Kate experiences feelings of being unloved and lonely after her husband transforms into a workaholic. During a party one night, when her husband abandons her, Kate inadvertently engages in sexual activity with his twin brother. Her worst fears are realised when she discovers that she is pregnant as a result of the one-night stand.
“Happy birthday, champ!” Adam greeted his twin brother as they parted from a hug. It was Mike’s birthday celebration, and Adam and his wife, Kate, had decided at the last minute to attend.
“You look lovely,” Mike said, kissing Kate on the cheek. “Thank you for coming, you guys.”
“What’s the matter, dear?” Kate asked Adam, noticing him absorbed in his phone as Mike walked away.
“I think I’ll have to leave, honey,” Adam sighed, tapping a few numbers on his phone. “Work call.”
“Oh, Adam is always busy with work,” Kate sighed, trying to hide her disappointment. “I guess I’ll just have to make the most of the party without him.”
“I’ll keep you company,” Mike said, putting his arm around her shoulders. “And don’t worry, we’ll celebrate his birthday without him too.”
Kate couldn’t help but smile at Mike’s gesture. As the party continued, she found herself enjoying his company more than she had expected.
She let out a tired sigh. “He said he’ll be back in two hours. Something came up at work.”
“Seriously, Kate! Only you can put up with my brother!” he hissed.
“Well,” she smiled at him, trying to hide her frustration. “He is only doing justice to his job. Isn’t he?”
“OK, OK, holy wife! His loss, anyway! We can still have fun! Beer?”
“Sure!” Kate said as they both walked away from the window from where she had seen Adam’s car disappear down the street.
Kate and Mike began chatting while they were drinking beer, and Kate just loved spending time with Mike. He was funny and magnetic, and she couldn’t recall the last time she had been happy with Adam.
Mike and Adam were indistinguishable twins, yet quite distinct from each other. Although Adam was solely focused on his job, Mike was charismatic, had a way with women, and was an excellent companion. At times, Kate felt as though Adam had married his work, not her.
***
That night, Kate felt so relaxed and free with Mike that she didn’t realize when she began overdrinking. Mike kept offering her drinks one after the other, and she couldn’t refuse.
Five hours passed, and all the guests began leaving. Adam was nowhere to be seen, and Mike and Kate were alone at Mike’s house, but Kate didn’t mind. At one point, they were dancing together while slow music played in the background.
Suddenly, the loud ringing of Kate’s phone distracted them.
“Hey, love!” It was Adam on the line, and Mike lowered the music.
“I’m just calling to let you know I’ll be held up for another couple of hours, Kate. My phone might run out of battery, so I won’t be able to call you. Are you okay?”
“Take all the time you need, Adam!” Kate replied monotonously. “Just come back whenever you’re ready!”
Kate threw her phone and slumped onto the couch, her face buried in her hands.
“Hey, what happened?” Mike asked, sitting down beside her. “What did he say?”
Kate’s eyes were red and swollen when she looked up. “I hate my life!” she cried. “I need another drink!”
Kate walked over to the bar counter and grabbed a new bottle of wine. As she removed the cork, Mike snatched the bottle from her hands. “Kate, stop! You’re already drunk!”
“Give it back!” she cried, pushing him away and downing the wine. “My life’s a mess! Look at me! My husband no longer cares about me! That’s why he’s been avoiding me…Working all the time!”
“Hey, Hey, Kate!” Mike slowly took the bottle from her hands and returned it to the counter. Then he wrapped his arms around her, and she started crying into his shoulder.
“You are amazing, Kate! The most beautiful woman I have ever met!” he said, looking into her eyes. “Just look at you; you’re stunning!”
At that moment, Mike’s head slowly tilted, and his hands gradually slipped lower and seized Kate’s waist. He drew her closer as he kissed her, and Kate wanted to object, but she couldn’t.
“Mmm…Mike….” she whispered breathlessly, pulling away from him for a moment, but she was confused as she looked at his face. Kate was drunk and couldn’t discern if she was kissing Mike or Adam.
