Painful Deception

Jacky and Harry spent the week together in his apartment eating, talking, making love and just enjoying each other's company. So when Friday morning came, Jacky was up putting on her clothes. She would miss this. Going back to Mark would be so much harder when she knew that what she had just experienced was how she could possibly live her life. She had made up her mind; she would go with Harry after the baby was born. Doing it while she was pregnant would cause too much stress and she could risk a miscarriage. She hadn't worked out the details yet, but they would figure something out.

After she had her clothes on, Harry walked her to the door and they sat and held each other for a while. Jacky committed the feeling of being in his arms to memory; the smell of him, the feel of him and the sense of security she felt with him. She pulled him down and locked her lips with his, gripping him tightly. Breaking apart from him, she whispered, "I love you," in his ear and kissed him again.

"I love you too Jacky," he replied back.

"So, I'll write to you and we'll figure things out," she said holding his hand. He kissed her forehead again and smiled.

"Yes, we will. Take care of yourself love, and your daughter." His hands reached down and rubbed her belly; she smiled up at him.

"I will. Bye then," she said, opening the door and standing on her tippy-toes to give him another kiss. She then turned quickly and left, preparing herself for the harsh reality of her marriage, but she had that small glimmer of hope that soon she would be happy.

Selene thought about what happened on Monday when she told Mark that she was pregnant. She sat in shock when Mark closed the door to her studio. She thought that he loved her. Of course he never said it but men like him usually had problems admitting their feelings. His wife certainly didn't satisfy him, she knew that. From what Mark told her, she wasn't responsive to his advances, she rarely interacted with him and frequently argued with him. She didn't see why he still stayed with her. Yes, his wife was a pretty girl, but she was an experienced and sexy woman. She had purposely stopped using her birth control because she had fallen in love with him and thought he felt the same and a baby would just make him realize it sooner. But she was wrong, not only did he harshly tell her his feelings for her (which didn't extend past the physical) but he also ordered her to get an abortion. She would never do that, plus the baby is half of Mark, she would always have him with her. There was one thing that scared her about him however; it was the part of him that she had never seen. His threat of doing the abortion himself scared her; the expression on his face and his tone while he said it scared her immensely, and it told her that he wouldn't hesitate to rid himself of that problem.

Mark walked through the manor looking for Jacqueline. She was supposed to have come with Richard, the chauffer, to pick him up from the airstrip, but when he got into the car, Richard said that she had gone into town right before he arrived. He walked down another hall and started to walk towards the voices he heard. There she was sitting on a rocking chair that he hadn't noticed before, reading out the instructions to a servant to build what he recognized as a crib. "Jacky," he called out.

She jumped from her reading and looked up at him. "Hello Mark," she said in a bored tone and then she resumed reading. He stared at her in disbelief. How dare she hardly even recognize his presence?

"Don't you have anything else to say to me?" he asked.

She looked up at him and furrowed her brow, "Do you want me to say something else to you? By the way, a woman named Selene called me today about what she said is a pressing matter; maybe instead of talking to me about what you did during the week, you can arrange things with your mistress," she said looking at him with an eyebrow raised.

What? Selene called Jacqueline? How in the name of god did she get her mobile number? "My affairs aren't any of your business; you'd do well to stay out of them," he said to her weakly, turning towards the door and walking out. He cursed himself for his feelings for Jacqueline; they were beginning to show themselves in the most annoying ways. Even when he had an entire week to think about things, he couldn't pinpoint what it was that was making him start to appreciate her. He supposed it was the fact that he had thought about his childhood and remembered the way his father treated his mother in front of him. He didn't want his children to have to see that, he wanted Jacqueline to be happy when they raised their child. He supposed that in seeing her body already protecting their baby, he realized these things. But now he had another matter to deal with: Selene. She had not called him that week when he told her he needed her decision. Now that he was trying to get on the right track with Jacqueline, he did not need this problem and he would deal with it, just like he promised.

Jacky looked at the finished crib; it was beautiful- a dark mahogany with a carved picture of Beauty & the Beast on the headboard. She felt the baby kick her and she rubbed her belly trying to soothe her. She sat down on the rocking chair and moved back and forth; thinking about what happened today. After she left Harry's house, she went into town, found this beautiful antique crib in a little shop, and then she found the rocking chair too. Then her phone rang and that woman Selene was talking to her.

"Hello?"

"Jacqueline, this is Selene."

She stopped and asked herself if she ever heard the name Selene.

No she didn't.

"I'm sorry but I don't seem to remember meeting you, nor giving you my phone number."

"I know… I know Mark- he's never mentioned me before?"

"No, he hasn't. Is there a reason why he should have?"

"Well, your husband and I have been involved for the last four months."

"Listen, I don't know what you're trying to do but I'll tell you now so you don't waste your time. I don't care about my husband's affairs; Mark can screw whoever he wants. However I will warn you, Mark isn't what you may think he is. You should be careful."

"Well I just wanted you to know; Mark and I are expecting a baby."

"I'm sorry Selene, I have to go."

She wasn't surprised that he had a mistress; however she was not expecting to get a phone call from her. After the way that Mark treated her, she was surprised that he would allow her to reach her. Maybe that was why he'd been acting so odd lately. On the ride home, she thought about it more. Maybe this could be her way out.

A/N: First off, thanks to my new beta Cade. I will continue the Selene & Mark action in the next chapter. I think that this Chapter feels a little ruhed, so tell me what you think. I dont't think I'll be able to get another chapter out tomorrow. Im trying to brainstorm ideas. However, I do have the ending thought out. Thanks for reading and please review.
_Thanks, Naimahfosho