Of Love and Deception (25 page)

Cruz had already passed his judgment. She was guilty beyond any reasonable doubt that he might have had before. Tears stung her eyes, but as the video changed to a different scene, her anger brewed.

How and why would anyone capture her stomping toward the dumpster at work with that stupidly wicked bouquet of roses? And then it clicked. Meg. Meg knew all about her history with Blake. Meg encouraged her not to say anything to Cruz because men didn’t take kindly to anything involving an ex. And with Cruz’s own past history of breakups, she was stupid enough to never mention it. But she’d never told Meg about the SUV in the driveway when Cruz…
He was out of town… every picture, every incident… Oh. My. Gawd!

“Meg set me up!”

“Sure she did. Go ahead and blame her for calling you out. How convenient, Daniella. Who were the flowers from? Because we both know they didn’t come from me.”

“Blake Sheldon. A crazy ex that—”

“What the fuck ever. Get the hell out. You’re nothing but a whore.”

She raised her hand to slap him, but he caught her by the wrist and shoved her back. “I hate you. I. HATE. YOU.” She kneeled, grabbed the photos, balled them in her fists and threw them at Cruz. “HATE YOU!” She ran up the steps, into the room, slammed the door, and locked it. After catching her breath, Daniella stepped into the walk-in closet, unzipped the plastic bag covering one of her dresses, pulled out the letter and phone logs.

Bang, bang, bang!
Cruz beat on the door and hollered, “Let me in!”

“Go. Away! Go run to Meg since you have so much faith in her. I heard it. All of it. You. You and Meg… I can’t believe this! And she said you got her pregnant! And—”

He laughed. “Bloody hell. You’re mistaken. It was all about you… and him!” he said hysterically. “Come on, Daniella. She told me all about it. And to think you could get away with this. Passing off Blake’s child as mine. Are you crazy?” he hissed.

“No! Blake must be screwing her. Yep. OH gee! How dumb of me for falling right into her trap! Shit. She had you then… she’s always had you,” she cried and rocked herself back and forth, attempting to ease her aching heart.

He laughed furiously. “Oh, the bullshit. You sure know how to spin some shit up, I’ll give you credit for that, Daniella. Now let me the fuck in!”

“I can’t believe this. I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS. I CAN’T. I won’t. I won’t, I won’t, I won’t!” She stood and paced the room, her hands fisted in her hair, yanking harder with each pull. “Just. Go. Away.”

He refused to let up. “You were supposed to be inseminated, remember?” Cruz’s voice escalated. “You waited until I was conveniently out of town and slept with him! I get it. And now I know why you had to follow through with the procedure! You were already pregnant. Meg saw it when she performed the procedure. She was too stunned and afraid to tell me because she cared about you!”

“Then why did she go ahead with it?” Daniella whispered. It didn’t make sense. She was not, could not have been pregnant unless there was some immaculate conception going on. It’d been at least six or seven weeks since she and Cruz had been together. She wasn’t pregnant before. All of this was a lie, she just needed to figure it all out.

“You acted out the part very well, Daniella. Bravo!” Cruz clapped and continued to kick the door. He didn’t stop kicking until the frame cracked and the door swung open. It slammed against the drywall causing the doorknob to catch inside the hole it created.

He stormed toward Daniella and pushed her back on the bed. He pinned her arms at her sides and held her legs down by sitting on them. “I’m not letting you off that easy! You can’t run and hide behind a door and think it will all go away. What you did… did you enj—”

“Screw you! You’ve already made up your mind and accused me of something I didn’t do! I hate you! Get off me!”

“The pictures and footage tell the story, Daniella. You were already pregnant by him. Meg showed me what she saw on the screen the day you were supposed to be inseminated. I was shocked to see this little creation inside of you, and I know Meg was. Christ, Daniella. How could you? And don’t tell me it’s mine. From the time I left, and up until the procedure, we hadn’t been together. Six or seven weeks of no sex between us doesn’t explain a two to three week pregnancy. It could have only happened one way. How the hell will you talk your way around it? Humor me, please.” He forced a smile and she wanted to claw it off his face.

