Hershey's Kiss: A BWWM Pregnancy Romance Novel (12 page)

She couldn’t have been any more proud of Jason. Within a few weeks, he’d learned how to read better than many sixth graders. He hadn’t had any bathroom accidents and he no longer rocked back and forth violently. He may have been autistic, but Hershey condemned the public opinion which would have deemed Jason stupid merely for his different psychology. Hershey clasped her hands and smiled, however her celebratory mood quickly vanished a few seconds later. Jason had grown conspicuously quiet…

“Hershey?”

“Yes, Jason?”

“Is Mommy leaving because of me?”

Hershey’s heart crumbled. As she considered Jason’s question, she struggled to make sense of her own conscience. How could she tell a little boy that his mother was wicked and cruel? Could she ever speak of Jeanette without selfishly pushing her own agenda? Did Hershey even have any moral high ground to stand on? She was, after all, the mistress. In the face of these complexities, Hershey took solace in one undeniable fact. Since the trial had begun, Jeanette hadn’t called to check up on her son; not even once. Hershey looked squarely into Jason’s eyes…

“Jason…” Hershey started.

She looked into his eyes, and considered telling him the grown up truth. She was going to tell him that his mother was selfish and that she only did things for herself, however, Hershey couldn’t do it. She didn’t have the heart...

“Your mother loves you dearly.”

“Go on.” Hershey said. “Keep reading.”

Hershey ruffled Jason’s hair as he kept reading. She had to keep this little boy safe.

With all of this negative coverage against Brandon, there were few who were brave enough to stand up and defend him. His legal team tracked down Julianna Sundress, and she confessed the entire nature of their relationship.

“Our relationship was strictly professional. He purchased a private jet from me… Or rather, from the company I work for. I found him to be handsome and charming, but he was a perfect gentleman. Even in spite of my very forward advances, Brandon looked me in the eyes and said he was married…” Julianna said, giving Brandon a warm glance from the stand. “No. That wasn’t it, exactly. He said I’m happily married. Yeah, that’s what he said. Then we parted ways and I never saw him again.”

After her testimony, the media had a field day. There were headlines like, “Another Mistress Confesses.” It was hard to say if Julianna’s testimony helped. The media painted whatever picture they wanted regardless of the truth.

Kinisimere couldn’t fly from Fiji to defend Brandon on such short notice, however, she wrote a long, supportive email defending him. Statements from the letter were taken out of context and used to further tarnish Brandon’s good name.

There had been so much speculation around Brandon’s fidelity, even the judge seemed to be biased. Much to the dismay of Brandon and his legal team, the judge had used the word ‘homewrecker’ when referring to Hershey at least three times.
She’s not a homewrecker; I love her.
Brandon thought every time he heard the word. It tore him up inside that people spoke that way about the woman he had fallen for.

Jeanette would accept nothing less than a landslide victory. She wanted to absolutely crush Brandon… and it seemed like she was succeeding. She had a spotless record as far as the courts were concerned. So what if she’d had a drink or two in her past? If you were an innocent and loyal wife who was forced to end your the pain of a rapacious billionaire husband, wouldn’t you drink a little bit too? Jeanette carefully controlled the narrative of the court case, always making sure to maximize the sympathy toward her. A lifetime worth of manipulation had prepared her well.

If all of the propaganda surrounding their divorce wasn’t enough to sway things in her favor, Jeanette had one last trick of her sleeve. She replayed a carefully edited version of the phone call she had made to Hershey’s apartment a few days before. While the video played, Jeanette sobbed passionately in the background. Her wails grew louder, making the recording difficult to hear. They judge had the recording paused and he asked if she’d rather continue after a short recess so that she could compose herself. Jeanette said no. It was better to play the whole thing now.

