ONE NIGHT STAND WITH MY HUSBAND's BROTHER

Tapping her fingers impatiently on the polished mahogany desk with her legs churning out of nervousness, Mackenzie wondered what her fate would be. Would she be lucky this time?

She noticed the clock across the office tick. It's noon.

Shortly after, the door opened. A man in a lab coat entered with a report in his right hand. Mackenzie stood up with a curious yet worried gaze as she looked up at the doctor with a glazy expression.

"Doctor Paul!"

The doctor nodded in acknowledgment, "I have received your report, Mrs. Axford."

"H-how is it?"

The doctor adjusted his glasses shrewdly with his left hand before proceeding into the room.

"Am I pregnant?"

"Why don't we have a seat and talk more about that, Mrs. Axford?" The doctor suggested calmly.

Now aware of her anxiety, she nodded while trying to control her pounding heart and overactive mind. "Yes, doctor."

They settled down in their appointed seats, Doctor Paul sitting in his chair and Mackenzie sitting across the desk in the chair assigned for patients or visitors.

"So what have you found out, doctor? Am I pregnant?" Mackenzie's hands went to the desk as she leaned forward, looking at the doctor desperately. That was the best she could do to stay calm.

After losing her child the previous year, her husband had been drifting away from her. It was obvious! He no longer looked at her like he used to. If she hadn't told him that she was trying for another child, he would stop coming to bed with her completely!

But these recent days, she found a ray of hope.

Hope.

A throbbing headache and feeling of nausea? Lightheadedness? Many would hate having these symptoms. But for her, it was everything! Mackenzie's hands unconsciously rested on her belly.

A pregnancy.

That was her hope to get back the attention and love of her husband. Just the confirmation of her pregnancy from the doctor after all the symptoms she's had the past couple of weeks. Her relationship with her husband would go back to how it was.

Blissful.

Loving.

Kind.

"I am sorry to inform you that you have tested negative for a pregnancy, Mrs. Afford."

Her only hope was dashed, just like that. "What?!" Mackenzie threw her hands over the desk rigidly as she stood to her feet, looking at the doctor with her eyes glistening with tears. "No way!"

Doctor Paul remained calm. He had been the Axford family's doctor for years. Although Mackenzie was a recent member of the family, he understood that getting pregnant was pertinent to having a place in her husband's life.

"I even had some pregnancy symptoms!" Mackenzie interjected.

Doctor Paul looked at Mackenzie sympathetically as she continued to ramble. "I had a splitting headache. I felt lightheaded and weak whenever I did not eat on time!" She announced still in disbelief.

"About that Mrs. Axford..." The doctor looked at Mackenzie attentively before saying, "You might want to sit down for this."

Mackenzie plowed down on the chair distraught and depressed by the doctor's serious expression.

"The body scan indicated that you are not pregnant, Mrs. Axford. But we found something else-"

"-Enough of the suspense, Doctor Paul. If you have anything to say. please say it!" Mackenzie was usually kind and deliberate about her actions. She is presently frustrated. Doctor Paul kept mentioning that she was not pregnant despite telling him that she had all those symptoms. If she wasn't pregnant, then what was it?!

"You've been confirmed to have Meningioma." The doctor pushed the report lying in front of him towards Mackenzie.

"W-what?" She shuddered, feeling her stomach tighten.

"That must have been the reason for your headaches."

"What's a Meningioma?" Mackenzie did not know what it was, even though she knew it sounded like something she should dread.

"A meningioma is a tumor..."

Mackenzie's stomach dropped.

A tumor?

"Yes. It is a kind of tumor that forms on membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord inside the skull."

Mackenzie swallowed, her heart, breaking, and throat closing up. How could she have such a horrible diagnosis? Just this morning, her mother-in-law had looked at her with such hopeful eyes. Her husband too... had looked at her a bit differently.

How could she go back home and tell them that she wasn't only 'not pregnant' but that she had a tumor as well? It was beyond shameful to her. It made her scared. She did not want to die after all her struggles to live a good life started paying off.

