The Contracted Mayoress

ONE MONTH AGO.

“How could you be fooled by Leonard? I’m pregnant with his child!”

Vera yelled this statement at the top of her voice as she stormed into Leonard’s room with audacity, her heels making clacking sounds across the floor.

Wendy Ford and Leornard Wisley's happy moment was interrupted by the presence of Vera. As Vera’s words penetrated Wendy’s ears, her body quivered and she stepped back away from Leonard, who was kneeling before her with an engagement ring in his hand. What was supposed to be an engagement night turned into a somber moment. Wendy’s hands trembled frantically as she continued to gasp in surprise. The audacity that Vera's attitude oozed could slit her throat.

She waited for Leonard to shun Vera, but it never happened. Leonard’s eyes were graced with a look of permanent astonishment, and his face lowered slowly with guilt. Wendy felt a sword of pain pierce her heart, and she scrambled back farther away from Leonard with heaviness in her heart. She had been deceived.

“What then is this? What’s going on, Leonard?” Wendy questioned shakily. “Did you bring me here to humiliate me? Is this a movie scene or what?”

“It’s not what you think, Wendy. Get a hold of yourself. We will sort this out," Leonard pleaded in a strong and clear voice.

“You truly thought you’d get away with this just like that, Leonard? You can’t toy with Vera Bute’s emotions and go scot-free,” Vera lashed her tongue viciously. Her hands were akimbo, ready to fight Leonard with her words. It was her words against his. “How could you both betray me this much? After all the love I showered on you, Leonard?”

Leonard rose slowly and moved like a beaten fighter to comfort Wendy.

“Get your hands off me. You’re a miserable liar,” Wendy said uncontrollably. “Five years down the drain in a flash. Not even did you respect me enough to do this with a stranger. Why Vera? Why your secretary? Why did it have to be someone I recommended to make business better for you? I trusted you, Leonard. I left everything in your name. Gosh!”

“Let me explain, Wendy,” Leonard responded. “And you, Vera, why would you barge into my home uninvited?”

He didn’t even have the wit to face Vera squarely. What had Vera done to the man whom she thought loved her dearly all these years? Wendy’s eyes were filled with tears, her teeth jittering reflexively.

Vera gazed at Leonard discerningly, with no trace of respect on her chubby, unapologetic face.

“Uninvited? Really? I have the keys; I can come in and go out whenever I deem fit.”

Wendy let out a deep gasp when those words struck her ears.

“What? Leonard! A house I put in so much money to pay for?”

Wendy stood in disbelief, and words failed her. Her stomach tightened painfully. This would confirm why her poor mother hated men and never married again after divorcing her father. She thought hers would be different, but the night proved otherwise.

She was losing her mind and didn’t even know what to make of the whole situation. It was the end of the road for them, but where would she start? Leonard had virtually everything. She had been fooled. They both toiled day and night to build the company from scratch, but she stupidly allowed everything to be in Leonard’s name.

“Vera, why did you have to reap where you did not sow?” Wendy asked.

“Excuse me? Your boyfriend’s cock couldn’t stay in place. He brought this upon himself. And who would throw away the opportunity to have a ready-made man like Leonard? You know I wouldn’t.”

Vera uttered those words crudely and without remorse.

Wendy cursed the day she offered help to Vera. She had bumped into her while she was cleaning up a restaurant she visited with Leonard. Sympathetic after hearing Vera’s pitiful tale of how she lost her corporate job and had been struggling to find a decent job for a while, she was moved to assist Vera in finding a job. When Leonard’s former secretary suddenly quit the job, she pleaded with Leonard to offer Vera the position.

She shook off the memory and grabbed her bag without further ado. Leonard ran after her, whimpering like a child and uttering words of apology, but she turned and gave him a loud slap on the chin.

"Never utter my name again. Never Leonard,” Wendy shouted.

She scurried off after slamming the door in his face. Her heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it would burst. She continued to gasp for air. She clambered into her Dodge Charger and landed on the driver's seat with a loud thud. Her body felt as heavy as a corpse. Tears dropped from her eyes as she realized what had just happened.

