Deceitful Vows (9 page)

“Dammit!” Stephanie screamed as she banged on her steering wheel uncontrollably. She’d never thought he would recognize her. She’d traded in her Mercedes for a Honda Accord after she took a leave of absence from her agency. She had taken a one year unpaid personal leave the last time her mom had sent her to the resort. She thought a year would be long enough to win Mark’s heart, get pregnant and get back to work. She could surely afford to live off her savings that long, but the plan was that she wouldn’t have to. She was supposed to be living happily ever after with Mark. Not worrying about anything except having babies. But instead she was staking out his apartment, hoping that he didn’t have another one of his conquests coming over.

Being a single mother was getting hard for Kayla, even though money wasn’t the issue. She had the finances to cover whatever MJ wanted or needed. The late night feedings, early morning diaper changes, and the crying fits were exhausting. She had no relief or reprieve from any of it. Mark came over three times a week to visit, but of course he got the bath time smiles, giggles and a feeding. If he was lucky, a diaper change. To him, MJ was a ball of fun and parenting was easy breezy, but if only he knew what it was really like.

Kayla and Mark finally agreed on a nanny. Her name was Virginia, and she was a forty-eight-year-old caregiver. Virginia had given birth to three kids of her own by the age of twenty. Once they were grown and on their own, she finally knew what she would do with the rest of life.

She started out watching her girlfriend’s kids as a way to make extra money when her kids were younger. Because she didn’t work, she had a lot of extra time on her hands. The money that the state provided every month wasn’t enough to take care of everything, so babysitting helped make the ends meet. It wasn’t long before she realized she enjoyed caring for children and wanted to do it full time. Once her children were grown, Virginia was free to search for other children to help raise. She worked in a few daycare centers but felt they weren’t nurturing enough. It wasn’t long before she left and went to work for the Fosters, caring for their only child, a son named Martin. She took care of Martin until he was sixteen years old. After that, they didn’t really need Virginia anymore, so she set out to find another family to help. Virginia was still close to the Fosters, and they even sent her a small check once a month to help her out until she found work again.

Kayla was up early getting ready for work. It had been almost four months since her leave started, and she was anxious and nervous as if it was her first day on the job. She didn’t know what to expect from her patients and coworkers alike. Before she left, she was happily married and expecting her first child. Now she was returning; separated and a single parent. Talk about the tables turning. With the separation from Mark, Kayla didn’t have any other duties besides caring for MJ, so she was able to get in her home gym and get her “snapback” in order. It was virtually unbelievable that she had an almost three-month-old son at home, looking at her body. She decided to wear a black form-fitting suit with a red lace blouse and her favorite patent leather
Louboutins
. Even though her body was back to pre-baby shape, she decided to wear black to give her frame an even more slimming look. Since MJ had her up late the night before, she decided to cover the bags under her eyes with a little foundation and eyeliner. Her hair had grown a lot during her pregnancy, so she wore it in an updo. It was her only option being that she’d meant to make a trip to Sue, her stylist, and get a cute cut. But for now the high bun would have to do the trick.

Heading downstairs to find Virginia already feeding MJ, Kayla decided that it was best to just grab her lunch bag and go. She would have to stop and get coffee on her way in because if she stayed home any longer she wouldn’t have been able to actually leave MJ.

Surprisingly Kayla did well for her first day back. Her patients actually found her more relatable and down to earth since she was no longer wearing a wedding band. She had only used FaceTime twice to check on how well MJ was doing with Virginia. Even when Mark called to see how she was holding up,
she took the call like a champ. Although she missed her baby terribly, she had to admit she wasn’t a nervous wreck like she’d thought she would be. The morning and early afternoon went smoothly until around two-thirty when things got ugly.

“Kayla, get home now! It’s urgent! I’m on my way there!”

She couldn’t get a word in edgewise before Mark hung up.

Click
.

