My Two Husbands Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  MY TWO HUSBANDS

  Copyright © 2018 Yari Martinez

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or distributed in any form, including electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only.

  This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Published: Yari Martinez 2018

  [email protected]

  Editing: PaperTrue by Aaron Murphy

  Proofreading: PaperTrue by Aaron Murphy

  Cover Design: J. Santos and Yari Martinez

  Dedication

  To my husband Carlos

  Who loves me above all and puts the world at my feet.

  To my children Alex and Victoria

  Who make me laugh and remind me that the world is a playground.

  TABLE TO CONTENTS

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  CONNECT WITH YARI

  My Two Husbands

  Book one

  Chapter 1

  “Mr. Hunter Payton, I grant you full physical custody of your daughter, Kaylee Payton. Mrs. Brook Payton, you will be granted visitation…”

  These are the words that haunt me every time I try to get in touch with my daughter. Like any mother, I never assumed I would lose custody of her. But what was even further from my mind was the limited relationship I would have with her. Simply because I am no longer Mrs. Payton.

  I once thought a divorce would mean I would no longer have to deal with my ex-husband, yet I learned very quickly that it’s the total opposite. Whoever spread the rumor that it’s easy to move on in life after a divorce involving children was an idiot. And I was a fool to believe a rumor.

  Not long after filing for divorce, I received the surprise of my life: I would no longer hold physical custody of my daughter because my ex-husband Hunter had proved in court that I had an affair during the course of our marriage. To protect Kaylee from the trauma of a custody battle, I held on to my truth about who Hunter really is, hoping Hunter’s anger about the affair would subside without affecting the relationship between Kaylee and me. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

  Hunter relished the idea of having custody of Kaylee. In his bizarre mind, he knew he had a hold on me, and there was nothing I could do about it but sit back and do as he wanted if I wished to be involved in Kaylee’s life.

  I do my best to ignore the sweat on the palm of my hands as I dial Hunter’s number. Hopefully, Kaylee will beat him to the phone, and I won’t have to hear his voice.

  “Hi Hunter,” I say once he says hello.

  “Kaylee is busy doing homework,” he snaps at me even before I can ask to speak to our daughter. He never thinks that I might be calling about anything other than Kaylee.

  “May I please speak to her? I promise not to keep her long,” I beg.

  The second of silence tortures me and makes me wonder how long I will have to deal with this. I understand children can’t be split in two to satisfy both parents, but no parent should have to deal with this: not being able to communicate with their child just because of the other parent’s hostility.

  I hear him finally say, “Kaylee, mom is on the phone for you.”

  The fact that he tries to sound civilized with me in front of Kaylee and others annoys me, but right now it is the least of my problems.

  I hear her hurried footsteps towards the telephone, and my heart fills with uncontrollable happiness. Though he isn’t really doing anything special for me, I am grateful to him for allowing me to speak to her.

  “Baby don’t stay on the phone too long. We have to finish up with your homework before dinner,” I hear him say before she comes on the line.

  “Hi mommy!” she screams in excitement.

  “Hi my beautiful—”

  “Mommy my friend Annie brought a butterfly cage to school today!” she cuts me off. “There are no butterflies yet, but Mrs. Linda said, ‘Kaylee, there are caterpillars in the cage waiting to be butterflies. Mommy I want a cage too.”

  “Oh my! That is awesome! Let’s see if we can get you one this weekend. So what kind of homework do you have today?”

  I would have never imagined I would be excited about kindergarten homework, but when you become a mom, it becomes a magical milestone.

  “I have to color a bear’s picture. I want to make it pink, but daddy said I have to color it brown,” she says, not sounding as excited as she did a few seconds ago.

  “Baby don’t be sad,” I croon consolingly. “Daddy just wants you to do your homework correctly. When I see you, how about we worry about getting you a butterfly cage and coloring our own pink bear?”

  “Okay mommy.”

  “Now don’t tell anyone. It’s our secret, okay?” I say.

  “Okay!”

  Immediately I hear her happiness spark back in her voice, and I feel like a hero.

  “Kaylee, we have to finish your homework,” calls Hunter, cutting into our conversation.

  “Mommy I have to go now. Don’t forget your promise.”

  “I won’t baby. Bye. I love you.” Saying bye is difficult, and it kills me not to have her home with me.

  I gaze at a picture on the wall, of Kaylee playing on the beach. I have never been more grateful for pictures, thank now, after losing her. Her skin is a perfect pearly white, her blue eyes would make the ocean jealous, and her long curls cascade down her back.

