《HARTFORD》 Chapter 1: The Breakfast Announcement In his nearly seventy years on Earth no one had ever called Jeffrey Johannes Schreffler sentimental. He had been called all sorts of other things- cruel, ruthless, uncaring- but never sentimental. Frankly, none of that bothered Jeffrey; he saw himself as a non-nonsense business man who excelled at turning a profit, convinced that some criticism from others was expected with the territory. He was, after all, the highly successful founder and owner of Schreffler Zippers- through hard work and dedication he had made his fortune by outsmarting his rivals. Schreffler Zippers now was the premier fastener provider of New England. Everyone always envied the top dog, Jeffrey reasoned, so he paid little mind to the many who called him an unfeeling bastard or disparaged his cutthroat professional acumen. But while Jeffrey was not a sentimental man, he did have one soft spot- his beautiful wife, Puppies. Puppies, of course, was not her actual name. It was Patricia, and most from her distant past still knew her by her preferred nickname of ¡°Pippi¡±. Jeffrey had met Puppies years earlier when the young woman turned up for a secretarial job interview at Schreffler Zippers in a low-cut blouse and tight pants. She had mentioned her correct nickname then, but Jeffrey had misheard her; with his attention on the ¡®puppies¡¯ being presented before him by her outfit, Jeffrey had assumed she was being coquettish. Puppies never corrected him and had easily accepted the new moniker; it seemed all but appropriate, due to her regular plunging wardrobe choices. Puppies likewise was not Jeffrey¡¯s first wife. She was more than thirty years his junior and had had expensive plastic surgeries to ensure she always retained her youthful glow. The fact that she was even younger than Jeffrey¡¯s three adult children from his previous marriage did not faze the Schreffler patriarch- since marrying Puppies, Jeffrey felt at least five years younger himself. When he stared into Puppies¡¯ beautiful bright blue eyes Jeffrey could almost forget the real world around him. There was certainly plenty about the real world he wished he could forget. Jeffrey presently sat at the head of the table in his fabulous mansion¡¯s dining room. At the other end of the table sat his beloved Puppies, her head looking down at her plate as she cut into her omelette. It was a mundane action, but Jeffrey could watch her with delight no matter what she was doing. This morning, however, his stern gaze scanned the other members of his family who had joined him for breakfast. To his immediate left sat his only son and oldest child, Jeffrey Gregory (or Jay Greg, as he was called). Though he had recently turned forty, Jay Greg had a thin lankiness to him like a teenager experiencing a puberty growth spurt. He wore a green sweater with a collared blue shirt beneath it, but the clothing seemed to hang gawky on his flimsy body. A few scraggly hairs poked out of his chin; it was Jay Greg¡¯s sorry excuse for a beard. He sat slowly stirring some cream into his coffee; real men drank their coffee black, Jeffrey believed, so that his heir did not was one of many sore points between the two men. Jeffrey may have been his father, but he did not hold Jay Greg with much regard. On the other side of Jay Greg sat Jeffrey¡¯s oldest daughter and second born, Theresa. She had once been Jeffrey¡¯s favorite child, for she had seemed to share his passion for business and be of a similar mind. But then she had decided to elope with Godwin Trotts, the grandson of Jeffrey¡¯s greatest enemy, Archie Trotts. Their marriage had failed quickly, but the damage was done; Jeffrey could not look at Theresa and not feel the pain of betrayal. Jeffrey may have been her father, but he did not hold Theresa with much regard. Across the table from Jay Greg sat Jeffrey¡¯s third child, Stella. She was the last of the children he had had with his first wife and physically bore the most resemblance to his former spouse. This morning, Stella had a strange smile across her face as she happily picked up a piece of bacon with her fingers. Truthfully, Stella often had a strange smile on her face. Stella, if