The Second Wife by Melinda Mulera (book club reads .txt) 📗

The moment I got home, I wasted no other time than to check the brand of the medicine that woman had just given me. Almost thinking it was poison. The seal of the packaging wasn't broken and looked perfectly fine but she would be giving me the wrong medicine.

However, the name of the medicine was actually real. Everything about it, even the cover was identical and the prescriptions were correct. Once a day for three days.

So I guess she was just being nice.

Filling a glass with lukewarm water, I dropped a pill into my mouth and chugged the water down with it, feeling it run down my throat as I swallowed.

Linda had always explained the do's and don'ts of this whole adult lifestyle. She explain all that I needed to know, so I was pretty well taught to know how to react to certain situations.

Which leaves me to the current one.

She's going to grab my throat when she gets here.

I could just die.

"I'm back!" I jumped at the sudden outburst of his voice beaming throughout the house. "With food." He finished as he appeared at the kitchen door. "Hungry?" He asked as he raised the plastic bag of food while he walked towards me. "I bought us some nice Chinese food." He said as he placed the bags onto the counter. "Are you sick?" He asked as he glanced down at the box of pills on the counter. I shook my head as I placed the cup in the sink and sighed.

"They're birth control pills, actually." I said and cleared my throat when his face suddenly paled. "What?"

"Why are you taking those?" He asked as he snatched the box from the counter and pulled out the set from inside, looking up at me when he must have noticed one missing already. "You should have just let things happen if you were going to be." He said as he tossed the box back on the counter. "There wouldn't have been a problem."

"It's better this way, Hazel." I smiled and sighed as I pointed at the bags.

"What are we eating?" I asked and he grinned widely.

"Chinese food." He said as he pulled out a box. "Let's go sit down and enjoy this." He said as he picked the bag off the counter. I smiled and followed behind him and into the living room. I sat on the couch as he opened the bag and removed all the boxes. "Okay, dig in." He smiled and I nodded as I got myself a box and began to eat with a fork, other than the chopsticks.

In a couple of minutes, we were done with some boxes, leaving one out since we were all stuffed and ready to blow up.

"Feels like I ate a horse." He groaned as he patted his stomach. I chuckled as I smiled at him. He smiled back, staring down at me with some softness in his eyes. "You're really pretty." He pointed out and I smiled widely.

'Thanks." I sighed out and leaned into the couch. "Why do they hate you so much though?" I asked. "Not as an outcast, but what else?" He sighed out shakily as he glanced away and towards the blank TV.

"Well, they um... Well me and Avery don't go so well. So if you hate the son, they hate you." He chuckled lowly.

"Aren't you going to have enough of your lies spilling out of your mouth?" We all jumped at the sudden voice beaming into the room. "Or should I clean out your mouth, Hazel?" It was Avery.

He walked in through the arch of the corridor. From beneath my fingers pressing onto Hazel's thigh, I could feel his muscles clench tighter as Avery walked in, walking towards the single arm chair.

"Why are you even here?" Hazel asked, his voice sounding sterned and forced through his voice. Like air rushing out a rusty pipe. "Why didn't you even knock?"

"Do I need to?" Avery asked as he threw himself on the couch. "She's my secretary. I don't think I need to."

"She's a secretary, not your wife. Respect her privacy at least." Hazel hissed and I sighed out, glancing towards the ground.

"Anything you need, Mr Bronze?" I asked as I glanced at him with hopeful eyes, praying he wouldn't come here to spill the beans.

"Nope." He shrugged his shoulders and smirked as he glanced at me. Giving me nervous chills.

What was his intentions.

"Then leave." Hazel said coldly and I patted his thigh to calm him down.

The tension in the air was intoxicating.

"Iris asked you a question." He said as he reached out and grabbed the remaining box, opening it without consent. "Answer her, without any hidden truths." He said as he took a bite of the noodles." I doubt you are telling her everything."

"Is that why you're here?" Hazel asked and I stared with pleading eyes, hoping he would just leave. But he eventually brushed it off.

"I came to see Iris." He said as he sighed out and clicked his tongue. "Any problem?"

"Yes I have a problem." Hazel hissed. "Can't you leave me alone?"

"I'm sorry if I bother you, but this happened to be Iris's home, not yours." Avery rolled his eyes and pulled on a deep frown. "You're not the only one who finds Iris attractive." He rolled his eyes as my cheeks suddenly began to heat up.

"She's already taken, as you can see." Hazel said as he snaked his arm around my waist, holding me possessively. "You can leave."

"I'm not going anywhere." He shrugged his shoulders stubbornly. "Iris doesn't belong to a piece of cramp like you." He hissed and I could hear Hazel's breath suddenly hitch.

I needed to get Avery out.

"Avery... Can I talk to you outside?" I asked as I got up from my spot only to feel Hazel grip my wrist tightly. "Don't worry." I whispered down to him and he reluctantly let go and looked aside. "Avery, outside."

"Okay." He chuckled as he dropped the box on the table and got up from his seat as he followed me towards the door.