Memories of her life back in the fields where she lived with her father in North Dakota consumed her and they made her want to cry.

Her father.

Her poor father.

She had not done anything for him yet. How could she have this deadly disease? How could she die and leave her poor father alone in this world? Would he even survive the heartbreak of losing his only daughter? He had gone through so much to raise her alone after her mother left the world when she was only a baby.

"Mrs. Axford, are you listening?"

Mackenzie was snapped out of her thoughts on hearing the doctor's voice. "Oh, yes." She said quickly.

"Then why don't we continue-"

"-No, I have something to do so why don't we continue this conversation another time?" Mackenzie said, grabbing her report and her handbag which was slung on the chair.

She was scared.

And she didn't want to hear a thing that would crush her soul any further. Most importantly, she didn't want to hear her death date. She was certain her mind would collapse if she heard that.

"Mrs. Axford, I understand that this result may be frightening for you. But with the right treatments, you can overcome it. Please come with your husband the next time you come for a consultation. That way, we can talk in-depth about your health and the best way to treat it as soon as possible."

That was as far as Mackenzie was willing to listen to before she walked out the door, hot tears rolling down her cheeks.

She strolled down the hallway, remembering vividly the day she left home and got married. That stunning evening, her eyes were determined to move on to the next phase of her life.

She had thought that leaving her father would be the best option. That way, she would not be a burden to him, and she would even help him. But now that she was married, she had not been able to do a single thing to help him. Neither had she allowed him to visit her.

How could she?

Her father was poor and unsophisticated. He was no match for the class of the family she married into. Although she was the same as her father, her husband had upgraded her standard of living to his family's own.

Mackenzie's tears continued to fall as she exited the hallway and headed for the exit.

What could she do now?

Once she got home and told her husband and mother-in-law that she was not pregnant and instead had a tumor. What would be their reaction?

As Mackenzie walked past the moving doors, the cold wind hit her face but it felt like a bucket of cold water had hit her. Her current situation dawned on her and she wiped her tears, suddenly having an insight into how to handle the situation.

Flipping her hair back, she moved away from the building to the parking lot, where her driver, Ben was waiting for her.

"Congratulations, ma'am." The driver said once they were within the same proximity. Mackenzie simply ignored him and entered the car.

Even the driver was looking forward to news of her pregnancy. She could only imagine how disappointed the others would be.

The ride home was quiet.

There was some tension in the air, and the occasional glances the driver sent Mackenzie's way proved that he could feel that something wasn't right with her. However, he would be out of line to ask.

As they reached familiar lands, Mackenzie winded down the windows and stared out to see the villa that stood dignified among the surrounding trees and plants.

They drove a bit further until they were up in front of a yard that separated the main house from the smaller unit. This was where Mackenzie resided with her husband. Although it was smaller than the main house, it was bigger than an average apartment and had a big park and garden. It even had a patio.

The driver pulled over in front of the house in the small parking lot next to a black Benz Mackenzie had seen before. But not at her house. Ever.

Mackenzie looked at the car again and exhaled seeing the resemblance to her sister-in-law's. Maybe Selene dropped by to say hello to her husband after greeting their father-in-law.

At the thought of that, Mackenzie's misery calmed a bit. She had had some personal contact with Selene and she could say with her heart that Selene was a sweet woman. Despite her tight schedule, she found the time to come and visit. She's so sweet.

Mackenzie thought as she walked into the house and assessed the door. Strangely, it was not locked.

Mackenzie smiled. It was a funny habit of her husband to leave the door unlocked. She didn't think much of it and proceeded inside. However, she as took a step inside, she noticed something odd.

A Louis Vuitton bag was laying right in the middle of the stairway.

Did Selene have an accident and fall?

Mackenzie remembered always seeing Selene in heels so that was the only possibility she could think of when she saw the expensive bag laying in the stairway.

Slowly, she strutted through the staircase and passed the hallway to her bedroom which she shared with her darling husband. However, just as she neared the door...

"ARGH! YESS!"