asked, would explain it quite succinctly: she was in love and always thinking of her sweetheart. The issue, of course, was the identity of her beau- she gave his name as Orbitrian Lunastromos and explained that he was literally the Man in the Moon, communicating telepathically to her from space. Jeffrey had never had much patience for what he perceived as pretend and refused to remotely consider that Stella¡¯s romance was anything but make-believe. Jeffrey may have been her father, but he did not hold Stella with much regard. Finally, to Stella¡¯s other side, sat Jeffrey¡¯s youngest daughter and only child with Puppies. The little girl had just turned six and was poking her food slowly with her fork. He had wanted to name the little girl Carla, in honor of a late family member, but Puppies was insistent she be given a name that advertised her high standing in the world. Jeffrey had relented- after all, if it made Puppies happy, he was happy- and the girl was named Gabbana in honor of the Dolce and Gabbana fashion line. Did Jeffrey particularly like that name? No, but then again, Jeffrey had not ever expected to have another child; in fact, he had gotten a vasectomy while married to his first wife and assumed that meant he would be child-free from then on. When Puppies got pregnant, she insisted his vasectomy must not have been properly performed so Jeffrey had gotten another vasectomy to ensure no additional snafus in the future. Becoming a father again so late in life, Jeffrey found it hard to feel strong paternal instincts towards Gabbana. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Jeffrey may have been her father, but he did not hold Gabbana with much regard. As he looked about at the company, Jeffrey decided to dramatically clear his throat. All seated looked up. Puppies raised her head, her gentle glance meeting his. ¡°You know, Puppies,¡± Jeffrey said in a commanding manner, clearly wanting everyone present to hear, ¡°I was looking at the calendar earlier. Can you believe that next Wednesday is going to be our ten-year wedding anniversary?¡± The silence that followed was long and awkward. ¡°¡­has it already been ten years?¡± Puppies finally replied, though it was not with any enthusiasm. ¡°Yes, it seems like it was just yesterday, doesn¡¯t it? Doesn¡¯t that make you feel happy? We¡¯ve been together nearly a decade!¡± ¡°It makes me feel old,¡± Puppies glumly answered. It was not quite the reaction Jeffrey had expected. He continued: ¡°Old? Oh no, my dear, you are as young and radiant as ever! I was thinking- ten happy years of wedded bliss. I believe that calls for a celebration. What do you think, Puppies?¡± ¡°A¡­celebration?¡± came a small croak from Jay Greg beside Jeff. The younger man stopped stirring his coffee and stared with his mouth agape at his father. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I said. An anniversary celebration. Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°You¡­you¡¯ve never had a celebration before. Of any kind. You¡¯ve always said you openly despise parties of all types.¡± ¡°Yes, well,¡± Jeffrey smiled as he looked over to his wife. ¡°Puppies has had to put up with me- with all of us- for ten years. She deserves a fancy celebration. An expression of my deep love for her. I suppose.¡± Jay Greg closed his open jaw and looked downtrodden at the beverage before him. "If it¡¯s been ten years since you married¡­her¡­¡± remarked Theresa, a scowl on her face as she gestured in her stepmother¡¯s direction, ¡°it¡¯s also been ten years since Mom died. Mom, your wife of, what, thirty-five years? Who you never threw a ten-year anniversary celebration for, or a twenty-year celebration, or a thirty-year celebration or¡­did anything like that. I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re going to also throw a ten-year remembrance service for Mom now that you¡¯re in a celebrating mood?¡± ¡°Why would I do that?¡± Jeffrey quipped back, ¡°I¡¯m talking about throwing a ten-year anniversary celebration for Puppies and I. Your mother¡¯s death has no place in this.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it?¡± returned Theresa, ¡°Mom is dead because of her-¡° ¡°-Don¡¯t you dare talk like that!