Total pages in book: 168
Estimated words: 160782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160782 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 804(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
My stomach drops and I actually feel… pity for her. “He told me that we could never be together and that he would not choose me over his friend and that if I told Robert he would make my life misery. I was heartbroken, how could I have been so stupid? I threw away my marriage vows on a man who was using me for sex.” She wipes her tears with a tissue and takes a sip of her coffee. “When Robert got back, he was different. The man I married was back and he admitted that he had in fact had an affair and wanted us to start again. To try and be a family unit for Scott’s sake. How could I say no when I had been just as deceitful? I jumped at the chance to stay with the man who I had previously been deeply in love with.” She wipes her eyes again with her tissue. “Anyway, to cut a long story short I found out two months later that I was pregnant, but I didn’t think the child could be through the affair as we had always used condoms. And, besides, Robert and I had fallen back in love and a child was a blessing. My beautiful Joshua was a gift. He brought me so much happiness and I thanked God every day that I had been given a second chance at happiness.”
Empathy wins and I smile and grab her hand over the table. “Margaret, I know how it feels to give into temptation. I fell in love with my first cousin, remember. Every night we would fight our conscience to be together. It was dreadful.”
She nods and smiles as if understanding. “When Joshua was sixteen, he fell off a horse and lost a lot of blood.” I frown as the next part of the story unfolds. “Anyway, his father was away at the time overseas and Joshua ended up needing a blood transfusion. When the doctors tested his blood type it came back that he had a very rare blood type and that it was not genetically possible that he could be a full sibling to his brothers. I have never been so crushed. Joshua was the son of another man. How could I have done this to Joshua and his beloved father?” My eyes cloud over now as I realize this was a terrible mistake. I actually feel sorry for her.
“To make matters worse I had to go to this man who is still a friend of Robert’s and tell him the truth so he could donate the lifesaving blood Joshua needed. He was mortified and if the truth came out, he would lose everything, his wife, his kids, and his best friend. He has threatened me with violence if I ever told anybody.”
I frown. “Margaret, is this man dangerous?” I whisper.
She nods. “Unfortunately, yes, and unstable.” She wipes her eyes again with her tissue. “It was he who brought it to my attention that the only way this secret would come out is if you and Joshua stayed together and had genetic testing.… for pregnancy and things.” My eyes widen as I understand. She sobs out loud.
“I knew I had to keep you apart.… at all costs.” I nod as I grab her hand, and she squeezes it.
“Natasha, will you keep my secret.… please? No good can come of this getting out. Joshua will be devastated, Robert will be devastated. This man will lose everything and take vengeance on me. Robert will probably leave me, and Joshua will not be a Stanton.” I frown as my tears threaten again.
“Margaret, you are asking me to lie to the man I love. I can’t do that,” I whisper.
She shakes her head. “No, not lie.… just not mention it and then if it comes to him having to know, I will tell him and I will pretend that you didn’t know anything about it.… I swear I will never implicate you in any of this mess.”
I rub my hands through my hair. “Margaret, I wish you hadn’t told me,” I whisper angrily.
She nods. “I know but I had to, you were both so devastated. I have never seen a love like yours, Natasha. You really are soul mates… I believe that… you believe that… Joshua knows that. How could I keep it from you? Keep you from each other when I knew the truth?”
I frown as I drain my coffee cup. I put my head into my hands on the table. “This is fucked up, Margaret, and I’m a psychologist.… I deal with fucked up well.”
She smiles and grabs my hand. “I know, dear. I’m sorry to put you in this situation but what choice do I honestly have? If you can think of another way out of this where Joshua doesn’t get hurt, please let me know. I’ll be all for it.” I sit in silence for ten minutes quietly drinking my second coffee as I wrack my brain for another avenue to follow. I’ve got nothing. I nod as I blow out a heavy breath in resignation. She’s right.… there is no way out of it. I have no choice but to lie. Joshua deserves better.