“See! There you go, fuckstick. You’ve already accused me.” She bucked her hips. “Get. Off!” She reared her hips again causing Cruz to release one of her hands to brace himself. The sound of her knuckles cracking against his cheek stilled them both. Cruz’s eyes widened, he slid off Daniella and walked out of the room with his hand against his wound.

“It’s not his! I was not pregnant when she did the insemination and believe me, she inserted that plastic inside me because I felt it. You… you just wait and see! And I promise you there will be no bringing me and
your
baby back!” Daniella cried. She broke down into a fit of hysterical sobs, followed by desperate urges to inhale oxygen.

There were no words. No rash words to counteract what he was saying. Meg was getting what she wanted all along. Cruz. And he was letting her take him. Damn, she was good. The way she set the stage for this whole charade worked nicely in her favor. Daniella was convinced this wasn’t a game she’d win. Hell, she’d already lost. Cruz sided with Meg before the game even began. Add Blake Sheldon and there you go. A perfect disaster just for Daniella.

A new terror ripped through her. A realization of what Meg was capable of and presumably what she had already done.
No. The insemination. NO! It’s a lie. Has to be. No. I’m losing it. I must be going crazy. This isn’t my life! It can’t be!

 It was time. Time to leave this life behind and move on. Daniella said her farewells. Goodbye to the memories of their first time in the bed they’d shared, and goodbye to her once perfect life. Too perfect. She slipped out of the room and halted just inside of the nursery. Her dreams of a happy family—destroyed. Cruz was nothing more than good looks and charm on the outside, but how quickly she learned what his true inner person really was. This was all a set up. It had to be. He was okay with it because he must have wanted Meg. He was part of it, for Christ-sake. She choked back all emotions, turned away from the room she had poured a heart full of love into, and slowly made her way down the steps.

Cruz stood in the kitchen; his hands fisted on the counter and his head dropped, until she rounded the corner. He raised his head, eyes moistened, he said, “I-I... I’m not understanding. You’re killing me. Can’t you see, Daniella? Your words, your reactions, what you did, all of this is tearing me apart.” He drew a palm to his chest and approached her.

My words. My reactions. What I did. Tearing him apart.

“Don’t… don’t come any closer. I have nothing more to say.” She choked back the tears threatening to reveal her true emotions. “How c-could you pin this on me? I thought
you
loved
me
.” The gates holding back the dam broke loose and she sobbed—great heart wrenching sobs. She was desperate to put up a fight, but as she pushed past him, he grabbed her arm, swung her around and shoved her against the wall. It didn’t hurt, physically, but emotionally it fractured her heart and soul into a million little pieces.

He rested his palms on her cheeks and pressed his forehead against hers. She looked up and his red, swollen orbs locked with hers. Paralyzed by his aqua blue eyes, she wished he could see into her soul and know how wrong he was in believing she could ever do what she’d just been accused of. And then, without warning, he was kissing her with merciless and reckless abandon. She wrapped her arms around his neck, urging him on, and proceeded to slide them down to his chest, only to push him away.

His mouth pressed into a hard line, and he clasped his fingers around her wrist. Leaning forward, “Why! I just want to know why!” he shouted, temporarily deafening her right ear.

“Let. Go. Of. Me. Now,” she warned, but when he didn’t release her, she slipped a hand into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. “Get your hands off me or I’ll call the cops!” She punched in 9-1-1 and let her thumb hoover over the send button. He pounded his fists against the wall above her head and grudgingly moved back, allowing her to exit.

By the time Daniella opened the overhead door and started the car, she glanced over at Cruz. He leaned against the doorframe, his chin to his chest. He didn’t look at her when she left, but only shook his head.

There had never been a time when she’d wished she could end her life, end the misery, but right now, she couldn’t think of a better way to kill the pain.

She was just about to exit the neighborhood when the constant
ring, ring, ring
of her cell phone ebbed Daniella to the brink of insanity. She slowed to a stop. She was in a state of shock over all that had transpired and hadn’t thought about checking the identity of the caller before taking the call. She didn’t bother with a greeting.

“Well, Daniella, you did what you did, but hey, I made sure it was a two way street. You see, the baby I’m carrying is Cruz’s. Oh, and you do know by now that you are with Blake’s child, right? Don’t even think about calling anyone, like the authorities. You see, there’s no evidence. None. Nada. Because what looks like an affair, proves to be an affair. On your account and mine. Oh! But Cruz won’t admit that to you, so don’t bother him with it. He’ll deny all of it. You know… because he has a reputation to uphold.”

