And I Trusted You (15 page)

“Adrianne.” He said with bowed head.

“So, you think telling me she didn’t mean anything to you makes it easier! Men are so stupid! I could understand if you were in love with her. But, she doesn’t mean anything? Please! She meant something, because you had sex with her, she didn’t do it alone, now did she? I could kill you for doing this to me. All I put up with and all I do for you and this is the thanks I get! I knew in my heart of hearts something was going on between you too! ” She shouted.

Teresa storm off and slammed the bedroom door shut. She banged it shut so hard a picture of them fell off the wall in the next room. She sat on the bed for a long time just staring into space. Finally the tears come. She thought about all the times Eric had made her cry, the reasons she stayed with him, their children. She thought about the fact that it has taken him ten years to tell her he had an affair. Then she began to blame herself. She knew something was going on during that time period. She should have been more aggressive with making him terminate the friendship with Adrianne. She even remembered when things changed between Adrianne and Eric, it must have been right after they had sex. She should have kicked her ass then. All this time, she thought she had gotten Adrianne out of our lives by finding a new sitter, and here she is again, causing more trouble. Before she realized it she was punching the bed pillows.

She couldn’t believe he had sex with her and he didn’t use a condom. “He could have transmitted diseases. There’s no telling what that slut could have been carrying. How could he be so careless? How could he just throw away the mother of his children and disrespect me like this? How could he dishonor our marriage this way? And all these years he’s kept this secret. No wonder he’s so moody, his conscience is probably kicking his ass. Then again, if he could hold onto this for ten years, it’s probably not. How does he expect me to react to this?”

She slowly got up, opened the door, and asked Eric to come into the room. “Tell me everything. And I mean everything. I wanna know how long it lasted. Why you chose her. Why you didn’t stay with her and why it took so long to tell me? How did you find out the child might be yours? I wanna know everything!” Teresa hissed through clinched teeth.

When Eric was finished telling his story, she picked up the phone, called her neighbor and asked for the children to come home. Once they are there, she explained to them she needed to take some time for herself and would be gone for a while. She explained they could reach her on her cell phone at any time and she would cook dinner for them, while they are at school. “Your father will be here with you and you’ll be fine. I am just taking a much needed vacation.” Teresa packed two large suitcases and left. she drove around the city for over four hours before she finally make a decision.

She checked into a hotel under her maiden name, because she don’t want Eric tracking her down. “We’ll be celebrating our fourteenth anniversary in a month and I don’t know if I want to be married to him anymore. After all my warnings and helpful hints, he got involved with Adrianne, anyway. He doesn’t deserve me. If he had loved me, he wouldn’t have done it. I don’t buy the story about thinking I was cheating. When did I have time? I had the kids when I wasn’t working and I hadn’t had any transportation to go off alone the way he had. He had all the opportunity and apparently he had used it. The thanks I got for being a good wife, mother, friend and partner is a crushed heart and tears of pain. Life isn’t fair, but I’ve decided I’m not going to lose any sleep over it. The fact that he’s committed adultery with his children in the same room sickens me to my stomach. What if the girls had awakened? How could he take a chance like that? HE said it was only one time, but that is hard to believe. Adrianne gives a new meaning to being a slut. Not only did she have sex with a married man, but she was so bold as to do it with his children in the same room and her children unattended in the next room. Did she hope they would wake up and see her? Oh, when I get my hands on her I’mma beat her natural black ass!”

She went to bed and had a long restless night. The next morning, She drove past her house when she thought Eric was at work. She don’t see the car, but she parked around the corner and walked to the house. She went to the bedroom window and saw her husband sitting on the bed looking at the TV. She suspected he would do something sneaky like this. He knew she’d come home to cook for the family and “he’s trying to trick me into talking with him. I don’t want to say anything to him until I’ve sorted out my feelings.” She walked back to the car and went back to the hotel. When it was almost time for the girls to get out of school, she went by and picked them up. Teresa took them to dinner and ordered a takeout plate for Eric. Even though she was angry and disappointed in him, she couldn’t help but do what she had been doing all along. Take care of her family. What Eric didn’t realize is that she could do that and never see him.

After two and a half weeks of not seeing the children as they slept, Teresa decided to go back home. When Eric got home from work, she had dinner on the table. Once dinner was finished and the children went to bed, Eric and she talked.

“Do you understand Adrianne was playing games with you?” She calmly questioned.

“What do you mean, playing games. Teresa, she said the child is mine. She said the only reason she never told me is because she knew what happened was wrong. The only reason she even said anything is because I commented on how cute she was when I saw her and she knows our girls don’t have any other siblings. She only said something out of concern.” Eric retorted.

“Eric, that bitch is playing you.”

“Hold on a minute. Don’t call her that. She is the mother of my child. And I want…”

“No you hold on a minute. She is a bitch and a slut. If she were really concerned about you, she would never have said anything, under any circumstances. She would have taken it to her grave with her. But that wasn’t the case, now was it? In fact, how do you know for sure the baby is yours? When was she born?” She inquired.

“She was born in April. Why?”

“Count back, Eric. Men are so gullible. Did you see her after she stopped keeping our children?”

“No. But I believe the child is mine. Teresa she looks just like me.”

“Yeah, and there is a girl who lives in Washington who looks like my twin, but she is no relation to me or either one of my parents. Looking like someone doesn’t make you his or her parent. Have you asked her about a paternity test?”

