Chapter 0: Introduction: Did I Sleep with Another Man?

“—We need an heir!” the old man declared in his deep voice. “Otherwise, someone will replace you,” he warned.

The strong echo reverberated down the hallway of Jacob Wilson’s house. Myriam startled and stopped at the doorway of the family office. She had been looking for her husband and had caught her father-in-law’s demand.

Her heart clenched. She drew in a long breath and pretended she hadn’t heard anything. She went downstairs and sat on the living-room sofa as if nothing had happened. But at the mention of children, she remembered how at one time she had thought that having a baby might strengthen her marriage. Yet God hadn’t granted her that chance: she had never become pregnant. And although the problem wasn’t hers, she had carried it in silence.

With the years, she had let go of that obsession. She understood her in-laws’ desire to be grandparents, but she never imagined they would go so far as to threaten her husband for not giving them an heir.

She had married Ray at twenty-one, deeply in love. But over time the relationship had grown cold and tense; they no longer spoke as they once had. Raymond was almost always absent. As CEO of a multinational, he was a busy man, constantly traveling on business.

Ten minutes earlier, Myriam and her husband had arrived to celebrate her father-in-law’s birthday. Raymond had gone straight to his parents, leaving her behind. Myriam noticed them murmuring together before disappearing from the spacious living room. In that instant, she regretted not hearing the rest of the conversation.

Meanwhile, inside the family office:

“I’ll handle it, Dad,” Raymond said, ignoring Jacob’s order. He focused on the company’s accounts without taking his eyes off his father. He knew perfectly well that this quarter the food conglomerate’s sales had dropped.

“You’re wasting time on nonsense,” refuted Kendra, his mother. “Your father and I have been thinking of having one of your cousins take over the company so you can take a vacation with Myriam… and conceive the heir.” She proposed it bluntly. “You’ve been married seven years and there’s still no sign of a grandchild. We expect that with a child you’ll finally settle down and take your responsibilities seriously, Raymond.”

****

Minutes later, Jacob blew out the birthday candles to a chorus of applause.

“Congratulations,” said Myriam as she came forward with a gift.

Ray’s father took the bag and set it aside.

“The best gift I could receive would be news of an heir,” he said, looking her straight in the eyes. “Don’t you want children?” he asked, frowning.

Myriam went pale, blinking nervously.

“I… uh…” she stammered.

Raymond appeared at once.

“You’ll hear that news soon enough, Dad,” he muttered through clenched teeth. “It’s time for us to go.”

Almost dragging her, he led his wife out of the house.

Once inside the car, Myriam released the breath she had been holding.

“We’ve tried IVF without success… Maybe we should adopt,” she suggested.

Raymond slammed his hand against the steering wheel in fury. He turned his face toward her, contorted, eyes blazing.

“Are you out of your mind? Has your brain stopped working?” he growled. “If we do that, everyone will know about my problem, and I won’t be anyone’s laughingstock,” he snapped, breathing hard. “You must give me a child! Even if you have to get pregnant by another man.”

“Get pregnant by another?” The words echoed in Myriam’s mind.

Her lips parted into a wide O, and she felt the blood drain from her feet at such a proposal.

“How can you ask me that?” she whispered, fighting back tears.

“Do you love me?” Raymond asked.

“Of course I do…” she replied, or at least she thought she did.

“Then give me a child. Otherwise I’ll find a woman who’s willing to do whatever it takes,” he said with cynical ease.

“What?” Myriam couldn’t believe what she had just heard.

She felt like an object, a baby-making machine. Her heart shattered.

Then, furious, she shoved her husband and stomped on the accelerator.

“Are you crazy? We’re going to get ourselves killed!” Raymond roared.

They wrestled over the steering wheel. Myriam said nothing. Suddenly she lifted her foot off the gas and slammed on the brakes.

Raymond, inches from being thrown forward, managed to steady the car. He was about to open his mouth to scold her when she jumped out, slammed the door and walked away, heels in hand, without a word.

That night she was wearing a vibrant red dress. She raised her arm, and a taxi stopped in front of her. She climbed in without looking back.

****

Gerald Lennox parked in front of the bar where his friends were waiting. He tossed the keys to the valet to park his BMW and walked in with firm strides, his six-foot-one frame held straight.

