Valerie
Angie was thirteen months old when I flew to Trenton for Christmas. Steve, the firm's junior partner, had to work during the holidays. He didn't want me to cancel my plans. I figured I could leave Angie with Mom and go out with my friends. It has been too long since I've seen them.
Dad was waiting at the airport for my arrival. He had a car seat in the back for Angie. "Where's Steph?" I asked.
Stephanie was supposed to pick me up. She forgave me for sleeping with Joe Morelli. I suspected that was her reason for dating Dickie Orr. Stephanie never commented on Angie's paternity.
"Planning her wedding to Dickie," Dad replied. That was news to me.
"When did they get engaged?" I wondered.
"Thanksgiving." Dad didn't elaborate. I got the impression he didn't like Dickie Orr. Dad was indifferent to Steve.
I updated Dad on my life in LA. He didn't comment as I told stories about Angie helping with the household chores. Angie resembled me, which I thought was perfect. She had no features people could pinpoint and say, "Angie is Joe Morelli's daughter."
The clinic did a paternity test after Angie was born. Unfortunately, she was Joe's daughter since it said Steve was not the father. I hid the results in my dresser. Technically, it was in an envelope taped to the underside of the bottom drawer. Even if Steve searched for the paper, he wouldn't find it. At least I prayed he wouldn't. I vowed to burn the document when I got home.
I had fun at the nightclub with my friends. Joseph Morelli entered when we were about to go home. He strutted toward me and leaned to talk. "You look beautiful, Val," Joe said. My heart raced, and my knees weakened. Joe knew how to get my body to sing for him. "Do you need a ride?" he asked, saying more than my friends heard.
"Sure. I could use a ride," I replied, mentally adding, "on the Italian Stallion."
My friends waved goodbye, unaware I would have sex with Joe Morelli. Stephanie was engaged to Dickie Orr. She couldn't get mad at me this time.
Joe drove to the seedy motel off Route 1, a few blocks from his house. I didn't care that we didn't go to his bed. It was best to keep me away from his neighbourhood.
We had sex for hours. I loved it when Joe used his lizard tongue on my intimate areas. Steve never did that after we got married. Man, did I miss it. I shattered on his tongue before he plunged into me. It wasn't until he ejaculated that I realized he didn't use protection. The problem with Joe not using a condom? I was fertile.
Steve and I had sex the previous night. I wasn't on birth control because I was allergic. Steve and I wanted another child. He wanted a son to carry on the family name. There was another chance I was carrying Morelli's child.
Joe and I fell asleep. In the early morning, I crawled out of bed to shower. I called a cab company in Hamilton Township for a ride home. There was enough cash in my purse to cover the fare. I left Joe in the hotel room to go to my parents' house, where Angie was asleep in Stephanie's childhood bedroom. Stephanie was staying with Grandpa and Grandma Mazur for the holidays.
I managed to sneak inside the house without waking anyone. It was four o'clock. Dad should be waking up soon. He had a fare to pick up from the airport for eight and needed to leave by six. I took a shower, washing away the evidence of sex with Morelli. A tear dripped off my chin as I dried. Ensuring nobody was in the hallway, I ran to my bedroom to get dressed.
At five thirty, I went to the kitchen to make coffee and breakfast for Dad. He had a four-hour trip ahead of him and needed the caffeine to keep him going. I placed the pancakes, eggs and bacon on the table a minute before Dad arrived. "Morning, Peanut. Did you sleep well?" Dad asked.
"I woke up early and figured it was ideal to shower before everyone else got out of bed," I replied. Dad quirked a brow but didn't comment. I loved that about Dad. He probably woke up when I snuck into the house. I knew he'd keep it to himself.
Steve
Morelli was drunk when I visited him during the summer after Valerie announced the pregnancy. Valerie thought I was away on business. Technically, it was business. I wanted to know why my wife was having sex dreams about Joseph Morelli. Joe and I had a few drinks, and he confessed to fucking Valerie in the strip club. I wanted to punch him. Getting head from a stripper was different than intercourse. Other than that singular incident at my bachelor's party, I remained faithful to Valerie. Hearing Morelli's confession had changed everything.
Valerie was great about moving to LA. It would keep her mother from interfering in our marriage. I lied about having to relocate to become a junior partner in the firm. Helen wanted Valerie to stay home to raise our children. I wanted Valerie to get a job. She got pregnant before I could ask Valerie to become my secretary at work. I hoped we'd have a few years before jumping into parenthood. Living in LA was expensive. We needed her to earn a wage to afford a house. Instead, we're stuck renting a home from my boss.
I waited to see if the baby resembled Morelli or me. Angie was a miniature version of Valerie. Her blond hair and blue eyes enticed me to fall in love with her. It would tear out my heart if Angie weren't mine. Naming our daughter Angela had me thinking she belonged to Morelli, but my grandmother's name was Angela. We called her Angie for short.
Valerie wanted to visit Trenton for Christmas. It's been a while since she saw her family, and I faked having to work. Valerie was always home. We are trying to have another baby, but it hasn't happened so far. Valerie can't take contraceptives because she's allergic to one of the ingredients. The pharmaceutical companies made a new one that gets injected into your glutes, but Valerie was too afraid of needles to ask the doctor about it. The injection was supposed to help women allergic to the pill form of birth control.
Three days before Christmas, I drove Valerie and Angie to the airport. When we arrived at the terminal, Valerie had Angie tucked into a carrier attached to her chest. I helped my wife with the baby and luggage until she had to go through airport security. A guard smiled and helped my wife maneuver the bags and baby. I waited until Valerie's flight boarded before going home.
