An Affair With My Husband’s Brother

Cielle’s POV: The morning sun had barely broken over the sleepy coastal town of Harbor's Haven when I woke up to the distant chime of the church bells. Rays of light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft, golden glow across our bedroom. But the warmth of those sunbeams couldn't penetrate the chill that settled in my heart as I faced yet another day. The clock on the nightstand read much later than I had intended. I'd slept in, and the consequences of my tardiness would be swift and merciless, if he were to wake up. Jason, my husband, lay in bed beside me, his chest rising and falling as he slept. His thick brow furrowed, a storm brewing beneath the surface. I knew the brewing storm all too well, because I had experienced it first hand in the six months of our marriage. I stumbled out of bed, wincing as the floorboard creaked beneath my weight. My eyes darted to the clock. 6:02am. I had overslept for over an hour. Tying my auburn hair in a knot, I dashed to the kitchen, opened the fridge and got out the ingredients to start cooking. My hands trembled from fatigue and lack of enough sleep as I rushed around the kitchen, checking on the coffee, flipping the bacon, adding butter to the toast. In about thirty minutes, I was done with the cooking and I woke Jason up and while he freshened up, I set the table. I could hear my husband trudging through the house and the increasing volume of his footsteps indicated that he was walking towards me. Casting a cursory glance over the set table to confirm that nothing was out of place, I waited with bated breath and willed my heart to stop pounding so loudly as I watched my husband sit and proceed to devour his breakfast. As usual, my efforts were futile. The eggs weren't to his liking, the coffee too cold, he also hated the bacon and the toast was burnt. Over the past few months of our marriage, I had learned that perfection was a necessity when it came to living with Jason but despite my greatest efforts, perfection seemed to be an illusion. Jason's anger escalated with each sip of the now lukewarm coffee. "You're a useless wife, Cielle," he sneered, the venom in his voice was like a dagger to my heart. He slammed his cup onto the table, and before I could react, his heavy hand found my cheek. In my eagerness to please him, I had forgotten to stand at more than an arm's length away and it was really easy for him to reach out and smack me. Pain surged through me, but I remained silent, cradling my cheeks with silent tears running down my face. Silence was my refuge. As he left for work, he spat one final insult, "You're lucky to have me, Cielle. No one else would want you." The door closed behind him, and I was left standing in the dining room staring at the now empty plates. If the food was so terrible how come he could eat it all? I cleared the dishes and after a quick clean up, I made my way to the large room that I shared with Jason. I made my way to the window, and I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting the morning breeze wash over me as I thought back to the start of my misery. *** Six Months Before: “She’s going to die if you don’t help her father, please I’m begging you.” I said as I sobbed, sitting on my knees in front of my father in his large home office. “Cielle, come on stand up. You don’t need to be on your knees. I told you before, I don’t have the money for your mother’s medical treatment. My company is falling apart and I’m really trying to hold on to whatever I have right now, which isn’t a lot by the way. But I know someone who could give you that sum of money.” He said and with his tone, I just knew that I wouldn’t like what he had to say. And I didn’t. “Marry him and save your mother Cielle. Just look at you, you’re beautiful and desirable. Any man would want you, so you don’t have to put in too much of an effort. All you have to do is look as pretty as possible and watch the rest of it take care of itself. It’ll be worth it in the end. If not for yourself, do it for your mother.” He said after his proposal and more tears had run down my cheeks in response. “But Ashley was the one promised to him. Why do I have to marry him? After all I’m just your bastard daughter, a mistake. She’s your real one. Or isn’t that what you’ve always told my mother and I?” The bitterness in my voice was difficult to contain. “I’m not here to argue with you Cielle. The clock is ticking for your mother’s health.” *** I could remember the tears that had gathered in my eyes and the bubbles that had formed in my stomach at his words, and although he had made it sound like I had a choice in the matter, I knew it was not the case. He wasn’t trying to give me an opportunity, he was making a trade out of me. The deal was clear - as long as I remained in this loveless marriage and provided an heir, my mother, Fiona, who had fallen critically ill, would receive the best care she so desperately needed and for as long as it took her to recover back to perfect health. I was forced to accept my mother's well-being hanging in the balance. Sighing heavily, I made my way into the bathroom making quick work of my morning routine before moving out to dress in some comfortable clothes. There was a tiny escape from my reality, a haven of some sorts that I clung to for dear life. I grabbed my coat, pulled it tightly around me, and ventured out of the house and into the quiet street to the cafe. It was my daily routine, a small respite from the life I had to endure. The cafe, with its welcoming aroma of freshly brewed coffee, felt like a sanctuary. I ordered my usual cup, hoping that this small indulgence would provide me with a bit of comfort. As I sat alone at my corner table and sipped the warm liquid from my cup, two friendly faces approached. A man and a woman, both exuding warmth and brightness that felt alien to me in my world of shadows. "Hello there," the man greeted with a charming smile. "We couldn't help but notice you're a regular here. My name is Daniel, and this is Lily. We're part of a local social club, and we'd love for you to join us, if you’re free. We think you'd fit right in." Their kind invitation took me by surprise, and I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. But before I could gather my thoughts and consider the possibility of indulging them, my phone rang. The caller ID displayed the name St. Clare's Hospital. My heart dropped to my stomach. They never randomly called except it was an emergency. I answered, my voice trembling as I said, "Mom?" Her voice was weak, her words fragile, as she spoke from the other end. "Cielle, my love. Are you busy? Can you come see me?" I hated the weakness in her voice. "Of course, Mom," I reassured her. "I'll be on my way now.” As I ended the call, I couldn't help but wonder how much longer I could keep living like this, it didn’t seem like my mother was getting better but I needed her to. I was no fool, I had long realised that living with Jason was as good as signing my death warrant and if I wasn't careful, I could die before my ailing mother, but getting out of the confines of my suffocating marriage meant I was giving up on my mother and I couldn’t ever bring myself to do that. I accepted the card from Daniel and Lily, not missing the concerned looks on their face although their smiles remained genuine, and with a hurried apology, I left the cafe.