  “I love you.” Suddenly, the line disconnects, and I hold the phone in my hand, wishing I could go through it and get my life back—not to be with Hunter but to have my baby with me all the time.

  If there’s anything I regret in my life, it’s making the decisions that have cost me my daughter.
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  Putting the phone down, I look at my watch and realize I haven’t heard from Dominic in a few hours. He should have been here by now.

  My relationship with Dominic is not a fairy tale. He lacks many qualities and is no Prince Charming, but he did pull me out of a vicious marriage. And that keeps me by his side. I’m not quite sure when, but he stopped being supportive. During my divorce and custody battle, his compassion was almost non-existent. But putting things into perspective, it was not his place to get involved. Yet it would have been nice if he had been there.

  My relationship with Dominic moved from one problem to the next. Maybe losing Kaylee was too high a price to pay for this.

  When Dominic and I started our affair, everything was rosy. I heard from him all the time, and he did his best to see me. It was easy to love him and be swept off my feet. He made many promises, but when it became clear that Hunter and I were separating, something changed. Now that we are officially together after my divorce, his job seems to take precedence over me all the time. I consider ending whatever this is, but what if I let go at the precise moment he is thinking of building a life with me?

  It bothers me to wait around until it is convenient for him to see me, but if I harass him or question him too much, I risk losing him too. Then everything I have lost so far would have been in vain.

  Hours pass as I sit at the kitchen table, staring at the apple pie I baked a few hours ago. I want to be brave and feel as if Dominic’s absence is nothing but a regular occurrence of the day, but it hurts and makes me feel worthless. I keep thinking of ways to remain calm. It is exhausting.

  I did bake the apple pie, so I might as well eat it. There is no need to starve myself because of this emotional trauma, which I’m sure will end soon enough.

  I want to call him and curse him. I want to scream at the top of my lungs because that is my damn right, but I’m sure I will regret it as soon as I am done.

  A faint buzz interrupts my thoughts, and I scrounge around the floor looking for my cell phone. I swear I live in an old Twilight Zone episode most of the time: I can never find anything.

  “Oh there you are! How the hell did you get in between the cushions of the couch?” I say out loud.

  Dominic must have sensed my desperation to hear from him, because sure enough, it’s him.

  “Hello,” I say, out of breath after my cellphone hunt.

  “Hey babe, what’re you up to?” he asks.

  “Umm, nothing much here,” I answer, getting off the floor and looking for something to do as if he can see me. I attempt to sound as if I wasn’t waiting like an abandoned dog.

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it,” he says.

  Here we go again. Another excuse for his absence. “You could have called,” I reply.

  How can anyone think it’s acceptable to be late and not bother to inform the person waiting, as if that person doesn’t have a life of their own? I know I have nothing to do other than wait around, but that is not the point.

  “I couldn’t, I got caught up. And I’m calling you now,” he says high-handedly.

  I hate it when he sounds as if he has complete control over me, as if he believes I‘ll lose something if he wasn’t around.

  “Everything seems to take priority over us. Don’t you see a problem with that?” I ask.

  I wonder what has caused this change in Dominic. I remember a time he would plead with me to get away from Hunter. He would tell me how I deserved better, how I owed it to myself to be loved and happy. Now that it is only him and me, he does nothing to prove he loves me or show me we are worth it. I wonder if our affair gave him a rush of adrenaline that a monogamous relationship with me doesn’t.

  “Nothing takes priority over us, but that doesn’t mean I can ignore everything else going on in my life, right? I will make it up to you tomorrow. I promise,” he says.

  “Tomorrow?” I squeak. “Why tomorrow? Why can’t you come over today?” I know I sound desperate.

  “Brook, today isn’t possible.” I can hear in his voice he is shutting me down and I hate him for it.

  “Okay,” I give in. What options do I have? I’m not brave enough to deal with another loss in my life.

  “I love you,” says Dominic.

  “I love you too, bye,” I hang up, wishing I had cursed at him.

  When did I become this weakling, unwilling to stand up for myself? How did this become my life today?

  I see my reflection on a frame, and I can’t help a surge of self-pity.

  Somewhere inside, I know I deserve a little better.

  Or do I?

  Chapter 2

  My night was long and disturbed- I tossed and turned in bed, thinking about Dominic. What could have him so occupied that he disappeared yesterday and then avoided me altogether, without a care in the world? Like any other pessimist, I kept imagining the worst. Even now, my thoughts haven’t changed.