“It’s alright, Kate. It’s alright! I know you want it as much as I do!” he said.
The next moment, Kate and Mike were on the sofa, entwined in each other’s arms. Kate dozed off in his embrace, and Mike gently stroked her hair as she slept soundly.
Two hours later, Mike was pacing around the house when Adam’s car headlights shone through the living room window. Mike panicked as Kate lay on the couch, covered only in a blanket.
He snatched her clothes from the floor and rushed to the bathroom to help her get dressed. She was still drunk and tired, but he assisted her in changing. Just as they emerged from the bathroom, Adam walked in.
“Hi, Mike,” Adam said, looking from Kate to his brother. “Is she okay?”
“She…she drank a lot. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen!” Mike laughed nervously.
“Here. She was tired of waiting for you and feeling a bit down,” he said, handing Kate over to Adam. “She’ll be okay by tomorrow, but she might be sick in your car. I took her to the bathroom to help her wash her face.”
“Oh, sweetheart. Be careful,” Mike said, helping Kate stand up, her head resting on his shoulder. “So the party was great. Sorry, I had to leave, mate. And thanks for taking care of Kate.”
“No problem at all, Adam! Take care!”
As soon as Adam and Kate left his driveway, Mike breathed a sigh of relief. Adam would have caught him red-handed with Kate if only he had been a little late.
Adam and Kate arrived home in the wee hours of the morning and went straight to bed. Kate’s head was pounding the next morning, but she had no memory of what she had done last night.
Only when she stepped in the shower did she notice weird marks on her body in the bathroom mirror, and she silently screamed. Kate felt her gut churn and wanted to throw up as last night’s scenes flashed before her eyes.
“Are you OK?” Mike asked, noticing she looked weary and anxious as she came down for breakfast.
“Yes, well, yeah, I was just….I don’t feel great,” she said, frantically searching the living room. “Have you seen my car keys?”
“Uh, must be in the bowl right there,” he pointed to the bowl on the living room shelf. “Going out?”
“Yes, I’ll be back soon,” she fibbed, reaching for the keys. “I think I need some fresh air. I called Judy, and she said she wanted help shopping, and I suppose I’ll go with her.”
“You’re certain you’ll be alright?” Mike inquired as he observed her putting on her shoes.
“Yes, yes, I’ll see you soon. Goodbye,” Kate said as she quickly vanished through the front door.
However, that day, she didn’t go out with her friend.
Kate drove alone to the local supermarket and pulled over in their car park. She didn’t plan to go in and shop. Instead, she wept. She cried like a child because she couldn’t face Adam after what had happened the previous night.
Kate had been a terrible wife and cheated on Adam. They had had awful fights in the past, but Adam had never cheated on or lied to her. He always returned to her and suggested they could talk about their problems.
But Kate knew that this time they couldn’t talk things out. She couldn’t go and tell Adam that she had drunk-screwed his twin brother at a party. So there was only one choice Kate had. She decided to forget what had happened last night and move on.
It was going to be hard, but it would save her and Adam’s marriage.
Kate wiped her tears and fixed her makeup in the rearview mirror, all set to go home. But just as she was about to drive out of the parking lot, her phone began buzzing.
As Kate pulled out her cell to see who it was, she saw Mike’s number flashing across her phone screen. Kate didn’t want to answer the call, but she was scared that Mike would do something crazy if she didn’t.
“What is it, Mike?” she asked, trying to hold back her frustration.
“Kate, I need your help,” he said.
“I am sorry, but I am busy right now, and I don’t think I can help you in any way, Mike,” she snapped. “I am going to hang up.”
“No, no!” he cried. “Wait, this is important! It’s about last night, Kate!”
Kate’s palms went cold, and her face turned pale. “Last night? I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said, trying to avoid the topic.
“Oh, c’mon, Kate! Don’t you give me that now! I have pictures of us together. Do you want me to email those to Adam? I’m sure you wouldn’t want that,” Mike warned her.