“Not yet. She called the other day and asked if I wanted to come visit her. Teresa, I don’t wanna push the wrong buttons. She’s not asking for any child support, but I’ll do what I can to take care of this child, just like I do my other children. The point is, I don’t wanna make her angry. I know how women can be when they wanna be vindictive. So far she’s being really nice about everything?

“Oh, so you think this is gonna continue? See what you don’t realize, is that this child is a means to an end for her. She’s using this child to get to you. Why didn’t you just listen to me when I warned you? I told you what she wanted. Anyway, give me her number, I need to talk to her.”

“I’m not gonna give you her number, but I’ll call her and you can speak with her.”

“Fine.”

He got his cell phone and called Adrianne. She answered and he told her Teresa wanted to talk to her. She said okay and Eric passed the phone to Teresa. “Hello. Yes, but the question is not how I’m doing. I want to find out if you’re willing to go half on a paternity test for this child. What is her name? Okay Amanda. Yes. I already have the forms. And we also need a copy of her birth certificate and her social security number so we can add her on Eric’s health insurance. Excuse me. You don’t wanna…..why? Oh really? Well you should have thought about that when you were screwing my husband you slut. Yes you are a slut and I’m not gonna change my opinion of you until you prove otherwise to me. I have the right to call you that for what you’ve done. If I saw you dying on the street, I’d step over you like you weren’t even there. That is how little I think of you as a human being. The only reason I’m not beating your ass right now is because your children need their mother, no matter what kind of person she is. So, “hell no” is your answer to making sure your child will be included in the will and entitled to any other benefits of being Eric’s child. Okay, but this isn’t over. No, you can’t. Goodbye.” Teresa said and disconnected the call.

“Teresa, I told you I didn’t wanna upset her and make her do anything spiteful. I don’t have thousand’s of dollars to pay in back child support or are you just so angry that you aren’t thinking about that?” Eric asked with pain.

“That’s not the case at all. I think she’s lying. I don’t know of any woman who wouldn’t wanna make sure their child got all it is entitled to from its father. By the way, the reason I asked about the birth certificate and social security card is because that’s what our attorney said we needed to be able to include her in the will. Just because she’s not my daughter, there is no reason she shouldn’t be treated fairly if she is indeed your child. You are so blind. She is playing games and when you finally realize it, you’re gonna be just as angry. Watch and see. I keep telling you that you can’t look at every female as a sister. But you never listen. You can’t help every female. But you never listen. You’ll learn one day.” She said patting her foot in agitation.

“Oh. Well thank you for taking care of that for me. I didn’t even think about stuff like that. But I know when her birthday is.”

“Good, I’ll go get a copy of her birth certificate and we’ll worry about everything else depending on what I find out at vital statistics.”

“Teresa, I’m sorry to have put all of this on you. You don’t deserve this and I’ll probably never be able to make it up to you. I’ve done some things I’m not proud of in my life. But this is in the top five. I should have told you sooner. I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to get over this.”

“You’re right, I don’t deserve this and you probably won’t be able to make it up to me. But you’re definitely gonna try. And just so you’re clear on things I don’t have anything against Amanda. My problem is with Adrianne. She is the one who did something wrong. The child didn’t choose to be born to you and her. I’m sure the child is probably really sweet. She’s cute, but that doesn’t make her your daughter. You need to realize Adrianne has a history of lying to you to get what she wants. So what on earth makes you think she’s not doing the same thing again? That’s just something you need to think about. I’m tired and I’m going to bed. Don’t call her back. The next time you speak to her, it needs to be on speaker and I have to be present. I don’t trust her at all and this is why.” She said and spun on her heels to leave the room.

Eric sat up for a while thinking. “Is she playing games again? Teresa is right she has lied to me before.” He decided to check his email. He signs onto online and immediately received an Instant Message from Adrianne’s sister.

“Tell your wife not to call my sister upsetting her the way she did a while ago. This doesn’t have anything to do with her. This is between you and Adrianne.”

Eric was shocked. Pam had never said anything to him about the child being his or anything else. But, she must know something since she was Adrianne’s sister. So he typed back, “Sorry, she’s upset and she has every reason to feel the way she does. But I wonder if you could talk to Adrianne and get her to give me a copy of the birth certificate. I wanna include Amanda in the will, but I can’t without that information.”

Pam replied, “I’ll talk to her, but you really don’t need to be concerned with all of that. All you need to know is the child is yours. That is the only thing that matters.”

“To some extent. But I’ve missed so many years of her life as it is, so I wanna make up for it. I wanna know how she’s doing in school and what kinds of things she likes. The circumstances surrounding her birth, you know. All the things I know about my other daughters. I feel I should know those things about her, too.” Eric typed.

“That’s nice and I guess you’re right on that. But Adrianne doesn’t like to talk about those times. I wasn’t communicating with her much during then, so I don’t have any answers for you. But, like I said, you shouldn’t worry about it. All you need to know is you have another daughter to take care of.” Came Pam’s message.

“Pam, you are missing the point. I’m trying to take care of my responsibility, but not knowing certain things will make it impossible. I really need some help on this.” He pleaded.

“No you don’t! Just take care of your child. Go by and see her and spend time with her. She doesn’t know you’re her father. She thinks the man Adrianne is married to is her father. You just spend time with your child.” Pam said.