¡± Jeffrey slammed his fist on the table. His eyes fell to Puppies, though to his relief she did not seem particularly offended by the comment. ¡°It¡¯s okay, Jeffy,¡± Puppies said, holding up a hand. She casually glanced over to Theresa. ¡°I am sorry how things turned out with your mother, Theresa, and I suppose I can understand why you blame me. But I cannot help that your father and I fell in love and I cannot help that your mother chose to take her own life because of that. I hope in time, when you¡¯re older, you¡¯ll be able to understand a little better.¡± Theresa narrowed her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you talk to me like you have some sort of aged sagely wisdom. You¡¯re four years younger than I am!¡± Suddenly, Stella let out a laugh. ¡°Why waste time throwing any kind of party?¡± she mused cryptically, ¡°Orbitrian says none of this will matter when he comes to get me.¡± Gabbana looked over to Puppies. ¡°Mommy, she¡¯s saying scary things again.¡± ¡°Theresa,¡± Jeffrey returned the focus to his daughter, ¡°you will show Puppies respect! She is my wife whether you like that or not.¡± ¡°Her name is ¡®Puppies¡¯, how much can you really expect me to respect her?¡± Theresa replied. ¡°Just because your marriage fell apart doesn¡¯t give you the right to be cynical about other marriages.¡± ¡°Why my marriage fell apart has nothing to do with any of this. Besides, you hated that I was married to Godwin, so I¡¯dve thought you¡¯d be happy I was back home!¡± ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯m thrilled, my Benedict Arnold flesh and blood, returned once more!¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have married Godwin if you hadn¡¯t married this¡­this gold-digging whore!¡± Puppies let out a dramatic gasp. ¡°What did I just say?¡± hissed Jeffrey across the table, ¡°you will show Puppies respect!¡± ¡°How can you be so in denial, Dad? I don¡¯t care what sort of problems you and mom were having at the time! You know Mom¡¯s learning that you and your secretary were sleeping together- the way she did- is the reason she decided to jump to her death-¡° ¡°-ENOUGH!¡± Again, Jeffrey slammed his fist on the table. ¡°If you cannot show your stepmother respect you are no longer welcome in this home!¡± ¡°I came back for you! I thought you wanted me here! The whole time I was married to Godwin you kept pleading with me to come back, yet here I am and now you¡¯re sending me away because of your floozy of a wife-¡° From a side door on the back wall a young man in uniform stuck his head into the dining room. It was Tomas Tweed, the family chauffer. He scanned the area for a moment and then apologetically bowed his head. ¡°Excuse me, everyone,¡± he said politely as his eyes then fell on Theresa, ¡°I¡¯m here to take you to your appointment, Ms. Schreffler?¡± ¡°Ms. Schreffler-Trotts,¡± Theresa corrected him as she shot a glance at her father, ¡°I was thinking to drop the Trotts, but now I¡¯m thinking maybe not. I know how much some of us here love that name combination.¡± Both Jeffrey and Tomas seemed to wince as she said ¡®Trotts¡¯. The driver¡¯s wince in particular did not go unnoticed by Puppies who was seated close by him. ¡°Appointment?¡± Jeffrey inquired, the rage still in his voice. ¡°Does it matter? I have a doctor¡¯s appointment,¡± answered Theresa and she rose to her feet. ¡°But don¡¯t you worry about me. Please, by all means, keep planning your precious ten-year anniversary party for Puppies. She deserves it.¡± ¡°Ah, have you and the second Mrs. Schreffler been married ten years now?¡± remarked Tomas as he waited for his client to walk over, ¡°congratulations to you both!¡± ¡°See, Theresa,¡± muttered Jeffrey, ¡°some people actually recognize the importance of a lasting, successful marriage. Thank you, Tomas.¡± Theresa¡¯s brother Jay Greg remained staring blankly at the beverage before him. No one seemed to notice his solemn mood had persisted once his father had announced his intended celebration plans. I have to get her alone, I have to talk to her, he thought to himself over and over. It was subtle, but his eyes glided slightly in the direction of Puppies; she had, however, returned to her omelette, and seemed to be paying little mind to anything but the food before her. Chapter 2: Servant Suspicions and Paternity Pondering At the conclusion of breakfast, Jeffrey Johannes Schreffler hopped to his feet with almost cat-like reflexes. ¡°I think I shall go to my home office,¡± he announced to all present, ¡°I would like to get to work right away on planning the anniversary celebration.