The sounds of someone's wet pussy getting pounded filled her ears.

"You love that, don't you, my love?"

"Mmh you bet I do, you monster- Aarhh yess!"

The sound of hips thrusting into each other in perfect sync with moans and groans of a man and woman reaching their climax.

Mackenzie would almost find that beautiful if she didn't recognize those voices. With her heart in her throat, she turned the doorknob and her heart sank further into despair as she was acclimated to see the proof of what beseeched those oh-so-incredible moans.

Selene's legs tightly laced around her husband's neck and her husband's pleasure organ, which was supposed to be preserved for her, was buried in Selene's protruding pussy.

That scene alone was gory but the reaction on their faces being caught was what horrified her. She could not even believe what she was seeing.

Jeffrey moved off Selene, holding his shaft which was going limp from his release and fixed her with a nonchalant stare. "What's the matter, woman? Cat got your tongue?"

Mackenzie shuddered seeing the expression of indifference on her husband's face. Neither did the woman he was in bed with look shamed. It felt like a rude slap on her face, a harsh reminder of exactly how valued she was to him.

"J-Jeff," Mackenzie struggled to say with quivering lips. "H-how could you do this?"

She looked at Selene next who was untangling herself from her husband's neck, her expression dull compared to before. It looked like Selene did not even care about the fact that Mackenzie just caught her fucking her husband. "S-Selene," Mackenzie was shaking now with both anger and dismay.

Even if her husband, Jeff cheated on her, he could have done it with someone else. Why his brother's wife, Selene?

It wasn't only her husband that was the culprit so she had to make Selene take responsibility as well. If she hadn't agreed to her husband's advances, they wouldn't be in this situation right now.

"How could you do this, Selene?! You're married to my husband's brother-"

"-Shut it," Selene moved away from Jeffrey on the bed and stood on her feet, showing her glistening body in its full glory.

Perky, small breasts that dangled when she moved, with the flattest stomach to make up for it. She did not have wide hips but she had a slim waist that made up for it and the longest legs Mackenzie had ever seen before. What's more, she had the clearest of skin and she smelt like heaven.

Who could not want her?

But still... this was wrong!

"Because your stupid ass had to interrupt, I'm no longer in the mood. And to think I left a gig just to have some fun." Selene said without a single ounce of shame before yawning.

Selene O'Malley, that was her name. Amber-haired with a pair of seductive green eyes. She was an exclusive model for Elite Model Management. There was no doubt that she was beautiful but her current attitude, it showed Mackenzie that she was vile and all the pleasant behavior she'd been displaying was nothing but kisses from Judas.

"Listen here, leech," Selene said, closing the distance between her and Mackenzie before lifting her chin so they were staring at each other in the eye.

"If you utter a word to anyone about what you just saw, I'll destroy you and everything you hold dear."

Although Selene's voice wasn't too loud, Mackenzie felt threatened. She froze, and as Selene picked up her things and left, Mackenzie felt defeated enough to know that she will not be doing anything about it. She was too frightened and too weak, despite the fact that what she just witnessed made her angry.

"Do as Selene said, okay?" Jeffrey said casually, as he slid into some pants and slung a t-shirt over his shoulder.

Before leaving the room, he spared her a look and said, "See you later, okay?"

With that, he walked out the door, and the slam Mackenzie heard next sent her to her knees.

"See you later, okay?"

His words rang in her ears.

How could he say that? As if he didn't just cheat on her?

"HOW?!" She cried.

Mackenzie dunked down another glass wishing that the alcohol would dissolve the weight on her heart.

How could her husband whom she worshiped for years in their marriage cheat on her with...?

A tear rolled down her cheek.

Three years ago, she was a bustling young refreshing woman at the peak of life. Although she lived in the fields with her father, she was happy because she could help him out and give him a foot massage when he needed it after his tedious day at the farm. They lived a very limited life but since she was with her father and the neighboring sisters, she did not hate it.

Then Jeffrey came along, sweeping her off her feet the instant they laid their eyes on each other- Or was it her who fell in love first?

