Read Mistress No More for Free Online Page A

concern. Worry about not being here for your son.”
    Jackson’s jaw tightened. “I’m there for both of my kids. I’m a damn good father and you know it.”
    Renee laughed and applauded sarcastically. “Whoopdie damn do. I’m sure you’ll be a good one to your new one, too.”
    “Go to hell, Renee.”
    She locked her fiery eyes with his. “You already put me there, Jackson.”
    The bedroom doors burst open. Aaron and Kieran stepped into the room. Both were tall like their father, with Renee’s bright eyes. They were of the age to fully understand the serious nature of their parents’ breakup.
    “Stop arguing,” Kieran said, her eyes filled with tears as her gloss-covered bottom lip trembled. “I’m sick of this.”
    At the sight of her daughter in tears and her son’s handsome and thin face filled with questions, Renee lost all her will to fight. She slumped down onto the bed, feeling helpless and hopeless tears rise. She swallowed them back, not wanting to break down in front of her children. She felt like all of her emotions were drowning her. She’d give anything to rewind time and make all the bad shit that had destroyed their family go the hell away. All of it. Even her desire to have a career. That was the beginning of the end.
    Looking up, she fought her desire to drink as she eyed her husband and her children. In truth, she wanted her family, but visions of the future chased her all the time.
    Her husband in the delivery room holding the hand and caressing the scalp of another woman having his child.
    Some faceless woman making demands on her husband.
    A child not born of her womb running around her home yelling for daddy. Or her husband going to the woman’s home to visit their child.
    Any way it played out it spelled pain, embarrassment, and disappointment for her. Renee just couldn’t swallow that.
    Pain radiated from deep in her soul and across her entire body. A pain that she wanted to numb with drinks. Lots of them.
    “So it’s true, Daddy? What Mommy told us was true?” Kieran asked, sounding more young and immature than her fifteen years.
    Renee said nothing. She wished her drunken tongue hadn’t dropped the news to them the way it had. But it was true that a drunken person speaks with a sober mind. The truth had to be told . . . one way or the other.
    “Is that why y’all broke up?” Aaron asked, his voice deep and filled with his flourishing manhood.
    Renee craved a drink.
    “Your mother and I love you both very—”
    Kieran gasped dramatically. Her eyes got big and wide. “Oh. My. God. It’s true?! Onmygod, Daddy. Seriously. SERIOUSLY ?”
    She pushed past Aaron to run from the room.
    “Damn, Daddy, how could you?” Aaron said, his eyes filled with disappointment before he made a noise with his mouth that was filled with his disgust and then left the room.
    Jackson wiped his hands over his close-cropped hair that was lightly sprinkled with silver. “Renee, I am so sorry that I hurt you and the kids and if I could fix this I would. I’ve tried, but she wants to have the baby—”
    “No!” Renee held up her hands and shook her head vehemently as tears filled her eyes like a flood. “I will not sit here and converse with you about this shit. I. WILL. NOT. No, Jackson. No.”
    She whimpered as his strong arms surrounded her and pulled her close to his chest. Renee inhaled deeply of his familiar scent and for just a second allowed herself the comfort and security of his embrace. She had thought it would be available to her for the rest of their lives.
    “Oh God why. Why, Jackson? Why did you do this to me?” she whispered, all strength and all resolve gone from her body as she wept like a child. “Why . . . why . . . did you do this to me?”
    He rocked her. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I swear.”
    “It hurts . . . it hurts so bad. Oh God. It hurts so bad,” she said, her voice husky with pain. She felt the weight of her world crumbling around her.
    Jackson placed