The rest of the phone conversation played, and Jeanette held her tongue as best as she could, however subdued whimpers still lurked in the background. Most of the room looked at Jeanette with looks of concern on their faces. When the entire recording had played, Jeanette studied the judge’s face to ensure that she’d effectively pulled his heartstrings, then she smiled satisfactorily. Nobody seemed to wonder where her tears had gone to. The damage had been done, and Jeanette was pleased. Even after Brandon’s lawyers had played the full, unedited version of the tape, it seemed that the judge had made up his mind…

As the final hours of Brandon’s court proceedings approached, his heart pounded. He could tell that things weren’t going in his favor. Every once in a while, Jeanette would look at him from across the courtroom with an ever-so-slightly raised eyebrow. To Brandon, this was no less insulting than if she’d stuck her tongue out and sing-songed, “Na na na boo boo. You can’t catch me.” Brandon wondered about his impending fate. If he lost his fortune, he’d be heartbroken. If, however, Brandon lost custody of his son, he would be destroyed.

Brandon had had a long record as a good parent, however courts don’t necessarily look favorably on known philanderers. Once there was proof that Brandon was unfaithful to his wife, it would be easy to slander his reputation. Indeed, Jeanette had used the media to drag Brandon’s reputation through the gutter, but it also didn’t help that Hershey was in the hospital with Jason while the legal proceedings were underway. Since that morning, the media had been throwing piles of shit at Brandon, and now, one had finally stuck. By late afternoon, the world had dubbed Brandon ‘The World’s Most Hated Man.’

The divorce proceedings hadn’t been going well, and Brandon was getting nervous. The thought of losing this case made vomit curdle in the back of his throat. Brandon’s lawyers were nervous too. They knew that without a miracle, they would lose, and their asses would be grass. Thankfully, a miracle came to them at the last moment. It was a text message from Hershey…

BRANDON’S PHONE:

Hey baby.

I miss u so much.

Hershey! I miss you too, love. 

How’s the case going?

Not great.

Really? That sucks.

Listen… I have something you should see… It’s about Jeanette.

What is it?

It’s BIG.

Sorry for not sending this to you earlier. I kinda forgot about it until now, TBH...

Bandon’s phone buzzed. He looked at his phone. It was was an email from Hershey. The subject line said “URGENT. LOOK AT THIS.” When Brandon opened up the email, his jaw dropped open. He showed the message  to his lawyers. They jaws dropped open, too. They began murmuring excitedly amongst themselves. The judge observed them with displeasure and slammed his gavel, which brought Team Boulder back to earth. In light of the new evidence, Brandon’s lawyers called for an immediate recess.

* * *

“I’m married.” Brandon said. “Happily.”

“Your honor, that’s what I’d say whenever someone tried to come on to me. It happened pretty often. Some of the women who expressed interest in me did so because of my wealth. Others did so because they’d seen my hip flexors on a magazine cover. Others, because we had a great conversation. I avoided woman’s advances for years, because I’ve held onto the hope that my wife and I could salvage the life we’d started together. After all, we have a beautiful boy who loves us both, and who I love more than life itself…

“I hoped that we could stay together so badly, your honor, that I ignored countless signs that my wife was herself, unfaithful. Like whe, I would come home to find my wife flushed and sweaty, as if she’d just had sex. Her unique scent wafted through the air, and the bedroom had been disheveled as if another man had just ravaged her. Like when she disappeared one afternoon in Fiji for several hours, and returned with a foul smell on her breath. It was the smell that I’d rather not offend the courts by describing, unless you insist that I do it…

“Your honor, I never found hard proof about my wife’s infidelities because I didn’t want to know. Everyone else seemed to be convinced that she was the ultimate housewife, and I simply went along with the crowd. Today, however, I cannot keep my head in the sand any longer. My wife’s actions now threaten me and the wellbeing of my son, and I won’t stand for it. I need to protect my son more than anyone.

“Jeanette brought me before the courts today to paint me as a philanderer. She has trumped up evidence of my ‘long history of cheating’, but in reality, I’ve only cheated on her once, with one woman, last night… I admit to my actions wholeheartedly. I slept with Hershey Alexander. I did it, because, even though I haven’t known her for more than a few days, I love her. It’s true. I knew it from the moment she walked into my home. Every second that I’ve spent around her has been mesmerizing. 

“Your honor, do you understand what I’m saying? I love this woman, Hershey Alexander, and I intend to marry her as soon as possible…

“I love you, Hershey. I want to marry you.” Brandon said, looking into the camera that filmed the court case for television. He hoped that she would be watching.