At thirty, he was the CEO of the multinational Lennox Foods. His gaze was a cold shade of blue, his skin pale, his hair dark. He wore light blue jeans, a gray shirt, and a black blazer.

Several women whispered as he passed, trying to flirt with him. Gerald was undeniably attractive, but he seemed immune to female charms.

He reached the table, greeted his companions, and took a seat. A poker game began, mixed with chatter, laughter, and glasses of whiskey.

“If you lose tonight, I’ll pick the woman you’ll take to bed,” Kevin proposed, smirking with mischief.

Gerald snorted, shaking his head.

“I’m not interested in sex,” he replied, remembering Bianca, the woman he thought he had loved. He sighed, recalling how she had rejected him when his family’s ruin loomed.

“You’re going rusty,” Kevin warned. The others burst into laughter. “Are you afraid of falling in love?”

“You get crazier every day,” Gerald scoffed. “I won’t fall for your games again, not like I did a few months ago.”

He downed another sip of whiskey as the game went on.

Then Kevin noticed a striking woman passing by: dark hair, a red dress, a determined gaze.

“I’ve got the perfect candidate to make sure you have fun tonight,” he said, pointing toward the bar. “She looks incredible.”

Gerald, slightly tipsy but still clear-headed, glanced at her. Minutes earlier, she had walked past with confident elegance. She didn’t look like a one-night stand, nor like someone who’d play along with Kevin’s foolish bets. And Gerald had no intention of indulging him.

A few minutes before, Myriam had arrived at the bar where her best friend Elsa—a gynecologist—was having drinks. The moment she walked in, several men turned to look at her. She always drew stares. But she ignored their glances. Spotting her friend, she went over to the bar and hugged her tightly.

They ordered a tequila and a martini while they chatted. Myriam told her about the fight she’d had with her husband.

Elsa couldn’t understand how Raymond could have made such an outrageous proposal to his wife.

“And what are you going to do?” she asked, sipping her martini.

Myriam downed the tequila in a single gulp.

“I don’t want to lose him. But… maybe IVF is an option,” she muttered, still unconvinced about going through the procedure again.

Elsa, always the liberal, smiled and nodded mischievously.

“You picked the boring way. I’d have found a handsome man and made a baby,” she joked, gesturing toward nearby tables before raising her glass.

“You’re incorrigible,” Myriam replied with a faint smile, noticing how several men were watching them, whispering among themselves.

Then her eyes met the cold, expressionless gaze of an attractive man with blue eyes. He quickly turned back to his companions.

Myriam shook her head. Elsa’s idea was absurd, unthinkable.

“I don’t know if the procedure will work. We’ve tried… and my body’s wearing down,” she sighed.

“One more time,” she pleaded, her voice breaking. She felt her marriage depended on that child.

She kept drinking, trying to drown her sorrows in liquor. Almost staggering, she headed to the bathroom. On her way out, she was intercepted by a very handsome, gallant man who leaned in to whisper in her ear and pointed toward another gentleman at a nearby table.

Myriam fixed her gaze on the man he indicated. He was handsome… more so than her own husband. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but he seemed unreal. Then she remembered Raymond’s insane proposal. She had his permission. So, without thinking too much, she agreed.

Accompanied by the man who had intercepted her, she walked over to the table. The striking gentleman looked at her. Despite the alcohol, his sad eyes sent a shiver through her.

He stood. They left the bar together and climbed into the stranger’s convertible. When they reached the luxury hotel, Gerald realized the woman had fallen asleep. Her dress had ridden up, revealing long, firm legs.

His eyes widened. His throat went dry. She was beautiful, slender, with an enviable figure. A real temptation.

He stepped out of the car and impulsively lifted her into his arms. But then he noticed a golden ring on her finger.

She’s married.

His eyelids lowered. The icy blue of his eyes dimmed instantly, clouded with gray.

After a moment’s hesitation, he held her close against his chest. He inhaled her sweet scent of violets, and minutes later entered the five-star suite.

He laid her gently on the bed and studied her face. Her rosy cheeks were enchanting, and her chestnut hair tumbled in waves over the curves of her body.