“You’re lying!” she said. “You don’t have anything!”
The phone line went quiet, and Kate moved her phone away from her ear, thinking Mike had ended the call. Just as she was about to end it herself, her phone started to vibrate with notifications, one after the other. Kate pressed her fingers to her lips to stop herself from crying as she gazed at pictures taken last night of her and Mike on his sofa.
“Delete them!” she exclaimed into the phone. “Now, Mike!”
“I need money for that!” he responded. “$10,000, and Adam never gets to know what happened last night!”
“You’re blackmailing me?!” she snarled.
“Oh, come on, Kate! This is nothing for our little secret. It’s not like you were alone in this. Imagine how crazy this is for me, alright?”
“This is OUR little secret. I slept with my brother’s wife! And now I have to lie! And honestly, I am saving you too, unless… you want to tell him what you did.”
“I can’t believe you’d stoop so low, Mike!” she cried.
“Look, Kate, I don’t give two cents about your opinion, okay? If I get the money, I’ll keep my mouth shut, or…”
“FINE!” She cut him off. “Fine! I’ll get you the money! Just keep your dirty mouth shut!”
“I can’t wait for an eternity for you to get back to me, Kate. I need the money by the end of this week, or these pictures make their way to Adam,” he said and hung up.
Kate punched the steering wheel hard and wanted to scream, but nothing would change. She had to give in to Mike’s demands, or her and Adam’s marriage would be over.
Kate withdrew all the money she had in her savings accounts and visited Mike’s house that week. She gave him the money and asked him to delete the pictures. And he did.
Kate thought everything would get back to normal, and she would live a peaceful life now. As weeks passed, she completely forgot what had happened and moved on with her life.
But one day, when Kate was in the office, she felt really sick. She felt a sharp pain in her belly and began sweating. The air conditioner was on, so she didn’t understand why she was feeling so hot.
She opened the windows to let in some fresh air when she felt something rising in her throat. Kate dashed to the bathroom and emptied out the morning’s toast and juice.
As she splashed some cold water on her face and looked up into the mirror, Kate noticed dark bags under her eyes, and her skin seemed pale.
Kate returned to her work desk, thinking it was all due to work stress. But an hour later, she was checking her phone when she accidentally opened her period tracker.
Kate froze as she realized she could be pregnant!
She googled pregnancy symptoms, and most of them matched what she had been experiencing lately. Everything, including the morning sickness and her mood swings, made sense now.
Kate would’ve been happy about the possibility of a little life growing inside her if she knew the kid was Adam’s. But the thing was, it wasn’t.
Kate and Adam had been trying to conceive for years but had met no luck. The doctors had said Adam needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and they would need to try more often. However, despite everything, God had not blessed them with children.
But Kate needed to be sure if she was pregnant. Maybe she was just burned out. So that evening, on her way home from work, she bought a pregnancy test kit at a pharmacy. And she kept it hidden in her purse until Adam left for work the next morning.
When Kate used the kit, she was begging God that it shouldn’t show two lines. But unfortunately, it did.
Kate collapsed to the floor, crying. She was pregnant!
Kate didn’t know who to tell what she was going through. But she wasn’t the only one at fault. The child was Mike’s too, and he was equally responsible. So Kate got dressed up and drove to his house to tell him he was in hot water too!
But when she first told him about her pregnancy, he almost didn’t believe her. “Nice one, Kate! Is this some sort of revenge ‘cause I asked you for the money?” he laughed as he answered the door.
“I don’t think I like you enough to look for ways to see you, Mike!” she snapped, storming past him. “I AM PREGNANT for real! This child is yours, and you are to blame for it too!”
“Look, Kate, you’re taking this too far, alright? I am not going to father that bloody child!” he said, joining her in the living room.
“And I am not going to carry the burden of what happened alone, so you better come up with a solution that helps us both!” she said, her arms crossed over her chest.
“How do you know it’s my child? Who the hell knows who else you’ve banged, Kate?!”