“Perhaps you may be able to villainize me for breaking my vows, this one time, but make no mistake, I am no cheater. My wife may have many accusations, but she only has one shred of evidence, because there has only ever been one transgression. At least, your honor, there has only been one transgression from me…

“Your honor, I have reason to believe that my wife, Jeanette Boulder, has had at least one long-term affair with one of my groundskeepers. His name was Julio Alvarez, and he just died last night. Julio burned to death in the fire which destroyed my home. He was also identified as the man who started the fire…

“Your honor, I have reason to believe that my wife has been keeping Julio as a paid gigolo, and, your honor, I believe that she killed him, and framed him as the arsonist of my home.”

Scandalous murmurs surged through the courtroom. The judge slammed his gavel and screamed “Order!” a few times, until everyone settled down.

“Mr. Boulder.” the judge said. “What evidence do you have to support this claim?”

Jeanette’s face grew white. She had to hold onto her briefcase to prevent her hands from shaking. She tried to look meek and innocent but she knew that if Brandon was talking like this, he was serious. Her cover was blown. Jeanette’s terror eclipsed her innocence.

“Your honor,” Brandon said. “I think it best if I present the evidence to you directly.”

The judge nodded. Brandon pulled out his cellphone and showed him the picture that Hershey had just sent him. The judge gasped as he looked had Jeanette’s semen-covered face. He looked at Jeanette, and back at her picture, and back at her. As the judge grew more certain that he was looking at a real picture of Jeanette, his face grew more disgusted.

“Ladies and gentlemen of the court, in light of this new evidence, I have no choice but to throw out Mrs. Boulder’s claims. Additionally, I am issuing a warrant for Mrs. Boulder’s arrest immediately for the murder of Julio Alvarez and the arson of Boulder Manor.”

Two guards approached Jeanette to place her in handcuffs. She yelped and struggled, but she was eventually subdued and dragged off to a jail cell.

There’d been growing factions of people who were following the case. In this age of celebrity worship, it was to be expected. After all, if people can kiss the ground that Kim Kardashian walked on, then it isn’t so surprising that some people would be Jeanette supporters while others would be Brandon supporters. There were mobs of people like this all over the country. Some wore T-shirts of either Brandon or Jeanette. Some either marked themselves with blue, to show support for Brandon, or red, to show support of Jeanette.Those two factions didn’t care much for the details or deeper implications of things. They treated the court case like the Super Bowl. Each group liked a certain team, husband or wife, and they wanted to see a battle royale where their favorite won the billions.

There were people who cried out against Hershey of being a homewrecker and the slut. There was also a faction of feminists who who stood behind Hershey and against the slut shamers. The blogs and the twitter accounts joined in the warfare too. People couldn’t get enough of it.

Tensions were already building around the different factions. There had been dozens of reported fights and acts of vandalism, and when the word got out that Brandon had come out the winner, Jeanette’s supporters threw up their arms and took to the streets. Violence was increasing. Almost beyond the point of control…

Brandon hadn’t known much about any of this. He’d spent the entire day in a courtroom, and, when he stepped out of court onto the courtroom stairs. he was met by dozens of reporters, cameras, and microphones.  The reporters were chomping at the bit to speak to Brandon. There hadn’t been such a sensational televised court cause since the OJ Simpson trial, and this one was arguably better. For one thing, it wasn’t dragged out for months; all of the action was crammed into a single day of proceedings. Secondly, the suspense was drawn out to the very end. Everyone thought Jeanette would emerge victorious, but there was a last minute plot twist which changed the meaning of everything.

All of a sudden, Jeanette was the big bad villain, and Brandon was the innocent victim. You couldn’t get a better story if you wrote it from scratch! Jeanette had just been dragged off to jail. Presumably, she’d have a long trial ahead. Brandon on the other hand, left the courtroom with his head held high.  And where was Hershey? Some people were aware that she was in the hospital with Jason, Brandon’s son. Many of those who were aware crowded outside of the hospital In dangerously large groups. some picketed against Hershey, and even threatened with violence against her if Brandon won the case. In the age of reality television, everyone felt it was their right to get involved.

