Free The Perfect Mistress by Reshonda Tate Billingsley

desperately to believe that he would pass a paternity test.
    â€œPlease,” she softly cried. “Please stop with the lies. Did you sleep with her? Could it be your baby?”
    He let out a heavy sigh again. “It was just one time. But it was before you and I recommitted.”
    Hearing these awful words, Joyce let out a wail that came from deep down in her soul. Just one time? She was supposed to believe that? The tears immediately began streaming down her face as she fell back against the kitchen wall and slid to the floor. As she continued to scream, an excruciating pain shot through her stomach. Her screams became of mixture of hurt, anger, and fear.
    â€œOh my God,” Vernon said, coming to her side. “You’re bleeding!”
    She glanced down and saw the blood trickling down her legs. “The baby,” she cried. As another severe pain shot through her body, Joyce knew. The baby that she thought would save her marriage, the baby she didn’t want but had come to love, her baby, was gone. The stress of her marriage to Vernon had had the ultimate effect.

T his past year had been a year of losses.
    Not only had Lauren lost her baby sister, but her grandfather had died three months ago. The double loss had overwhelmed her mother, and now Lauren had lost her as well. Oh, physically she was still here. But emotionally, she was gone.
    For the past year her mother had walked around in a fog—when she bothered to get out of bed.
    As if it were possible, her parents’ relationship had gone from bad to worse. Her dad had lost his smile—probably because of the constant state of depression her mother stayed in. It was like a dark cloud had parked over their house and refused to leave.
    She hated the fighting. With every fiber of her being, Lauren hated the fighting. But it seemed that was all her parents knew how to do these days. And when they fought, Lauren was often caught in the crossfire. Like last week: Lauren had won a city-wide fashion competition for an original dress she designed. Two hours before the awards ceremony, her mother wouldn’t get out of bed.
    â€œMom, please. This is important to me,” Lauren had begged her.
    â€œI don’t feel well,” her mother had snapped for the tenth time. “Call your father.”
    Lauren had wanted to cry. Her father was out of town on business and had tried to get back for her ceremony, but his plane had been delayed. At least he was devastated. Her mother couldn’t have cared less.
    After trying to no avail to catch up with her aunt Velma, Lauren did something she had been trying desperately not to do. She called Miss Callie.
    â€œSure, sugar. You know I’d love to take you,” Miss Callie had said without hesitation after Lauren had explained everything.
    From that day on, her bond with Miss Callie had been cemented.
    Lauren had gotten to the point where she enjoyed being with her father and Callie more than being at home, because they were always happy. In fact, that was the only time her father was happy. Her father really didn’t want to take Lauren around Miss Callie, but after the first two times, Lauren had begged him to let her come, which in turn made Lauren’s life happy. They did fun things. They laughed. None of the things that she did with her mother. In fact, Lauren couldn’t remember the last time their family had laughed together, let alone went out and enjoyed quality time. Her mother stayed in a constant state of depression and it only depressed everyone around her. And while she didn’t like seeing her mother hurt, she understood why her father didn’t want to be at home, because honestly, neither did Lauren.
    The few arguments that Lauren had witnessed between her father and Miss Callie were because Miss Callie wanted more. She wanted them to be together for good. She wanted him to leave her mother. Miss Callie had asked Lauren as much one day when she was taking