¡± From the doorway behind Jeffrey two familiar figures entered the dining room. The first was the maid, Madeline McAulay; a ruddy-faced woman in her mid-fifties, she wore her graying hair tightly pulled back in a bun and a uniform dress that was at least one size too small. The other individual was the butler, Rolf Remington, an aged man always dressed to the nines. Both begin clearing the breakfast table, and while doing so, Rolf turned to his employer. ¡°Very well, sir, shall I have any incoming calls directed to your private office line?¡± he asked with his polite upper-crust accent. ¡°No,¡± Jeffrey shook his head, ¡°that won¡¯t be necessary. In fact, hold all my calls. Puppies and I will be very busy working and should not be disturbed.¡± ¡°Jeffy, I want some fresh air,¡± replied back Puppies with a pout on her face, ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to work on planning anything right now.¡± Jeffrey was not particularly pleased to hear that, but if Puppies wasn¡¯t well, he certainly did not want to force her to do anything. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m¡­I¡¯m sorry, my dear,¡± the Schreffler patriarch said, ¡°If you want some fresh air, by all means, go to the garden. It¡¯s supposed to be a lovely day. I¡¯m sure Stella and Jay Greg would be able to help me with anniversary planning instead.¡± ¡°I told you,¡± sighed Stella, ¡°my beloved Orbitrian Lunastromos said there¡¯s no point for a party-¡° ¡®-when he comes to get you,¡± Jeffrey waved his hand. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. We all know the line. Frankly, I don¡¯t want to plan an anniversary celebration with someone who isn¡¯t going to take it seriously.¡± He turned to his son. In Jeffrey¡¯s mind, Jay Greg had failed at every other expectation the old man had hoped for him; no doubt he would fail at party planning too. But at the same time, Jeffrey did not want to do the planning work alone. After all, if anything went wrong at the celebration, he would need someone else on whom to pin the blame. Jay Greg was better than no one if only to be the big picture scapegoat. ¡°I guess, Jay Greg, it will just be me and you planning then,¡± Jeffrey remarked. Jay Greg was still staring at his coffee, thinking of how desperately he needed to speak to his stepmother. When his father spoke his name, he returned to the world around him. ¡°What?¡± Jay Greg blinked. ¡°You heard me,¡± Jeffrey started to walk towards his office. ¡°Come on, we haven¡¯t got all day.¡± ¡°Mommy,¡± cooed young Gabbana, ¡°I want to get some fresh air with you.¡± ¡°Honey,¡± replied Puppies, ¡°Mommy isn¡¯t feeling well. You can go play somewhere else.¡± ¡°But I want to play where you are, mommy!¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you play maid with Madeline?¡± Puppies motioned to the woman lifting the dirty plates before them. Madeline did little to hide the look of disgust on her face. ¡°Oh, no, there¡¯s not much to play right now,¡± she said curtly to the child. ¡°I don¡¯t want to play maid, Mommy,¡± whined Gabbana to Madeline¡¯s relief, ¡°I want to go with you! I want to go with you! I want to go with you!¡± Puppies stamped her foot in clear frustration. ¡°Fine! You want to come with me? Then let¡¯s go. I¡¯m going to the garden right now.¡± She walked off in a huff through the door on the other side of the room. Her daughter quickly hopped off her seat to join. ¡°A delight,¡± muttered Madeline under her breath. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Jay Greg! What are you doing?¡± called back Jeffrey to his son. Jay Greg had not yet left the table- he had hoped that he could speak to Puppies alone once the rest of the staff had gone with the dishes, but the hurried departure of his father¡¯s young wife from the room changed all that. He would need to find her in the garden- the sooner he could talk to her, the better. There was a heavy feeling of guilt on his shoulders that he needed to address. ¡°Jesus, Jay Greg!