FORBIDDEN AFFECTIONS: ADDICTED TO MY STEPMOM

Crista’s eyes widened as she swiftly caught sight of me.

“What’s the matter? Why are you crying, Jack? What’s going on?” She asked me and hurried over to touch me. I was quick to remove myself from her reach and get away from her.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Crista let out an audible gasp, and her eyes grew very wide in response to the unexpected action I made, much like mom had.

“Aki?” Came out mom as she gave me a very demanding and questioningly gaze.

It was time to be rational, so I took a deep breath and went face to face with Crista. The only way I can get back to Mom is if I fix all of this.

I avoided looking at mom and whispered gently, “Mom, I’ll just talk to Crista.” I don’t want to worry Mom. I don’t want her to watch me getting so upset that I want to hurt someone else. What Crista did to me was way too much. She had taken much too much from me. I was angry at how easily she had deceived all of us, but the thing that broke my heart the most was that she had stolen those moments that should have been spent with Mom and Amy.

That there were really no options to choose from the start.

I didn’t have to choose and Mom didn’t have to make me.

Mom eventually left us, and Crista and I went to the bedroom to talk.

“Jack, what exactly is going on here? The guests are currently waiting outside. Mom and Dad are also coming. What happened? And why are you crying?” Crista asked with a shaky voice.

I didn’t waste any more time and turned to face her, saying in a clear voice, “Let’s put an end to this. Let’s divorce.”

“What…?” The color left Crista’s face, almost as if she had been startled by a ghost. “Jack, what are you saying? D-Do you feel unwell? Wait, let me call our helpers, okay?”

I drew in a big breath and stopped her. “Crista, I’ve already figured out everything.”

Even still, Crista continued to try to hide it. “I- I don’t understand what you’re saying, Jack. It looks like you’re in a lot of pain, Jack. L-let me call nanny- ”

“Troy,” I mentioned, enough to make her stop in her tracks. She turned her head to face me and peered at me with wide eyes. As I stared back at her, I made sure to stress each word as I said, “He told me all I needed to know. Crista, I know I’m not Yohan’s father. He showed me the evidence and I,” I drew a breath. “I know everything already. That’s why we should get divorced.”

After a moment of silence, Crista broke down and started crying. “No… That’s not true…”

My brow furrowed. “Crista!”

Crista retorted with a grimace, “No, Jack! What you’re saying is absurd. Okay? Yohan’s father is you. He isn’t, he- he’s just trying to fool you. Let’s stop this, okay? It’s just a joke. Jack, Come on, there are so many people out there. Let’s go see them and…”

“Crista, it’s over,” I forcefully told her. “Troy is Yohan’s father. He’s already told me everything. What happened back then, from the very first time you approached me up to the point when we were back there, in that resort. Before something happened between us…” I tightened my hands and glared at her, unable to control myself as I asked, “Crista, how could you do this to me? Crista, you’re my friend. So, tell me, how on earth did you manage to trick me in such a way? You fucking made me look like a fool! Right from the start, everything – every single thing was planned by you? Fuck… Fucking hell! What did I ever do to you?! Tell me!”

I took a step back, unable to control my rage. Crista was taken aback at my sudden voice rising but I didn’t care. Even at this moment, it was getting harder to control my emotions.

She made several mistakes, but the worst one was stealing the time that my mother should have received from me. Everything I gave her, it was supposed to be for mom and mom alone.

A year of loneliness and coldness. Four excruciating seasons and months. Because I made the decision to bear responsibility for someone else with our unborn child, I chose to keep my distance from the person I loved. Then all of a sudden, I learned that the child wasn’t mine at all… Bullshit!

“Jack, Jack… I, I’m sorry. Okay, I admit it.” Crista abruptly admitted, “Jack, I messed up, I-I knew it was wrong but I did what I did because I love you so much. You have to believe me, Jack. I’m sorry, Jack. I I’m sorry, I really am… It was not my intention to deceive you, Jack. Please forgive me, Jack. I beg you, please…”

Crista began to beg while sobbing. With each wailing sound that came from her, I could only see mom tending to baby Amy all by herself, nurturing her by herself all by herself. With each “sorry” that came out of her mouth, all I could picture was mom going to her medical appointments while attempting to keep a smile on her face despite the fact that the “father” of her baby was not there to support her.

Rather than feel bad, my blood began to boil even more.

I yanked Crista’s grasping hands away from me and shoved her away violently. I took a few slow, deep breaths, and focused my mind on being as logical and sensible as possible. “I can forgive you for hurting me, but I can’t continue on like this anymore. Crista, Yohan’s biological father is not me. If anyone should be by his side as his father right now, it should be Troy.”

I was unaware, though, that Crista could be so persistent and shameless to the point that she made people see red.

“No! Don’t say that! It doesn’t matter to me, Jack. Regardless of whether or not he is the biological father of our child, Jack, you are still my husband. F-For me, you are the father of Yohan, not him. Please, please don’t leave me and your child,” she pleaded and cried repeatedly.

“Stop this. Stop being so selfish,” I said at her while attempting to contain my emotions. I turned around and was going to leave when she moved closer and hugged me again.

“Jack, please. I can’t do this alone. I beg you… Please. I need you, Jack! I-I’ll do whatever you say. I- I promise I will do it!” She stared at me in an extremely odd manner. “Yohan… Jack, I am going to hand Yohan over to Troy. Is that what you want? I can do it for you. Troy – Troy is trying to use this against us in order to split us but we won’t let it happen, right, Jack? T-That’s why, in order to stop him from bothering us any further, let’s hand Yohan over to him. Right, that’s the solution to this problem. Let’s give Yohan to him. Then, we’ll be able to start our very own family with just the two of us–”

“Crista, what the fuck are you saying right now? Can you even hear yourself?” I had a hard time believing what I had just heard. What type of mother is in front of me that is willing to sacrifice her own child in order to satisfy her own selfish desires?

Crista’s sobbing became more audible, and she hugged me once more while pleading, “Please, Jack, I can’t live without you. I love you so much Jack, don’t you love me? Jack, I’m your wife. I can’t go on without you, please… Please don’t leave… ”

I pulled Crista’s hands from my body slowly but firmly using all of my strength and power. Slowly but surely, I turned to face her.

“I don’t love you, Crista. I will never do,” I said with a lot of emphasis and honesty in my voice, before finally leaving the room.

I intended to talk to her calmly, but I also found it difficult to control my emotions because I was so hurt and angry. Time. A lot of time was lost.

The countless moments that were taken without permission should have been saved for other people. Most importantly, I’m sick to death of what she was saying. After having the opportunity to know and spend time with the most incredible mother in the world, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of disgust upon hearing what Crista had to say.

I couldn’t even bring myself to look at her since she was so utterly wicked and disgusting.

“Aki, what happened? Is everything all right?” mom asked when I entered the living room. It appeared as though she had remained here and had been waiting for me out of worry.

“Mom, I want to get out of here, where is Amy?” I was fast to respond.

“She’s in the garden with Jonah… Wait a minute, Aki, could you at least tell me…” Mama was about to question in confusion when Crista burst through the door, still screaming and crying uncontrollably.

“Auntie! Auntie! Please don’t allow Jack to abandon both his child and me. I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry for everything that I’ve done, but please don’t leave us, Jack. Please. Don’t leave me, Jack. Please, I’m begging you…!”