Do Cousins Kiss?

OPHELIA

The Whitmores’

Every single person in the city knew that name. Everyone knew I was married to Julius Whitmore, the charismatic CEO whose smile made every lady in the city swoon. I had what everyone called a perfect love story.

Four years of marriage, a husband who adored me openly, supported me, and made even romance books look like child’s play.

To everyone, I was the luckiest woman in the world.

Truly, I was.

That was until I caught my husband kissing his so-called cousin.

Right after I’d donated blood to her child!

“Hello. Did you see my husband?” I asked a nurse as I stepped out of my hospital ward.

The nurse rushed to my side and, worriedly, held my arm. “Mrs Whitmore. You shouldn’t be out of bed so soon,” she said, concern laced in her voice. Then hesitating, she added. “I-I think Mr Whitmore went that way.” She pointed to the rooms on the other side.

“I’m fine. I won’t go far.”

Offering her a short smile, I began to walk in the direction, my eyes searching each room through the door window. Where had he gone? He’d been right beside me before I fell asleep.

“Selena, stop. We can’t do this here.”

Julius. My eyes sparkled instantly. I could recognize his voice anywhere, even in my sleep. A smile tugged at my lips as I followed the sound toward the waiting room.

“Ho..”

The rest of my words died in my throat.

Through the crack of the slightly opened door, I saw them. My husband and his cousin….

Kissing!

I let out a sharp gasp. How…how?

For a moment, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me. After all, the doctors had just extracted so much blood.

But even after I closed them and opened them again, the scene remained.

Do cousins kiss?

I didn’t need to wonder for too long as my question was soon answered.

“When am I going to stop pretending, Julius,” Selena, my husband’s ‘cousin’ whispered against his lips. As usual, her voice dripped with as much sweetness and honey that could make one sick. “I’m tired of pretending. Why can’t I be your wife?”

His fingers caressed her cheeks and he gave her the same look he gave me every night before bed. The same look I thought was reserved for me and only me.

“You know that’s not possible yet, Lena. Give it more time and you’ll be my wife.”

“How much time?” Her voice rose. “How long am I supposed to stay your cousin and have that bitch parade you like a trophy? Alia can’t even call you daddy in public. Do you even love me?”

My blood instantly ran cold.

Alia? Daddy?

The sound of monitors, footsteps, everything, and even the smell of antiseptic faded away in an instant as I connected the pieces in my head.

It can’t be.

My legs wobbled beneath me and I quickly held the wall for support.

Julius… he wouldn’t betray me like this. Didn’t he say I was his world only a few hours ago?

My breath heaved. He couldn't have lied.

Selena, the woman he’d introduced as his cousin, the woman whose child I’d just donated blood to, was my husband’s mistress all along? And the child…. She was Julius’s.

It couldn’t be that the same man who once called me his everything, who gave me the world, who made sure I never went to bed angry was the same man with this web of lies.

“Lower your voice, Lena,” his voice resounded, tearing my thoughts off me. “I’ve given you everything you’ve asked for. Even a child. Being my wife is just a matter of time.”

“I love you so much, Julius. I-I I’m just scared.” A tiny trail of tears streamed down her cheeks. “What if she finds out the truth about Alia and-and what really happened to her baby three…”

“Shhh,” he cut in. “I’ll make sure she never finds out.” Before she could say anything else, he gently shut her up with a kiss. His fingers tangled in her hair as he pulled her flushed against him by the waist.

The wet sounds of their kiss slapped me.

I took a step back and then another. My vision blurred with each step that I took through the hallway. Everyone passing turned into a blurred figment in my eyes.

I couldn’t process anything.

I couldn’t think.

My legs trembled like I was a one-year-old learning how to walk and even my body didn’t feel like mine anymore.

“She’s so lucky to have him. Omg.”

“Her life is perfect.”

The words of the nurses rang in my ears as they walked by me. Before today, I would’ve agreed with them that I was the luckiest, that my life was almost perfect.

Not anymore.

Opening the door of my hospital room, I stepped in.

“Goodness, Ophelia. Where have you been? My best friend, Nova, rose from the chair at the bedside. She glanced at me worriedly. “Are you okay?”

I looked from her to the doctor standing by the side, a brown envelope nestled between his fingers.

“Ophelia, are you okay?”

“What’s going on?” I weakly questioned, my voice breaking terribly.

Nova walked to me and held both my hands in hers, worry laced in her tone. “I-I… there’s something you must know.”

I blinked back my tears that threatened to fall. Although Nova looked like she was carrying terrible news, I gave her a nod. After all, what could be worse than my ‘perfect’ marriage collapsing right before my eyes?

What could be worse than a wife catching her husband cheating on her with his so-called cousin?

“It’s connected to your late baby and Alia. “I’m… I’m sorry I did this without your permission.”

She took the envelope from the doctor and handed it to me.

“What is this?”

“I’m sorry. Alia she’s…” Her head fell.

“Alia?” The child I’d just donated blood to. What does it have to do with her? Did she want to tell me Alia belongs to Julius?

My fingers tightened around the envelope.

Reluctantly, my trembling hands tore it open and took out the paper inside.

‘99.999 maternity match.’