The entire love story stopped seeming like it was about Brandon and Hershey, started to feel more like it was about everyone else. People were following the stories carefully on their phones, and when it was found out that Jeanette was going to be tried for murder, the Jeanette supporters went ballistic. Rocks and bottles were pelted through windows and a car was flipped outside of the hospital where Jason and Hershey were positioned. Hershey wondered if they were safe. Police were thrown onto the scene, but this only emboldened the crowds even more. Before long, a riot had broken out in front of the hospital where Jason and Hershey were staying.

Hershey looked out the window, and saw the violence unfolding.
White people.
She thought. They protest for the dumbest things… like pumpkins and divorces. Jason peered through the window and saw the violence as well. He couldn’t understand it. He was far too young to grasp the full meaning of what was going on. But he wanted answers too.

“What’s going on, Hershey?”

“Everyone’s angry, Brad.”

“Why?”

“Actually, they are mad at your daddy.”

“Why? Daddy’s so cool.”

Hershey shrugged her shoulders and laugh. Then she embraced Jason, and he watched a little bit more of the violence below. They were only on the first floor, so she had a good view. Unfortunately, the angry mob had a pretty good view of her as well. Then, Hershey heard a menacing voice…

“There she is!” Said a voice from the crowd.

All of a sudden hundreds of eyeballs turned up to her window, and they all scowled at her. People started growling and jeering and hissing at her. One man threw a beer bottle at their window, but missed. Shocked, Hershey slammed the window and curtain. She was beginning to wonder what exactly was going on. It was time to turn the television on and get a sense of what the fuck was happening.

She pressed the power button of the remote control, and she was overwhelmed by what she saw. As she clicked from channel to channel and news anchors cascaded across the television screen with pictures of her and Brandon. She was beginning to understand the full picture. the court case was over, and people wanted blood. Her blood. Hershey grew even more alarmed, and wondered if the hospital security would keep her and Jason safe. Or, did they want to have her head too?

More bottles and things were getting pelted at the hospital window. On the television, Hershey could see a live broadcasts of the ground beneath her.
 

The news anchor reported that people were growing more and more unsettled after the results of Brandon Boulder’s case. Some of the people demanded “justice”. Some of them, wanted to see Hershey pay for her adulterous deeds. It was un-Christian, disgusting. Then the news camera caught footage of people barreling through the front doors of the hospital in search of Hershey. Hershey gasped. This was happening in real time. But nothing felt real about it. Suddenly everything seemed dark and gloomy around her. If there were people coming after her inside of the hospital, then she wasn’t safe here. Jason wasn’t safe, either. They both had to leave. But where would they go? They certainly couldn’t leave through the front doors…

“Come, Jason.” He said. “We have to leave now…”

Brandon.
Hershey thought, as she carried Jason out of the hospital room.
Where are you?

* * *

Brandon stepped out of the courtroom onto the streets, and he was met with dozens and dozens of reporters, cameras, and microphones. Cameras flashing his face and people barked questions at him at a piece that even he couldn’t keep up with.

“How does it feel to divorce your wife without giving up up a penny?”

“Did you know that your wife was cheating on you all along?”

“Do you really love the Hershey girl?”

“Can we see your hip flexors?” Brandon and his team of lawyers plowed through the crowd of reporters, throwing out answers sparsely so that they wouldn’t go to agitated. Brandon himself simply wanted to get back to his love and his son. His head was held high, because one of the first time in his adult life he was free from Jeanette. Free from her manipulation. Free from her psychotic spending. Free from her horrible sex. Free from her hatred of everyone but herself. Brandon felt like a kid on Christmas morning, who’d gotten the gift that he’d always wanted. He wanted to jump for joy. He subdued those feelings in front of the reporters to avoid seeing inevitable lies plastered in the newspapers the next morning.

“Mr. Boulder, when are you going to marry Hershey?”

The question caught Brandon’s attention. First of all, it was music to his ears. The thought of marrying Hershey, the love of his life, had him on cloud nine. He wanted her now, more than ever. He could still smell her cocoa butter scent lingering on him, or his blazer, or somewhere else. Maybe it was just the memory of her smell. Nonetheless, the scent made his heart melt and cock bulge as the same time. Brandon stopped, and turned around to face the reporter last and that question. He did three paces of the reporter and looked dead into his eyes. He paused. It was a pregnant pause which will signify that he was going to see something long, and meaningful. Perhaps a short speech. No. Brandon simply gave this answer…

“As soon as possible…”

Brandon smiled gleefully then turned his back to their continued walking to his limousine. She the reporter looks dissatisfied. He piped up one last desperate question.