¡± called back Jeffrey once again, ¡°are you deaf?¡± ¡°S-Sorry, Dad! I¡¯m coming!¡± Jay Greg yelled, finally following after his father. The two servants watched as the last of the Schrefflers exited the dining room before both let out exacerbated sighs. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Madeline rolled her eyes, ¡°Mommy dearest once again was trying to foist her hell spawn on me.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be so dramatic,¡± Rolf picked up a cup, ¡°I¡¯ve had to play butler with her a time or two myself. At least when she¡¯s into it she can be a cute child.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to make a game out of what I get paid to do. If she drops a plate, I¡¯m the one who gets reprimanded for damaging property!¡± ¡°Fair enough. I have never asked her to carry plates for me. I already know she is too young for that responsibility.¡± ¡°Anyway,¡± Madeline continued, changing the subject, ¡°did you hear that? What Mr. Schreffler said?¡± ¡°To hold all his calls?¡± ¡°No! About an anniversary party!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Rolf slowly. ¡°It is quite uncharacteristic of him.¡± ¡°He never threw anything like that for the late Mrs. Schreffler- Wilma, that is. Are we allowed to call her by her first name now that she¡¯s deceased?¡± ¡°Presumed deceased,¡± the butler clarified, ¡°remember, no body or any other trace of her was ever found. Apart from her car by the bridge and the suicide note in the cupholder, in any case. And don¡¯t tell me you preferred the first wife to the second wife.¡± ¡°Wilma and Mr. Schreffler were together for so many years, though! Three children! You don¡¯t think she deserved at least one little party now and then?¡± ¡°With the way she would shriek and scream about every little inconvenience? Not really. She was a more educated woman than the second Mrs. Schreffler, I will give her that. Had earned her law degree from Harvard as she liked to tell me now and then. Well, threaten me with, more like it. Warned me if I ever did anything contrary to precisely what she asked me to do she would take me to court. I¡¯m sure she would have, if I ever made a mistake. Fortunately, I am a professional, but the fear was always there.¡± ¡°Well aren¡¯t you Mr. Perfect,¡± Madeline stuck out her tongue. ¡°My cleaning was never good enough, but I found out quickly her threats were empty. Here I am, still employed all these years later. Wilma was all bark and no bite- bellowed a lot but never acted on any of it. And you know what? I saw, at times, the softer side of her. She really did love Mr. Schreffler, despite his long days and nights at work, his coldness to her¡­you¡¯d think he¡¯d have appreciated that kind of loyalty from a spouse. Now he¡¯s moved on to a doozy of a floozy whose child he¡¯s raising as his own.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rolf gawked at his co-worker in disbelief. ¡°You don¡¯t think Gabbana is his child? She has so many of the Schreffler features! Curly hair, long nose, protruding ears¡­¡± Madeline looked around to ensure the two were alone. She leaned over the table and began to whisper. ¡°Look, years ago, I overheard Wilma and Mr. Schreffler talking when I was cleaning outside their bedroom. It was after Mr. Schreffler had just got back from the hospital- remember when he was away for some sort of surgery? I heard them discussing it- he had gotten a vasectomy!¡± Rolf shook his head. ¡°Yes, Mr. Schreffler has had a vasectomy but your timeline must be wrong. You see, I was outside the parlor soon after it was announced Puppies was pregnant with Gabbana. They didn¡¯t know I was nearby, I imagine, because they were speaking frankly about their sex life. Likewise, it was just after Mr. Schreffler had gotten home from another surgery of some kind. I distinctly remember him telling Puppies that she would not have to worry about ever getting pregnant again because he had gotten a vasectomy. Again, this was after she was pregnant with Gabbana, after his first wife disappeared, I¡¯m certain!