Jeffrey was a newbie in North Dakota and he'd somehow wandered off and got missing in the Noose Hage village due to the night's heavy rain. Like the lovely lady that she was, she helped him through the rain with her umbrella.

Sex happened and it created a passionate romance. She got pregnant, and Jeffrey married her straight away. Blinded by love, she did not give herself the benefit of the doubt. Neither did she turn around and look back at her old man. She had made herself believe she could bring to him what seemed to be a better life.

Mackenzie dunked down another drink and cried.

She'd thought of Jeffrey too much as a god and looked at him with a distorted eye view.

He dressed nicely. Along with his fine attires, he was a man of a charming disposition and sophisticated personality. That was how she saw him but then...

One day, he requested that she straighten her hair. Her natural chunk of black curls was too uncouth for her to wear in the presence of his family.

Without understanding the underlying meaning, she'd straighten her hair and slowly watch the shine in her eyes disappear along with the passion to be herself.

She started to live for her husband and the baby they were expecting.

And when she finally put to bed, the baby was delivered dead. She hadn't managed to breathe life into her offspring.

That was when the twist began.

Her husband changed. Not a 180-degree change but since she'd dedicated herself to him, she perceived the subtle shift from within him. However, that shift soon became something she feared when her mother-in-law started acting mean to her like she didn't just lose a child.

She didn't even have time to mourn her dead baby. Instead, she spent that moment of hardship trying to pacify her husband and mother-in-law so they wouldn't neglect her. Her husband was still important to her even when it seemed as though he didn't hold the same weight for her in his heart after the loss of their child.

How could a woman whose new life was dependent on her husband live?

She wanted his attention back. And most importantly, his affection. She'd seen a glimpse of how important having a child was to him so she decided to sacrifice her inner wounds to give him another.

A living child.

She lived through her mother-in-law's insults and husband's neglect. Recently, their behavior toward her began to be more positive when they suspected that she was pregnant with all the sleepiness, lethargy, and lightheadedness- symptoms women who have once been pregnant could attest to as the early stages of pregnancy.

Was it that the universe was shining kindness on her once again?

Would she be accepted and loved once again after telling them what they wanted to hear? That she was pregnant?

Mackenzie grabbed the liquor and chugged it down, feeling nothing but an indescribable feeling of emptiness as she drank away her sorrow.

But when she got to the hospital...

Instead of being diagnosed with pregnancy, she was diagnosed with a fucking tumor!

Why?!

Mackenzie was screaming in her head. Her drowsy system and unresponsive body wouldn't let her let out the screams. Tears rolled further down her cheeks which she didn't bother to wipe.

The bar lights were dimmed. The music was pretty loud. She was alone in a crowded room, completely and utterly drunk.

As if cupid interfered, on the seat next to her was a man whose whole disposition screamed wealth and power.

"If you can't handle your liquor, then don't drink." He said to her before turning to the waiter to make his order.

The lights seemed to dim further as Mackenzie looked up with equal disregard at the man who had spoken to her with contempt. From her side view of him, she could easily tell that he was a huge man. Even sitting, his toned and strong looking shoulders were a mile long in his shirt.

Did that stop her righteous indignation? No.

How dare he?

Did he know what she was dealing with? No. Did he have any idea that there was no hope for her? No. So he definitely did not have the right to sit next to her on the table only to pick on her!

"If..." Her voice trembled as she spoke, the heat of her anger radiating off of her. "If you don't know... what someone is going through, then you have no right to be mean to them!"

There seemed to be a pause as the bar lights went even dimmer to flash swift spotlights to fit the soft but frenzy music blasting in the background.

The man looked at her, awed by the rawness in her voice and the fierceness in her eyes. He noticed the parted sweep of silky hair covering her face and the dullness of the lights. She glared back at him, getting a glimpse of intense blue eyes through her swimmy vision, but she was too pissed off to care right now.

Without another word, Mackenzie got off the seat with the liquor tightly in her grip, placed a wad of cash on the table, and found her way outside.

