The Mistress and The Legal Wife

JULIET

The night was bitingly cold. The temperature in Jansen's bedroom was frosty he don in an ash coat and thick raven boots while downing a shot of red wine. He hunched in a glossy armchair beside his pal, Rico. A voluptuous bottle of wine was standing on the glass table in front of them. Across the bottle, was the label GEORGIA GIN. It is Jansen's favorite bottle, he has a vast collection of various wine at the wine cellar.
Jansen's tumbler was empty, he poured himself another glass and he downed it through pursed lips. He let out a sigh, the wine made him feel a bit gag. It tasted like a dose of medicine however, he is enamored of the wine.
The bottle of wine was turning empty Rico noticed and he grabbed the bottle from him before he could pour himself the twelfth cup.
"That's enough!" He narrowed his eyes at him, "do you wanna get drunk? What if your daughter sees you?"
"I don't know how to be a man anymore, how to stay strong for Bella. I can't even think straight cause of Mia. I am afraid that Mia won't be there for Bella, I feel I am going to be the only one responsible for her. I don't want Mia's condition to get bad."
"Didn't you want to separate from her? I don't get why you are so bothered about her."
"I don't wanna lose Mia for good. I don't want her gone this way. I wish nothing happened to her. Now I'm afraid, she's never going to be awake. If that happens, our family has fall apart. How will I look after Bella all by myself?"
"Take it easy man." Rico placed his comforting hand on his shoulder and he unhurriedly spring from his seat, "I gotta leave. It's quite late." He edged away from him and approached the doors.
It was 11:45pm. Bella arrived at the mansion. As she strides into the enormous living room, everywhere was murky. She tried to glance at the staircase but it was shrouded by the darkness and she thought of approaching the sofa.
Her heels was clacking noisily on the hard floor as she walked. The sound echoed in the room Juliet listened to her footsteps and she switched the lights on. The room suddenly turned bright Bella's eyes marvelled, and her eyes easily traced the staircase. She was almost approaching it and she pauses catching sight of Juliet crouching in the sofa and her eyes instantly grew wide as plate.
Juliet had been sitting patiently awaiting her arrival, and she deliberately switched off the lamps so Bella will not easily notice her in the room. Just as she envisaged, Bella will be arriving the house pretty late. Juliet could not wait to throw a fit she narrowed her eyes at her and sprang off her sofa.
"Why are you home by this time?"
Bella sneered at her and walked past her heading to the staircase. Juliet flared grabbing her arm and pulling her back, "don't you dare walk out on me!"
"So what if I do?" She pulled her hand from hers with force.
"You disrespectful little brat."
"This is my home Juliet and I can leave and return whenever I feel like it. You shouldn't even be here, you don't belong here. You have no business being here."
"Well listen little brat, " she points her finger at Bella's face, "as long as your mum ain't here, I'm gonna take her place and dictate the rules in this house. And rule number one, NO COMING HOME LATE!"
"My mum is still the lady of this house. Her stay in the hospital is only temporary. This house still belongs to her so you do not have the right to dictate any rules." Bella gnashed her jaw.
"Stop thinking like an idiot Bella cause your mum no longer has any rights in this mansion. In case you did not know, your parents were planning to have a divorce."
Tears suddenly escape Bella's eyes, "no, that's not true. They aren't, " she shakes her head, "my mum still belongs here."
"If I were you dumb brat, " Juliet suddenly grabbed her shoulders. Her contorted face was making Bella edgy, "I will stop hoping my mum comes home or even recovers from her stupid coma. Cause it's all pointless she ever returns since she no longer belongs here."
"Stop saying that. I know my mum belongs here, and she's gonna be back home. This is her home, this is our home and nothing of what you say or do is gonna change that."
Juliet slowly withdraw her hands from Bella's arms, "it's okay. Suit yourself with whatever you wanna believe. Dumb brat." She grit her teeth.
Bella's face was bursting in a lot of tears as she skedaddles to her bedroom. Juliet's words was echoing in her mind, "your mum no longer has any rights in this mansion." More tears stream from her eyes. When she stepped into her room, she threw herself in her bed and craddled a pillow, "no.. This can't be. Mama...mama..." She whimpered.
                                                                -
Jansen was laying on the floor like a log. He became unconscious after sipping too much liquor and he unknowingly rolled off the sofa he lied on falling to the floor. The sharp pitch of his bottles clicking jolt him awake, and he slowly parted his eyes and glanced at nannny Macy pulling the bottles off the table into the trash bin.
She was almost walking off his table, and he grabbed her hand. "W-a-i-t nanny." He was mumbling as if whispering she barely heard him. She was startled by his touch and she turned and looked at him springing to his feet.
He stood unsteadily a bit dizzy and he almost staggered as he walked to her. "Nanny, help me, " he threw his face on her chest sobbing on her dress, "I don't know what I'm gonna do. I'm still trying to ingest the thought that Mia is in a critical condition, I don't know how I'm also gonna be there for Bella. I can't even compose myself see how drunk I am."
Macy slowly pulled him from her arms and she looked closely at his face which was covered with tears, "take it easy on yourself."
"How can I? Mia is right to hate me, to fight back. Even though all the things she did against Juliet and I were evil, she is justified cause all I do is hurt her. Because of me, she is gonna die and we may lose her. It's all happening again, when she was ill with cancer. She was able to survive it, I don't know if she can make it out of this one too."
"If I weren't so furious and oust her out of our house, she may not have meet with that damn accident."
"Yea, this is your fault." A frown carressed her brows.
"Am I a horrible husband?"
"Yes you are. You're so selfish and insensitive. You are always thinking about Juliet you forget about your poor wife."
"I'm sorry.., " his voice starts to crack, "I didn't know I was going too far now I may lose her. I don't wanna. If Mia dies, I may never be able to forgive myself."
"Seriously? Where was your conscience when you were having an affair with Juliet? It didn't matter to you back then how badly hurt Mia feels, you did not even care how your actions affect her and now she's dying, you suddenly have a conscience?"
"I didn't mean to hurt Mia, I was only in love, I couldn't control the way I feel for Juliet. I wish it was easier not to hurt Mia. I wish I do not love Juliet but I do. I try to forget her, and my mind keeps telling me loving her is wrong but I still find myself loving her."
"You ruined your life, and your family the very moment you chose to have an affair with Juliet. So it is your fault Mia is in this situation. And it's sad Mia has to pay the price for your infidelity." Macy said firmly and she walked away.