He stroked her cheek. He was about to leave quietly when her voice, drunk and soft, came from within.

“Don’t go… I need you.”

Gerald froze. He turned slowly. When he stepped back into the room, he found the beautiful lady standing. He cleared his throat as he watched her let the dress fall at her feet. The scene was overwhelmingly sensual.

“You’re far too drunk, ma’am. Please, stop,” he said hoarsely.

“Ray… come… It’s been so long since I’ve felt such passion… Let’s make a baby… come…”

Myriam looked at him, but in her fogged mind she thought she was with her husband.

Gerald realized she was confusing him for someone else. And right before his eyes, she stripped off the delicate lingerie that still covered her body.

His male instincts surged instantly, but he was not the kind of man to take advantage of a woman in that condition.

I can’t. I have to get out of here, he ordered himself. He left the suite and closed the door behind him.

****

The next day, the sun’s rays brushed across Myriam’s face. She frowned and opened her eyes wide. A hand flew to her chest when she realized she was in an unfamiliar room.

“Where am I?” she whispered, confused.

She noticed her dress and other clothes scattered across the carpet. Her lips parted as she trembled.

“What happened?” she asked herself. She blinked several times. “No… I couldn’t have…”

She tried to remember, but her mind was full of gaps. She recalled the man’s voice, his cold gaze—and nothing more. She jumped when she heard the sound of her phone. She got up, searched her purse, and pulled it out with shaking hands. When she saw it was her husband, she froze. Her heart raced.

“Where are you?” Raymond roared from the other end of the line.

“I stayed with Elsa,” she stammered, fumbling for her dress. “I’m going straight to work.”

“With Elsa?” he repeated, suspicious. “I hope you tell your friend to help us…” he said before hanging up.

Myriam exhaled sharply. For a moment she thought he had found out. She looked around, searching the sheets and the nightstand for any clue of what had happened, but she found nothing.

She trembled just imagining she might have slept with a stranger.

“What have I done?” she murmured, clutching her head. It throbbed with pain. “I couldn’t have betrayed Raymond…” she sobbed, her voice breaking.

****

Minutes later, she arrived at Elsa’s apartment. Relief washed over her when she found her there. She needed to know if her friend remembered who she had left with the night before.

“I don’t know anything. You just disappeared. I thought you’d gone home,” the gynecologist said. “Why?” she added, studying her closely.

Myriam exhaled shakily. She told her what had happened. She remembered nothing.

Elsa burst out laughing.

“Well, I hope he was very handsome,” she teased.

Myriam shot her a withering glare.

“You know I’m not that kind of woman. I’d rather go through IVF again than betray Raymond,” she said, her throat tightening. “I don’t know how I’m going to look him in the eye,” she added, covering her face with both hands.

Elsa pressed her lips together.

“Your husband was the one who suggested that idea. He has no reason to be offended. Besides, he…”

She stopped. She didn’t want to torment her friend with the things she knew about Raymond.

“Don’t torment yourself. Let’s hope that guy from the bar doesn’t remember what happened either,” she concluded.

She served her coffee and lent her clean clothes so she could shower and head to work.

****

Days later, Myriam underwent another round of IVF. She had already been preparing for it in the days before that confusing night, and now all she could do was wait for the fertilized egg to implant in her uterus.

Several weeks later, Myriam noticed a delay. To be sure, she bought several home pregnancy tests. She followed the instructions and, as she waited for the result, paced back and forth in the room.

“Please let it work this time…” she prayed, hands clasped. Her stomach churned with nerves. When the timer finally went off, she rushed to the bathroom. She looked down… and every single test showed two lines.

“Positive!” she cried out with boundless joy.

Tears of happiness streamed down her cheeks. This was exactly what she needed to save her marriage. Without wasting another moment, she went to Elsa’s office. She needed her to check. Her friend confirmed the pregnancy… but in Myriam’s heart, a devastating doubt was born:

Was this baby the result of the fertilization… or of the night she couldn’t remember?

***

Author’s Note

My native language is Spanish. This story was translated into English with the help of translation software, so it may contain small mistakes or expressions that don’t sound completely natural.

I sincerely apologize for that and truly appreciate your understanding.

Thank you for reading my work and being part of this story.