He called her already! She’s having his baby. I-I can’t believe this.
Daniella shook. She neared the point of hysteria. Words played in her head, but froze at the tip of her tongue. Meg kept coming at her, creating more shock with every line she threw out there.

“And about Blake. He supplied the sperm I injected inside of you. Sorry about that. There was a bit of a, oh, say a mix up, but that’s taken care of too. Good thing Blake likes you. So much that he’s willing to play along. He was sure willing to saddle up with you. Blake’s rolling with the infidelity over the little semen mix up. Hope you liked the video footage. You and Blake at the hotel… Blake meeting you at the mall… Oh! And rumor has it—the hotel was the first night you met with him, and, well, slept together. Blake was kind enough to rent the room. Sorry, babe, but there was just no other way. It was the only way I could get Cruz to believe everything I told him. But hey! You got what you wanted. A baby. I never promised it would be Cruz’s.”

“You… bitch!” Daniella whisper shouted.

“Daniella, Daniella. That’s no way to act. It’s not my fault you’re too trusting. Seriously. All my flirting with Cruz. Naïve, naïve.”

Meg’s evil laughter filled the earpiece. She continued her triumphant speech. “Hmm. Just imagine if the media caught wind of this. Dang! I would have to feel very badly for you. You should know, Daniella, I always win, so you should probably work on moving along before I destroy you. I’m sure Blake will make you very happy… as long as you obey.” The line filled with static and then the call ended.

“UHHHHHH!” Daniella threw the phone against the dashboard. “I wanna die. I wanna die! I want all of it to end… all of it. Oh, god! This is horrible, sso huh-horrible! It hurts—so bad. My heart. Oh! I can’t do it. I can’t! And Blake! PAIN! Ohhh ggg—” She was racked with heaving, choking sobs that wouldn’t stop.

Unable to think clearly, Daniella sat with her head pressed against the steering wheel and as she tried to catch her breath, it hit her. Meg’s words. The sperm. Blake. ‘I’m sure Blake will make you very happy… as long as you obey.’

You’ll be sorry!

You’ll regret this, Daniella.

Mark my fucking words!

“No!” Her stomach twisted and knotted. The urge to throw up caused her to open the door and lean over. She heaved and regurgitated everything in her stomach. She stayed hunched over for a few minutes before sitting back up and closing the door.

The sound of a vehicle approaching sent her heart into a flurry of fluttering beats. Part of her wished it would be Cruz coming to track her down and drag her back home. He’d apologize and say how wrong he was, how he knew it was all a lie and that he loved her. Maybe he could even tell her he hated Meg and there was no way in hell he’d ever sleep with the bloody whore. He’d cut her out of their lives forever—the no-good, lousy goddam home wrecker, and life would be beautiful again. And Blake would fall off a cliff.

The car and its owner passed by without the slightest glance her way. There was nothing left of her marriage. Time to move on, or give up. Daniella wiped her eyes with her sleeve and blew her nose into a napkin before driving away from the life she’d known and once loved.

20 - Turmoil

The apartment was cold and lonely, and so was the bed. Sleep never came, but the next morning did. Daniella pushed herself to get up and get ready for work. She stood in the shower, the warm water soothing her skin, gliding over the little intrusion now protruding in her lower abdomen. She ran both hands down the center and cupped them slightly below her navel.

“Oh. OH!” A warm tingly sensation passed through her from head to toe as she felt the first real movement of the tiny life within nudging against her palms. It gave Daniella some semblance of hope. She caressed it and anxiously waited for another movement, but it didn’t come. She knew she would focus on this new occurrence and it was enough to perk her spirit, even if only for a short while.

~~~

Work proved difficult. It was hard to concentrate, but Daniella managed, sort of. The delivery of red roses mixed with black ones came daily, tormenting Daniella.

A month had passed since their split, and Daniella had managed to avoid Cruz the entire time, not that he tried very hard to reach her.

The phone buzzed. “You have a call on line three,” the secretary announced.

“Who is—damn her! What kind of secretary doesn’t screen the calls first and has the nerve to hang up?” Daniella grunted.