She banged the steering wheels and lowered her head sorrowfully. What would her dear, poor mother say? Her mind was filled with disappointment and regret. Against her mother’s warning, she had gone ahead to support Leonard in building a company from scratch, a stupid move that she made because of her love for Leonard. She was still paying loans she took for the company from her temporary lecturing job.

She suddenly felt trapped in the mid-city of Madison, where she had lived all her life. Every memory of Madison will be a constant reminder of the hurt that Leonard has brought upon her.

She picked up her phone with trembling hands and called Silvia, her best friend.

“Where are you, Silvia? I’m in a messy situation.” Silvia’s background was filled with loud music.

“What has happened, Wendy? Why is your voice shaking?” Silvia inquired.

Wendy spoke hurriedly in response, “Where are you? Leonard has been banging Vera.”

Silvia let out a hiss. “That whore! I knew she had something up her sleeve. I’m at the LaCrosse Club. Come and meet me here. You need to unwind.”

Wendy didn’t even think twice, like she always did, and agreed to come over. She arrived at the LaCrosse Club a few minutes later, and the club vibe permeated the entire space. She sent Silvia a message to let her know she was waiting, and Silvia responded that she should come over to the bar.

She walked into the club sneakily, shoving aside men and women who were staggeringly inebriated and falling everywhere. LaCrosse Club was not the regular club in the pool of clubs in the area. It was a steamy club that had moist bodies rolling over each other during clubbing hours. The deafening music thumped and echoed. Wendy’s body started to perspire. She had always wondered what Silvia liked about the club, but today she cared nothing about the steaminess. After a few minutes of scrambling to get away from the touches of moist bodies, she found herself sitting on the bar stool, facing Silvia, who was already tipsy.

“I never trusted Leonard. You know that. Men are scum, Wendy. Bang them, devour their money, and flee. What’s love? Poor you. You were blinded by Leonard’s pretense.”

Silvia told the bartender to give Wendy some vodka soda, and Wendy gulped the soda thirstily. Silvia understood how hurtful this was for Wendy. She wasn’t done with Leonard until she confronted the lunatic who betrayed her friend. She just had to get Wendy in a good mood.

“Let’s go to the red room, Wendy. You need to get out of this mood tonight. Bang hard tonight, my friend. Unwind! Let that lunatic be. He can’t take away life from you.”

The pain was all Wendy felt, and she was ready to give in to anything that would take all her misery away. Her mind was clouded, and she wasn’t thinking rightly. Silvia took her by the hand, and she followed her behind. The soda was spreading through her veins, and she staggered a bit. She wasn’t used to high alcohol levels.

“Hey, beautiful.” A hand grabbed her hand firmly, but gently.

Silvia turned to look at the man suspiciously. He was a snack. Silvia noticed he was in the company of hefty men who looked like security guards and smirked.

“What do you want, man?”

“I just want to have a drink with your friend. She’s stunning.”

“Why should I trust you?”

“I came down from Grey to run some businesses, and I’m just out here catching up with old friends. I have been watching her from here.”

“Who are these?”

“Men on duty. There is nothing to fear. They’ll ward off any evil that may come our way.”

Wendy couldn’t stand for much longer. The drink was moving in fast, and she felt dizzy. She settled on the empty couch, close to the man who was wooing her.

“You see, she wants in.” The man smiled admiringly at Wendy.

Silvia leaned forward to whisper to Wendy. “I’ll be in the red room. Send a message if you feel unsafe.”

The night passed quickly, and when Wendy woke up in a hotel room, her last memory was being hard prodded by a man's dangling, sensual arm inside of her. She jumped off the bed hurriedly as she watched the man, whom she had gone all the way down with, sprawl on the bed. He was handsome, young, and well-built. His features were flawless, with his lips perfectly sculpted to fit his chiseled face. His hawkish nose pointed prominently out of his face, while his hair looked intact even in his sprawled position.

