vivian, however, made sure to send me regular updates on their happy little life together.

"I heard you always wanted to go horseback riding. Otis took me."

"He also took me to the stretch of coast where you two had your first date. I chopped down that coconut palm you planted together as a love token. He just laughed and called me a brat."

"I mentioned once that I wanted to try his cooking, and he learned how to cook for me. You were with him for so longI bet he never did that for you, did he?"

Light, breezy little messages. Each one landed like a sledgehammer on my already shattered heart.

On the sixth day, Otis finally came home.

He reeked of alcohol. He'd been drinking heavily.

The moment he saw me, he snapped.

"Elaine, I've been gone for days. Why didn't you come looking for me?"

"You used to come find me if I disappeared for even a minute. Why didn't you look for me this time..."

But as he kept talking, his voice cracked with something that sounded like hurt. He was like an abandoned kitten that had finally found its way back home.

Just hours ago, he'd been in bed with Vivian.

I pushed his hand away, my expression betraying nothing.

"You're drunk. I'll have someone make you something to sober up."

I stood to leave.

A crash. Otis knocked the glass fruit bowl off the table. It shattered across the floor, shards scattering everywhere.

He held up his hand, sliced open by the glass, and said quietly, "Honey, I'm hurt."

I ignored the wounded look in his eyes.

"Wait here. I'll send someone to bandage that."

His face darkened instantly.

"I don't want someone else. I want you to do it."

"You never used to be like this. When I got hurt, you'd ask me if it stung. You're so cold now. You're not my Elaine."

Whenever we used to fight, he'd act like a little kid throwing a tantrum to win me back.

Every time, I'd think he was adorable and let him have his way.

Now I just felt inexplicably irritated. I pried his fingers off my sleeve and walked straight inside.

Otis, stubborn as ever, slept on the living room couch out of spite.

When I woke the next morning, he was sitting on the sofa with a dark expression.

"Elaine, you really want to split up that badly? You didn't even care that I slept out here."

I frowned, about to say something, when a familiar voice cut in.

"Are you two fighting this early in the morning? Looks like we picked a bad time."

I turned. It was Melvin, with Vivian in tow.

Melvin slung an arm around Otis's shoulder, wearing a look of exaggerated disappointment.

"Come on, man, what'd you do to upset her this time? Keep it up and she'll leave you for good!"

"And sis, don't take it personally. My boy here's hopeless with women. Let me set him straight for you!"

Otis shoved him off, his tone sharp. "What are you two doing here?"

His gaze lingered on Vivian for a split second. He was clearly annoyed that Melvin had brought her into the house.

Melvin only faltered for a moment before breaking into a grin.

"I came to share some big news. My wife's pregnant. Three weeks along. Just found out today. You two are the first people I wanted to tell."

I looked at Vivian's flat stomach, and something inside me went cold.

A life was already growing in there. Their child.

And all I could think about was the one I'd lost.

Three months ago, Otis had taken me on a trip. On the way, a drunk driver slammed into us and I ended up in the hospital.

My baby, nine months along, didn't survive. The damage to my uterus was so severe they had to remove it entirely.

I would never be a mother. Not in this lifetime.

When Otis heard that Vivian was pregnant, every trace of anger vanished from his face. He smiled and congratulated Melvin.

But I knew who he was really congratulating.

Melvin pulled Otis upstairs to talk business, leaving me alone in the living room with Vivian.

I ignored her and went about my business, but she wasn't the type to leave well enough alone.

She walked up to me, contempt dripping from every word.

"You saw everything that night. Otis loves me. Why won't you let go? I've never met a woman so shameless."

"Once my baby's born, you're out whether you like it or not. The Hensons aren't going to keep a hen that can't lay eggs."

I raised an eyebrow. "Being the other woman really gives you that much confidence?"

Vivian sneered. "You want to know what happens when you cross the other woman?"

"You end up just like your mother. Mine took everything from her. Kicked her out like a stray dog."

The words hit me like a bolt of lightning. I stood frozen.

"You're Lisa James's daughter?"

Lisa James had been our family's housekeeper. While my mother was still recovering from childbirth, Lisa seduced my father.

She'd hidden unidentifiable hair in my mother's meals. Poured toilet water into her cup. In the end, she even tried to kill me.

When my mother discovered the affair and threatened to take them to court, they turned the tables on her. They framed her as a murderer and had her arrested.

I was two years old when they dumped me at an orphanage and left me to fend for myself.

And now, her daughter had wormed her way into my marriage.

Vivian looked at me with triumph in her eyes.

"You're just as useless as your mother. Can't even hold on to a man. Both of you, worthless."

Slap.

My hand connected with her face before I even thought about it.

Vivian crumpled to the floor on cue, clutching her stomach and wailing in agony.

The commotion brought Otis and Melvin running down the stairs.

Melvin pulled Vivian into his arms, his face tight with concern.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Vivian leaned against him, her voice small and pitiful.

"Don't blame her. She probably can't help it. She can't have children of her own, so seeing me pregnant must have set her off. She didn't mean to hurt me or the baby."

Otis's expression darkened in an instant.

"Elaine, what is your problem? You can't have kidsthat's your cross to bear. Don't take it out on other people."

"Apologize to Vivian. Now."

I let out a cold laugh and pointed to the security camera mounted in the corner.

"There are cameras in this house. They record audio too. Why don't you watch the footage before you start pointing fingers?"

The color drained from Vivian's face. She shifted uneasily.

"Forget it, forget it. She just lost her head for a second. I don't blame her. My stomach really hurts, though. We should go to the hospital and make sure the baby's okay."

Melvin looked at me with undisguised disappointment.

"I treated you like family. And you tried to hurt my child. This isn't over, Elaine. You owe me an explanation."

He scooped Vivian up and walked out without another word.

Otis shot me a withering glare before following them to the door.

"You went too far this time. When I get back, you and I are going to have a long talk."

I said nothing. After they left, I dragged my suitcase out of the house.

I had just gotten into the car when my phone buzzed. An anonymous video.

Vivian had just finished her checkup. She clung to Otis's arm, her voice trembling with barely concealed fear.

"Otis, do you think Elaine knows? That her baby didn't die in the accidentthat I strangled it? Is that why she came after me like that?"

"Otis, I'm so scared."

He pulled her close, stroking her hair.

"She doesn't know anything. The driver I hired left the country. Nobody knows that crash was staged except the three of us. And nobody will ever find out how her baby really died."

Melvin's voice cut in, bitter and sharp.

"It's that driver's fault. He couldn't even time it rightcouldn't kill the baby on impact. The kid survived the crash and had to be delivered. If he'd done his job, Vivian wouldn't have had to finish it herself."

The crash was staged.

My baby survived it. They killed my child with their own hands.

Rage erupted inside my chest like a furnace door blown open. I told the driver to turn around and floor it to the hospital.

Vivian spotted me coming down the corridor. She opened her mouth, ready to provoke me again.

My palm connected with her face before she could get a word out.

"Vivian Whitmore, I'm here to collect the debt you owe my childwith your life!"