“Mr. Boulder!” He yelled. “Are you aware of the riots breaking out at the hospital?

The question stop Brandon dead in his tracks. He turned around to look at the reporter again. All of the other buzzards had now faded into the background. He could no longer see the flashing lights, or the microphones, or anything else. It was just him and that one reporter. Brandon wasn’t sure heard the question correctly. Or maybe, he didn’t want to believe what he heard. So much it happened in the last 24 hours, perhaps Brandon didn’t want to have the deal with more. All the same, that report address said something which could now be unsaid. Brandon needed to know more…He walked back to the reporter, and looked him in the eyes again.

“What did you just say?”

“Yes, Mr. Boulder. A riot broke outside of the General Hospital where your son is staying about 20 minutes ago. Some of the rioters have entered the hospital claiming to be after your mistress, Hershey Alexander. Are you aware of this?”

Brandon obviously wasn’t. He felt like knocking the teeth out of the stupid reporter for asking such a dumb question, however, he was also grateful for now knowing. Brandon never spoke to that reporter or any other. For about half a second, his eyes dilated and Brandon visualized all of the possible dangers which might lurk if a riot started because of him. He thought of his son, and Hershey. He saw them getting torn limb from limb. Or beaten… Or worse. His stomach had grown upset again. The split second was over and Brandon sprinted for his limousine. He hurled the door open and slammed behind in. Then, Brandon pulled out his cell phone and started punching his keypad furiously.

* * *

The riot outside of Jason’s hospital had now grown into a full-fledged onslaught. The police was called, and the one armed with shields and anti riot gear. Rubber bullets were fired into the crowds and people were clubbed with batons. The rioters in turn threw bottles and debris. The tour down store signs, and destroyed parts cars. Everyone outside of that hospital was completely delirious. The hospital itself was on complete lockdown. The front doors were chained shut. At least adopt a dozen rioters had gotten inside, and this security team as well as police worked hard to subdue them all. Unfortunately, they only found 10 of the 12.

Hershey and Jason had left the room. It was now clear that they will no longer safe there. They walked down the halls briskly, trying not to attract too much attention. Of course this was no easy feat. Hershey’s face had now become recognizable to the world. Jason’s, as well. Hershey pulled the hood of her sweatshirt over her head as much as possible. she made her way to the elevator, But when she arrived there, she saw three rioters on the floor in handcuffs, and police arresting them. She scurried away with Jason in hand. Nobody saw her… Or at least that’s what she thought.

Hershey went for the fire case. She walked down two flights of stairs with Jason, but  when she reached the storey below, she saw a menacing face two flights of stairs below. The person looked at her and then Jason. Hershey could see that this face recognized hers. Upon recognition, the face’s eyes lit up as if to say that it had found what he was looking for. A surge of adrenaline pumped through Hershey’s veins. She asked Jason up into her arms and started sprinting up the staircase. The man with the menacing face sprinted after her.

“Dan!” He yelled while panting heavily. “Danny it’s her!”

Hershey almost didn’t hear the cry. She was too busy running for dear life with a 60 pound load in her arms. She lunged up two and three steps at a time. Her thighs and lungs were on fire. Jason shook like a rag doll, but he was too terrified to make a peep. He screamed, but noise didn’t come out. Jason covered his ears and waited for it all to be over.

Hershey climbed four flights of stairs, and now, she could see who the first man was yelling at. There was another menacing face descending the stairs, coming after her. With two hoodlums closing in on Hershey fast, the hairs stood on the back of her neck. Who knew what they would do to her if they got their hands on her. She scampered back into the hospital corridors before they could catch up to her. She bulldozed through nurses and patients alike.

The men were in hot pursuit. She made a sharp right. It was just fast enough that the men missed her and kept running straight. Hershey let herself into the first empty looking room she could find. She closed the door behind her. Security guards bustled through the hallway outside. Presumably, they were looking for the men who had just chased her. Hershey started to cry. She pressed her back against the door and slid to the floor. Her arms burned from carrying Jason the whole time, but she never let go of him. Not even then.