Wendy reached for her clothes and pulled them on hurriedly and gently. She didn’t want to wake him. This never happened, she thought to herself. She was already late to deliver morning lectures, and she didn’t have time to waste. Wendy tiptoed to the door, and the door clicked as she opened it.

“Hey. You’re leaving?”

His voice startled Wendy, and she tightened her hold on the door handle.

“I’m late for work. And this never happened, mister. This was a mistake.”

Wendy didn’t want to turn or raise her face to give him much of a view.

“Do you think so, Wendy? I can pay you today for you to stay.”

Wendy stiffened while giving him a scornful side eye. How did he know her name? She had a blurred memory of what transpired between them at night. And who was he to offer her a pay? He was surely a silver-tongued man, like her betrayer.

“Please, for the sake of everything I hold dear, this did not happen. I must go. I have a lot colliding in my head already. I don’t need your money."

He rose from the bed and strode like a predator, gently toward Wendy. Wendy observed him through the corners of her eyes. She quivered a bit and felt chilly as his masculine figure approached. His masculinity clouded her presence.

“Are you frightened? I want to have you once more, at least. Can I? You tasted like fine wine brewed exquisitely for Kings.”

“No, mister. Keep off. I do not have any more time to waste,” Wendy uttered. She kept her face down and flung the door open to leave the young mister. She wasn’t ready to play around.

“All right, Wendy. If you say so, one night it is,” the young mister replied, throwing his hands up in defeat.

Wendy left with brisk steps and her heart was pounding as the elevator descended smoothly. She was somewhere she was not supposed to be. Nobody must find her looking like a fleeing whore. She put her face down and walked out of the popular, red-roofed building, which was directly opposite the lacrosse club. She didn’t have a hard time spotting her Dodge Charger parked recklessly in front of the clubhouse.

She was messy and needed to clean up before driving to college. Wendy was one of the lucky graduates who got a temporary teaching job after graduating from college. She got a contract to assist Professor Dave after her graduation. From the little she was saving, she was able to financially support Leonard, put resources together, and start up a factory that was doing quite well.

She recently even took out a loan to support Leonard in paying for the house she thought would be their matrimonial home. Perhaps she had high expectations for their relationship. Everything was going on so smoothly that some naysayers couldn’t even help but wag their tongues about the couple and how Leonard was taking so long to put a ring on Wendy’s finger.

She never knew that Leonard was a viper and had it all planned to suit his tasty, forked tongue. Tears started to flow as she recalled sweet memories with her once-dear Leonard. She parked in front of a home that she once looked forward to seeing, and her stomach wrenched. She sniffled uncontrollably and let out a painful scream. It took her some time to gather herself together, and she walked briskly to the front door.

She touched the smart card on the sensor, and nothing happened. Her heart skipped a beat, and she hoped immensely that it wasn’t what she was thinking. She tried again and again, but the smart card was declined. She searched fearfully for the keys to the back exit and scrambled frightfully to the other side of the house. The keys had been changed. She fell back on the wall and began to cry and shiver. She was lost in what was happening.

How did it come to this? Why did Leonard put out a ring if he had it in mind to betray her? Her trembling hands picked up her phone to dial Leonard, but it entered voicemail. She tried over and over again, but it dawned on her that everything that happened was real. With her unsteady fingers, she searched for Silvia’s number and dialed it.

“Hey, Wendy! Last night was a blast,” Silvia said from the other side of the call. Her voice was lazy and raspy from the cold weather.

“Silvia, Leonard locked me out.”

“I beg your pardon."

“I have been locked out of the house. My smart card is not working, nor are the keys.”

“Son of a bitch! But how?”

“I can’t even drive, Silvia. I’m literally shaking, and my head is spinning.”

“I’m coming right away. Are you at the house?”

“Yes. Yes. I’m dying, Silvia. I’m dying…”

Wendy let the phone fall from her trembling hands. She felt lightheaded in her head and heavy in her heart. Her vision became fuzzy, and her ability to control her muscles began to wane. It happened in the twinkle of an eye, and then she sprawled lazily on the floor, losing consciousness.