Kayla didn’t know what to do or say. Her instincts kicked in, and she immediately grabbed her purse and flew out of the office. She paused for a brief moment to tell her assistant that she was gone for the day and would not be back. She pretended to ignore the sound of the young girl smacking her lips at her statement. Kayla didn’t even know where she came from or who hired her and didn’t much care at the time. Rebecca was her assistant before she went on maternity leave. Sometimes they switched personnel to make easier accommodations, so Kayla didn’t think anything of it. But after working with Latoya for just half a day, she knew this arrangement wouldn’t last long at all.

Kayla sped all the way home, doing at least eighty-five miles per hour on the highway. She made the usual forty-five minute drive in twenty minutes. She attempted to call Mark back several times but didn’t get an answer. Once she pulled up to her home and saw cop cars everywhere, her heart started racing and everything instantly became blurred through the tears. Once she saw the ambulance come out with a gurney, she lost all focus of her car, and everything went black.

Coming to, Kayla realized she was in a hospital bed. She instantly began to panic and scan the room. The monitors connected to her were going crazy and beeping uncontrollably until she laid her eyes on Mark and MJ. The sight of them calmed her down and made the machines come back to a somewhat normal pace.

“Your mom is on her way. I called her a while ago,” Mark said, barely above a whisper since he was holding a sleeping MJ. “I waited until I got word from the doctor so that I could assure her that you were okay, and she wouldn’t rush here in fear.” He stood and walked MJ close to Kayla so she could see his sleeping face. She was on so much muscle relaxer and pain medicine the doctors advised that she not hold the baby out of fear that she may drop him.

“What happened? Why am I here?” Kayla asked.

“Yeah, Mark, tell us what happened,” Vivian said through gritted teeth from the doorway to the hospital room.

Vivian was pissed that once again she was back at the hospital with her daughter due to some damage that Mark had caused. Yes, the first time she got her grandson out of it, but this time she couldn’t imagine why her daughter was here. All she knew was Mark was the reason behind it and this time she wasn’t leaving until she got this situation under control once and for all. Vivian stood in the doorway with her hand on her hip, waiting for a response. Had Mark not been holding MJ, she would’ve slapped the taste out of his mouth, she was just that angry. Luckily for him, MJ saved him, but if his response wasn’t up to par, MJ wouldn’t be able to save him again.

Realizing that both Vivian and Kayla were waiting for a response, Mark stood up and placed a sleeping MJ in his car seat before he began the story of how Kayla got in that hospital bed.

“I was in my office working when Steve told me that I had a call.”

Mark wanted to elaborate on the fact that Steve was his new assistant so that Kayla could take notice that he had intentionally hired a male. That was in case she ever wanted to take him back. But considering the situation at hand, he figured he should continue on with the story.

“I took the call and soon found out it was Stephanie’s mother. She was worried about her because she hadn’t heard from her in a few months. She said that usually when that happened, she was off her meds, so she worried about her. At first she said she ignored it since Stephanie was just released a couple months prior and just assumed that she was getting things back in order.”

Mark could see the confused look on both Kayla and Vivian’s face. Obviously, no one had known of Stephanie’s illness. But he appreciated that they didn’t interrupt him. So he continued to talk.

“She said that once Stephanie’s doctor called and told her that she hadn’t filled any of her prescriptions, she knew something was wrong, so she tried to call her, but Stephanie wouldn’t answer.”

“That doesn’t explain why
I’m
here!” Kayla screamed. Her tone was full of annoyance and frustration.

Mark took another deep breath and continued. “After a few days of not getting an answer when she called, her mother decided to locate her cell phone. Apparently, when she had Stephanie committed the last time, she installed a locator app on her cell so she would always be able to pinpoint her location if she ever went off her meds again. Good that she did because she was able to see that she had been camped out between my place and your place for months now. I saw her at my place a couple times, but I didn’t think anything of it. I had no idea she was watching you and MJ.”

“Oh my God,” Kayla cried. “Knowing that someone has been following and watching me and I had no idea? I never knew that Stephanie was crazy. Oh, thank God MJ was not hurt. But what now? Will Stephanie try this again, Mark?” Kayla asked for reassurance.