“Just shut up, Mike! Shut the hell up!” she yelled. “Adam and I have been trying for years, and we had almost given up! This kid is yours, and it’ll show if I go and take a blood test!”
“OK, calm down, alright?” he said. “Mike and I are identical twins. Even if you take the paternity test, it would show him as the father. So what are you worried about? You can have the kid if you want, but don’t drag me into your drama! And yeah, I’m going to need another $10,000 to keep my mouth shut!” he casually said, lying down on the couch.
And that’s when it hit Kate. She had made a blunder by coming to Mike’s house and telling him everything. She could have terminated the pregnancy, and nobody would have known.
“I don’t have any more money!” she cried.
“If you don’t have the cash, you better start looking for it, Kate,” he smirked. “Coz time’s ticking, and I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep my mouth shut.”
“Fine! Give me a week! But Adam should not know about the pregnancy! Or about us sleeping together!” she said.
“Done, babes,” he laughed as she left his house.
At home, Kate was distraught because she didn’t know how she would get the money this time. Her savings account was almost empty, and she couldn’t ask Adam for help.
That’s when Kate remembered their home safe. She and Adam had kept their emergency money, important documents, and jewelry there. She could easily take out $10,000, and Adam wouldn’t get to know. So Kate did that.
She took out the money and stuffed her bag with the cash.
Later that week, she pulled over at Mike’s and gave him the money. But Kate had realized she couldn’t escape what she had done anyway. Mike would keep blackmailing her in the future whenever and however he wanted, and she would have no choice but to give in to his demands.
So Kate decided to end everything once and for all.
“Good job, Kate!” Mike smiled, counting the money.
“I want to ask you something before I leave, Mike,” she said.
“Yeah?” he asked.
“No matter what happens…” she paused as her eyes welled up. “No matter what…Adam should never get to know I was pregnant or that we slept together!”
“Oh god, Kate! Are you crying? Relax!” He tried to hug her, but she stepped away from him.
“OK, I am not going to tell him anything, alright?” he said. “I have the money, and my lips are zipped.”
“Yes,” she said quietly. “Yes. Thanks.”
Kate then drove home, packed her bags, and booked an Uber to the airport. She decided she would leave Adam and go away from his life forever. It was the only way she could make everything right.
So as Kate arrived at the airport, she walked up to an airport counter and bought a ticket for the first flight out of state with her credit card.
As she sat in the airport lounge, waiting for her flight, Kate couldn’t help but cry as she recalled all the good times she and Adam had spent together. Their relationship hadn’t been perfect, but they were happy. She could have easily prevented the disaster if she hadn’t agreed to drink with Mike that night.
Kate snapped to the moment as she realized her phone was buzzing. As she pulled it out, she saw it was Adam calling her.
Kate couldn’t bring herself to answer the call and canceled it the first time. But he called her again and again. At one point, she had to answer.
“What the hell, Kate! What the hell! What did you think you were doing?” he yelled.
Kate couldn’t keep her tears at bay and began crying. “Stop calling me, Adam!” she sobbed. “I…I don’t want to talk! I—I can’t live with you…”
Kate burst into tears, not realizing her husband wasn’t calling her because she had decided to leave him forever.
“You killed our baby, Kate! OUR baby!” he screamed on the phone, and then it hit her.
It was about the abortion consent form. Kate had tossed it in the trash bin after terminating her pregnancy, but she had forgotten to empty the trash.
Now that Adam had found the form, there was no point in hiding the truth from him.
“It was Mike’s, Adam…” she cried, shaking her head sadly. “It was not OUR baby, Adam. Oh, it was not!”
Kate heard a loud gasp on the other end of the line as she told Adam everything, and the line went dead. Holding her phone in her hands, Kate burst into tears again. Everything was over.
But a moment later, the phone buzzed again.
Kate’s hands trembled as she read the message. “NO! NO! NO!” she screamed so loudly that everyone at the airport turned to look at her.
It was a message from Adam: “Mike is infertile, Kate! You killed our baby! OUR BABY!”