As she got away from the club's vicinity, she felt droplets of cold liquid fall on her face. She dunked down the liquor she was holding to contain herself but as the heaviness in the sky thickened and sent down an overwhelming amount of rain, she exploded into tears and the bottle fell next to her feet, breaking into a thousand pieces.

"WHY?!" She roared into the rain.

A crowd passed her frantically to search for shelter away from the rain, only she didn't move from where she was standing despite the consistent but unintended shove on her side and shoulders.

It continued to rain thunderously and she just stood there, drenched and soaked. She felt a mess just like she was on the inside.

"Hey! Over here!" A voice called.

She barely looked up when a strand of her once-straightened hair fell over her face.

It was just like before,

When she first met Jeffrey, her hair had been wet and in its natural curly state. Mackenzie reached to touch her hair when she heard another shout.

"Miss! Are you coming or not?!"

Mackenzie followed the voice and saw that a taxi had stopped a few meters away, reaching out to her. Like a robot, she ran towards the cab, barely conscious of her actions. She sat in the cab and closed the door. It was then that she noticed how soaked she was.

"Sorry, I'm all wet." She said in a monotone.

"It's okay. Where are you off to?"

Mackenzie told him to drive her to the nearest hotel. Unlike many fortunate people, she no longer had a home. At least for tonight, she would feel more comfortable anywhere in Greensville hills. As long as she wasn't in her husband's house.

When they arrived at the hotel, it had stopped pouring. Mackenzie paid her fare and got into the hotel.

She got checked in and got a key for room number 223.

By now, she was completely tired and wasted. She could no longer hold control over her body. Although it was her spirit that was broken, it affected every piece of her being.

Ding!

Mackenzie got off the elevator and started to unbutton her shirt when she saw what seemed to be her room number in sight. She opened the door freely, forgetting that she must have needed a key.

"Wrong room-" A voice said

"No..." She whispered.

It was the man from earlier. That deep, masculine voice was the same. His heated blue gaze washed over her skin, taking in her disheveled and wet appearance. His lips twitched when he heard her.

Mackenzie unbuttoned the last of her shirt and tossed it aside, revealing her wet but sturdy bra that tugged so close against her chest, enunciating her ample breasts.

Before the man could say anything else, she slid off her skirt and the man only reached her as her skirt hit the floor.

"Miss,"

She stumbled and he caught her before she could fall, enveloping her in his strong arms.

He would've loved to keep an oh-so-dear distance between them but it seemed almost impossible because this woman clearly could not even stand.

He shivered, aware of the meshing of her skin with his. Despite its coldness, he found his body induce another layer of warmth into his skin. He could not ignore the rapid throbbing between his legs underneath his towel.

This naturally intelligent man looked at Mackenzie's face and was astonished.

He'd seen many women but none felt as real and innocent as her.

Mackenzie threw her arms over his neck, all her uptightness and conformity to her own rules, broken.

It hadn't gotten her far in her marriage anyway.

If she would have to end up doing something this obscene, she didn't mind it. Not that her rigidity towards her husband's standards mattered anyway. He still cheated.

So she kissed the dear stranger, a tear trickling down her face as she did.

The stranger froze, taken aback by the woman's boldness. But he was much more surprised by how much he found his body reacting to her touch. Her lips...

However, he broke away and gently pushed her away but she seemed to find her way back to him. He was about to push her away once again but when he stared down at her pleading eyes, he hesitated.

Mackenzie grabbed the stranger's hands and said with shaky lips, "Please... touch me."

Intimacy.

What was it exactly?

The stranger took her to his bed and went to close the door before tossing aside his towel. Then he got on top of her, muttering one more time. "Are you sure?"

She touched his lower body and muttered a yes.

Her eyes were teary but firm, showing her resolve. The stranger didn't know what it was but he felt as though this woman needed something and somehow, he had the cure.

So he made love to her. Taking her with a passion she thought she knew, but was missing in her life all along.

Intimacy...

Was it just the connection of two bodies? Or was it much more?

Like, the connection of two souls, one of them healing the other's hurt?