  I thought about confronting Dominic to express how I feel and how I see things. But I know it will be pointless—all our past disputes have somehow ended with him saying I exaggerate or am borderline crazy.

  Lately, I have been forced into silence. I can’t talk to Hunter about how to raise Kaylee, because he will do everything in his power to have me legally left out of her life. I can’t love my daughter the way a mother is supposed to love her child, because the time I spend with her is limited. And I definitely have to keep my mouth shut in this relationship with Dominic if I don’t want to end up all alone, with just cats for company.

  The knock on the door is unique—I would recognize it anywhere, as I recognize many things about him that will stick with me forever. My anxiety quickly fades. I try to wipe the joy off my face, because I need to remind him that he is not the only one in this relationship and that I’m still upset with him.

  I open the door, and there he stands, surely aware that I will do anything to stay with him. I smile foolishly, making him feel forgiven and welcomed, as if nothing has happened.

  Our afternoon is perfect between making love, laughing, and having lunch together.

  We lie in bed together watching television. This is clearly background noise, as I feel his breathing slow down and his right arm slowly slide off me. I feel slightly envious of him, wanting to drift off to sleep as well. But thoughts of yesterday return, clouding my mind.

  The desire to know why he could not visit hounds me. I start feeling uncomfortable and try to move away from him in an attempt to find sleep, but he feels me moving and wakes up.

  “Are you okay?” he asks.

  I wish I were fine, I wish I could liberate myself from everything that controls my emotions.

  “Yes,” I reply. “I just can’t fall asleep. But I’m okay.” I hope that’s enough to make him stop asking.

  “Seriously, what’s wrong?”

  He knows me well. Until I don’t say what is wrong, he will not stop asking.

  I take a deep breath, “Nothing,” I say.

  “Don’t say ‘nothing.’ What’s wrong?”

  He sits up, propping up the pillows to support his back. I might as well give in and tell him. If not, this will continue to bother me and ruin the rest of the evening. I make no eye contact as I fiddle with the ring on my index finger and try to sound casual. I’m sure I won’t, but I’m going to give it a shot.

  “I don’t understand why you couldn’t come over yesterday,” I begin. “What bothered me most is that you waited hours to tell me! You must have known hours before that you wouldn’t be coming over. Obviously, whatever was holding you up was extremely important. It couldn’t have taken you hours to figure that out!”

  Without moving, he replies, “When I tell you I am coming over, you get happy. I didn’t want to disappoint you or hurt your feelings. I was hoping I could still make it. When I realized it wouldn’t be possible I called you.”

  “I can understand that, but what prevented you from coming over in the first place?” I ask, determined to get a response.


  From the look on his face, I realize I would regret asking the question.

  “Amanda.”

  I can’t remember exactly how Amanda looks, but if memory serves me right, she is a beautiful woman. I’m not sure if I hate her for valid reasons or simply because she holds a place in his life. He tries not to mention her much, which is why I sometimes assume she doesn’t exist or is fading away from his life. But when he does mention her, she invades my existence and affects our relationship.

  “What does Amanda have to do with you not being able to come over?”

  “She needed some help with her mother at the hospital,” he replies, avoiding eye contact as if his life depends on it.

  I stand up, naked, and stare at him. I have completely forgotten to cover myself. “Of all the people she could have called, she called you? And you jumped at the opportunity to be her damn hero.” My temper rises, and I am almost screaming now. “I have risked everything for you. Are you really taking all I do as a sign of weakness? You think you can do as you please whenever you like without any care in the world, and there will be no consequences? You just assume I will sit back and watch it happen?”

  I hate how he can restrain his feelings and give me the impression that he does not care.

  “I helped her at the hospital. It was just a couple of hours. What could possibly happen there? You know her mother is hospitalized. I told you that. You are acting as if you found out on your own, as if I lied!”

  “Dominic, not telling me is the same as lying. If I hadn’t asked, you wouldn’t have volunteered the information. Furthermore, I wasn’t aware when you told me she’s in the hospital that it meant you would jump to her every whim and need.”

  “You know I didn’t mean that. I would help anyone in need, especially you.”

  “You know what? You’re right. Now do me a favor and just leave. I need to be alone.” I turn around, catching a glimpse of my naked body in the mirror. I want to show that I too can suppress my emotions, so I gracefully make my way into my closet to gather one of my satin robes and cover myself.