¡± ¡°And I¡¯m certain when I heard Mr. Schreffler had a vasectomy he was talking with Wilma! So, it had to be during their marriage!¡± The two servants crossed their arms. ¡°Huh. This is quite odd,¡± remarked Rolf finally, ¡°as we are both positive what we heard.¡± ¡°Would Mr. Schreffler have gotten two vasectomies?¡± pondered Madeline out loud. Rolf made a face. ¡°Why would he need two vasectomies? You know Mr. Schreffler only uses the finest doctors money can buy. If he needed a second vasectomy, wouldn¡¯t that mean the doctor he used the first time was sub-par?¡± ¡°Precisely! So, doesn¡¯t that mean if his vasectomy was performed by the best, how did Puppies get pregnant?¡± Rolf sighed. ¡°As I said, I really think your timeline is wrong¡­the vasectomy was after Puppies-¡° ¡°-Rolf, I¡¯m surprised by you,¡± huffed Madeline, setting plates down quickly with annoyance. ¡°How long have we worked together? Has my eavesdropping ever been incorrect? I am positive the conversation I heard about a vasectomy was with Wilma, years ago!¡± The butler had to consider what the maid was saying. Madeline had always been dependable when it came to household gossip and though no spring chicken she had never shown any signs of have a poor memory. ¡°But if you heard him discuss a vasectomy with Wilma, and I with Puppies¡­¡± ¡°Like I said- I¡¯m not convinced Gabbana is his!¡± ¡°But then¡­who on Earth would be Gabbana¡¯s father, if not Mr. Schreffler?¡± The two exchanged perplexed looks. Chapter 3: The Secret Garden Conversation From the large window in his father¡¯s second floor home office Jay Greg could see the edge of the garden. Likewise, he could his young stepmother, Puppies, reclining on a chaise lounge in the sun as her daughter Gabbana played with a yellow bouncy ball nearby. Jeffrey, however, could see neither his wife or young daughter; his back was to the window and his face buried in the notebook he used for brainstorming and planning. He was an old-fashioned man; the office was full of handwritten notebooks just like the one he currently utilized and apart from the corded desk phone and the lights above them, there was not a piece of electrical equipment present. With not much to do but sit as Jeffrey wrote, Jay Greg stared longingly outside. ¡°I think we should have balloon arches in every doorway of the house,¡± said Jeffrey and he scribbled something, ¡°that way, no matter where one is they are reminded of the date. Now, the tricky question is what color balloon arches. I am thinking a mix of them, maybe with each of our favorite colors. But since I don¡¯t have a favorite color, it will be up to Puppies to let me know what her favorite colors are and we can work with that.¡± He glanced dryly in Jay Greg¡¯s direction. ¡°Are you listening to me? Any thoughts?¡± ¡°What?¡± Jay Greg¡¯s focused returned to his father. ¡°What you said is good, yeah.¡± Jeffrey let out a frustrated sigh. ¡°You are here to help me, Jay Greg. Not just sit there daydreaming! Jesus Christ, you¡¯re a grown man and you can¡¯t even pay attention long enough to tell me your thoughts on balloon arches?¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± Jay Greg shifted in his seat. From outside, he could see Gabbana rolling her ball before her and wandering away from her mother. Puppies was alone now- just how he wanted to find her so he could speak to her candidly! ¡°Well? Do you think we should have balloon arches in every doorway? Or will that just cause balloon fatigue in everyone?¡± pressed Jeffrey, tapping his pen on the paper before him. Jay Greg had to get out of that office and to Puppies. He had to talk to her. ¡°Sorry, dad, my stomach¡¯s doing something weird,¡± he fibbed, trying to make a pained expression. ¡°I think I need to go number two. I¡¯ll be back in a bit.¡± ¡°Stomach problems? At this hour?¡± his father sounded indignant. ¡°Fine, go! But hurry back, I have many ideas I need at least some form of a human to speak to and sound off. You better focus up on this anniversary work after that visit to the john, Jay Greg!