* * *

ONE WEEK AGO.

“I feel so lucky to have you. A woman who is beautiful on the outside and at heart. What more should I ask for?” Leonard said to Wendy with his loving gaze fixed on Wendy.

It was their third anniversary, and Leonard was looking lustfully at the woman who had stood with him all through the years.

“Shhh! Do you like it?” Wendy’s soothing voice asked.

“Definitely. This was very thoughtful of you.”

Leo fondled the heart locket Wendy gifted him for their third friendship anniversary.

“Time flies, baby. Just yesterday, we met, and now it’s our third anniversary. I remember vividly how this started and how much we’ve grown. Your sacrifice, love, and kindness brought us this far. How can I ever repay you?”

While Leonard kept singing words of gratitude, Wendy's eyes glistened and were filled with imagined stars. It was love that was indescribable. They planned their third anniversary in the Olbrich gardens, and they sat on the ultralight mat, facing each other just like two love birds in the lovely breezy weather.

Leonard moved closer to her; his eyes locked on her face as he stroked her cheeks. Wendy continued to give him that sensual smile. He moved his lips to press hers while tenderly holding her jaw...

The above scene played out in Wendy’s head in her unconscious state of mind. She lay on the hospital bed motionless but began to utter Leonard’s name as her mind prepared to wake up from her third state of unconsciousness within 3 weeks.

Silvia was by her side, and she held her hand passionately. Wendy's eyes were blinking open, and the nurse was now tending to her. She squinted her eyes to adjust to the room's increased brightness.

“Leonard betrayed our love,” Wendy sobbed softly while she lay on the hospital bed.

“Wendy, I’m here. You’re safe, Wendy.”

Silvia held her compassionately as she said those words.

“Where am I?"

“Hospital. You blacked out again.”

“Silvia. Am I all right?”

“I believe so.”

Wendy sighed softly. Leonard’s betrayal was taking a toll on her. She has been feeling sickly, bitter, and depressed. She had taken some time off from college to recuperate, but it seemed to be getting worse. Silvia confronted Leonard, and it ended up being a disaster. Silvia became violent upon seeing Vera in the house, so Leonard called the police, who issued a restraining order against her.

“I believe you’ll be discharged quickly this time. I just couldn’t take chances. I wanted to make sure you were all right.”

Wendy didn’t say a word again; she just lay on the bed, looking pensively at the ceiling.

In the evening, Wendy was discharged from the hospital, and Dr. Stone was there in person to give counseling.

“Miss Wendy, I think there’s something you must know that we just found out. I cannot attribute this to your frequent blackouts, but it’s possible.”

“Am I dying, Dr. Stone?" Wendy’s voice inquired curiously.

“Far from that, my dear.”

“Do you mind her presence?” Dr. Stone asked Wendy, gesturing in Silvia’s direction.

“Not at all.”

Dr. Stone touched her nose while spontaneously processing how she would reveal the information.

“You’re with a child, Miss Wendy.”

Wendy, who had been lying quietly the entire time, jolted out of bed upon hearing the news.

“What? How’s that even…”

“O my God! This can’t be Dr. Stone.”

Her mind raced back to her last sexual encounter, which was with a total stranger. Her heart started beating very quickly.

“Well, it has happened, miss. It has, and you’ve got to brace up and make a decision for yourself and what is growing in you.”

“This is not the right time; this can’t be happening to me.”

Silvia’s face was a complete description of confusion. She was still trying to wrap her head around the news.

“I can’t even dare to keep this child, Silvia. I can’t do this. I will opt for an adoption plan. I need parents who will take care of us while this baby is growing in me. I can’t do this, Silvia. I’m bankrupt and depressed. I can’t grow a child this way.”

“Wendy, be still. You’re moving too fast. How did this happen? Think, Wendy, think. Are you sure this is what you want?”