When I got home, I searched the bedroom for evidence of Valerie's unfaithfulness before our marriage. It was okay for me to fuck the secretary, but Valerie's job was to stay home with Angie. Burg men were known to have extra-marital affairs. I opened the drawers on Valerie's dresser. The bottom one on the left caught onto something, so I removed the drawer and searched for whatever had caused it to snag.
My life flipped upside down as I opened the letter and read. Angela Helen Corelli was not my biological daughter. I heard about Valerie fucking Joe Morelli at the strip club from the man himself. I was hurt and figured the subsequent affair with my secretary was justifiable. Sure, Candy, the stripper, gave me a blow job, but I didn't stick my dick in her vagina. Now I know why Valerie wasn't upset about Candy. She couldn't get mad because our - I mean her - daughter belonged to Joseph Morelli.
I lied to Valerie about having to work. The truth was I had an appointment at the clinic to get a vasectomy. My ignorant secretary claimed to be pregnant with my child. It wasn't possible since we always used condoms I provided. I refused to get caught in another web of lies. My life had imploded. I was not going to be anybody's fool. "Watch out, Valerie. Your life is about to get turned on its axis. You will pay for this," I growled.
Karl Williams, a friend from work, drove me to the clinic. The doctor refused to perform the surgery without having someone drive me home. "Why are you getting a vasectomy?" Karl asked during the drive.
"Sally claims I got her pregnant. We never had sex without condoms I purchased and used," I explained.
"Oh. Valerie didn't puncture them?" Karl asked.
"No. Valerie never had access to them. I bought the condoms at the drugstore before fucking Sally. None of them broke. She's obviously trying to trap me. I'm not playing her game. I have enough shit to deal with," I explained. Karl knew the story. He found me at the local pub drunk out of my mind when I returned from my vacation the previous summer.
"What changed?" Karl asked.
"Angie isn't my daughter. Valerie got a paternity test. It said I wasn't Angie's biological father," I confessed.
"Shit!" Karl remained silent for the remaining few blocks. I went to the clinic on the opposite side of town, where Valerie met with her doctor. Karl parked behind the building to prevent anyone from seeing us. I didn't want Valerie's playgroup mothers to see me here.
We sat in the lobby, waiting for the nurse to call me back to the procedure room. I filled in the paperwork, then passed it to Karl to enter his information as my transportation and caregiver. The nurse, Lori, called my name and demanded to see the paperwork. She glanced over my shoulder at Karl Williams waiting in the lobby. Lori nodded and got me to follow her into the room where Dr. Trankner would perform the surgery.
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dr. Trankner asked.
"Positive. I don't care if Valerie gets pregnant. She'd have to prove the bastard is mine," I replied.
Dr. Trankner shook his head. He passed me the Vicodin before numbing the area for the procedure. It took less than thirty minutes to snip and stitch. "No sex for the next forty-eight hours. After twenty ejaculations, return here for testing," Dr. Trankner announced. I was feeling a little high from the Vicodin. Dr. Trankner gave me a prescription for more pills to help with the pain.
Lori gave the aftercare instructions to Karl, who had his arm wrapped around my waist, keeping me from falling to the ground or sitting. I giggled as Karl asked Lori on a date. The man couldn't resist a woman in uniform. It was almost pathetic.
Karl left after the first twenty-four hours. I spent the following three days in bed, high as a kite from the Vicodin. Valerie never called on Christmas morning. She must have done something foolish, like fucking the goddamn man-whore Morelli. Joe didn't care who he screwed. He didn't discriminate. According to Joe Morelli, it was the woman's fault for succumbing to his charms.
I spent the remaining week researching offshore bank accounts. Routing the money through shell companies would hide the funds from Valerie. Dad was a CPA and knew all the tricks of the trade. I got him to help set up the accounts. He was furious when I told him about Angie. "Would I get caught?" I asked.
"Does Valerie access your account?" Dad countered.
"No. I transfer money for Valerie to buy household supplies, groceries and clothes for Angie," I replied.
"Get half your paycheque sent to a secondary account. Tell Valerie you're living off sixty percent of your net income because you're saving for a house. She'll learn to adapt," Dad suggested.
"It seems shady," I said. Dad laughed and reminded me that I was raising a child who wasn't mine.
"What if she gets pregnant again?" Dad asked.
"I'm getting a paternity test," I replied. "I'll stick around if the child is mine. Otherwise, I'm out of here."
"Don't be stupid, son. Wait until you have enough to live off. You're making enough to save over a million dollars in ten years. With your inheritance, you could be free of Valerie within five. Don't rush into the decision. You must fulfil your parental role and ensure Valerie can't come after you for the money. Did she sign the prenuptial agreement?"
Smiling, I replied, "Yes, Dad. She won't receive a penny for alimony if I prove she cheated on me during our marriage. I might have to pay for my biological children, but that's null and void if she was unfaithful."
Dad whistled, clearly impressed with the document I got Valerie to sign the night before we exchanged vows. "You thought of everything, son. Wait, did you include what would happen if you were unfaithful?"
"Nothing in the document awards Valerie if I stepped out of my marriage to her. It protects me," I replied. Dad laughed, then ended the call because Valerie was at his front door with Angie.
I consulted with the family lawyer within the firm. He wanted to know why I was asking questions about child support of a non-biological child. I learned California's law was strict governing supporting a child younger than eighteen. Being Angie's legal guardian, I was doomed to pay child support, unless I got a judge to declare me as not responsible. "Tell me what to do," I begged.
Lennox Brown said I needed to file with family court to remove myself as Angie's legal guardian. He instructed me to get a paternity test on Angie to prove she wasn't mine. "When Valerie gets pregnant again, get another test before adding your name to the birth certificate," he said.