“Well, her mom called me because she had me listed as her emergency contact while she was in Shady Pines. Once she told me the address, I told her that one was mine, and the other was the house you live in with MJ. Her mom instantly began to panic and told me to hurry there and call 911 on my way. So after I called the cops, I called you and told you to come home. Her mom called back and told me that Stephanie had told her that she was getting married and would need a babysitter while we went on a honeymoon. When I mentioned MJ, she immediately assumed that that was the child she wanted her to watch. She was afraid she would harm you, so that’s why she told me to call the police.”

“But that doesn’t make sense. Kayla wasn’t even home and if she was staking the place out she knew that,” Vivian said in disbelief.

“Her plan was to kidnap MJ. She was going to blackmail me into running off and marrying her. If I would’ve refused, she was going to threaten to hurt him. She wanted Kayla to lose both MJ and me. She knew Virginia was there but didn’t assume she would put up a fight when she tried to take MJ. She assumed that since she was just a nanny and it was her first day, it would be easy to get MJ, but Virginia tried to block the stairs. That’s when she stabbed Virginia with a letter opener.”

“That’s who I saw on the stretcher?! That was the last thing I remember. Then everything went dark, and I woke up here,” Kayla exclaimed in recollection.

“Yes, you saw Virginia. After Stephanie stabbed her, she went and grabbed MJ but when she tried to leave, the cops were at the door. She threatened to stab herself if they didn’t let her go, but they apprehended her first and got MJ. I guess that’s when you hit the tree and blacked out. Your car went up on the curb, and the steering wheel knocked you unconscious when you hit it. Virginia is going to be okay. The wounds weren’t life threatening. Stephanie’s mom said that she’s coming to make sure they put her in a proper mental facility and not release her this time. She said she’s been suffering from schizophrenia since she was a child. She seemed to have it under control once, but after her dad died she went off the deep end. Her mother thinks that’s where her obsession with men came from.”

Both Kayla and her mother seemed stomped after hearing that story. None of Mark’s behaviors were justified, but now Kayla felt a twinge of remorse because she was the one that had Stephanie involved in their lives from the beginning. She also knew that had it not been for Stephanie, she would’ve never met Mark. In a matter of months, her whole life was turned upside down, and she couldn’t figure out how to put things back in place. Kayla went off into deep thought while Mark watched her intently.

As if she knew they needed to talk, Vivian excused herself to go get coffee. Once Vivian was gone, Mark took the opportunity to speak.

“Kayla, being that close to losing you and my son only made me realize that our home should be all that I need. These last few months, I promise I haven’t seen Monica or Stephanie, or anyone else for that matter; I have been so content. I just want to be on the up and up with you, and maybe things won’t be so bad. I love you, Kayla.

Kayla listened intently. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes at the words that escaped from Mark’s lips.

“Kayla, baby, I know I haven’t been the best husband to you. I’ve done some things I’m not proud of, and I’ve hurt you. I never loved another woman the way I love you, and I could never imagine spending my life with anyone other than you and my son. I know it seems hard now, but if you give me one more chance, I promise to do right by you and MJ and never bring another tear to your eyes, unless it’s a tear of joy. I promise to be the husband to you that I vowed to be on our wedding day. I promise to love, honor, obey and be nothing but faithful to you. Kayla Barnes, please forgive me and give our family another chance.”

By now, both Mark and Kayla had tears coming down their faces. Those words and that reassurance was what Kayla had needed to hear months ago. Hearing him finally admit his wrongs and faults and asking for his family back sounded like music to Kayla’s ears. Unfortunately, her heart didn’t like the song so when she opened her mouth to respond to his confession of love for her, neither of them were prepared for what she said.

“Mark, my love for you is unconditional. You’ve shown me things I’ve never seen before and gave me my first born child. That alone puts a special place in my heart for you that I can never forget. Being married to you has shown and taught me a lot of things, but the most important thing I’ve learned from my time with you is that your vows to me on our wedding day were nothing but a joke. Now, these promises you’re making to me today sound like an even bigger joke. Since the day we met, you’ve seemed to do nothing but give me worthless promises and vows, and I’ve had enough.” Kayla finalized her speech with, “I want a divorce!”