¡± Jay Greg rushed from the room and down the stairs. He raced through the hall and passed Madeline, the maid, who was carrying out the dirty tablecloth from the dining room table. She quickly stepped back to avoid colliding with him. ¡°You¡¯re fast for a man your age,¡± she remarked, though Jay Greg did not hear her. He threw open the back door to the garden and rushed out. Hearing his approach, Puppies turned to see him. ¡°Greggy?¡± she said with a look of bewilderment, ¡°what¡¯s going on? Why are you running?¡± Jay Greg opened his mouth to speak, but the fact that he was not a sprinter had kicked in. He leaned forward, breathing heavy to catch his breath. ¡°Greggy?¡± Puppies repeated with concern, ¡°are you okay?¡± Jay Greg wave his hand to try and calm her. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just¡­there, I¡¯m fine. I¡­I need to talk¡­to talk to you¡­¡± ¡°Talk to me? About what?¡± ¡°Are¡­are we alone? Is¡­Gabbana gone?¡± Puppies looked around. ¡°Huh, she was just here playing with something. I was wondering why I was finally beginning to relax a bit.¡± Her tone then changed to more dry and sarcastic. ¡°I suppose the responsible thing would be to go and find her, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Hang on,¡± Jay Greg pleaded as he was regaining his composure, ¡°I need to talk to you alone.¡± A devious smile crossed the young woman¡¯s face. ¡°Baby, if you wanted to talk alone, you could have waited until eleven. I believe that¡¯s when we¡¯ve arranged to meet in the second floor guestroom walk-in closet?¡± She raised her eyebrows playfully. ¡°No, no,¡± Jay Greg shook his head, turning slightly red from her response. He once more glanced about but did not see anyone else nearby. ¡°That¡¯s what I need to talk to you about. It¡­It has to end.¡± There was a moment of tense silence. ¡°Wait, are we¡­are we talking about the same thing?¡± asked Puppies with a blank look. ¡°The fact that we¡¯ve been having an affair? Yes. That has to end.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. The tense silence returned. ¡°¡­why?¡± Puppies lowered her head with a stern look. ¡°Did someone find out? Did you tell someone?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t, and no one knows, but-¡° ¡°Then¡­why? Just yesterday when you were in my arms you told me how you never wanted it to end. Did I do something wrong?¡± She began to scratch her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t think I did anything that was different from all the other times¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not that, you¡¯re great, I¡­¡± Jay Greg let out a sigh. ¡°I just¡­I can¡¯t do it anymore. I just feel too guilty.¡± ¡°Too guilty? Jay Greg, we¡¯ve been doing this for, what, nearly ten years, and now you feel guilty?¡± She narrowed her eyes. It made Jay Greg feel slightly uncomfortable. ¡°It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s just my dad, your husband,¡± he replied, ¡°he¡¯s upstairs planning an anniversary celebration for you. He never would have done anything like that for my mom. And this celebration- it¡¯s not just going to be any celebration, it is going to be THE celebration to top all celebrations. Do you know what that means? He is clearly very, very in love with you, Puppies.¡± The woman chuckled, leaving Jay Greg feeling uneasy all over again. ¡°Of course he is very much in love with me,¡± Puppies answered, ¡°that¡¯s why he left that cow of a first wife and married me!¡± She paused a moment. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to imply bad things about your mother, but¡­surely you can see why your father chose me over her. In fact, you know that better from first-hand experience than anyone else in this family.¡± ¡°Yes, you are a very attractive woman,¡± Jay Greg nodded. ¡°So, then¡­I still don¡¯t understand why you feel guilty all of a sudden.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s all of a sudden- I obviously have always known our encounters were¡­wrong. You are, after all, my stepmother.¡± Puppies shivered in disgust. ¡°Ugh, don¡¯t call me that. Makes me feel old and weird about everything.¡± ¡°I mean, legally, that¡¯s what it is.¡± ¡°Is that all you see me as? Your stepmother?¡± ¡°No, I mean¡­no¡­but¡­¡± Jay Greg waffled a moment. ¡°You are first and foremost, my father¡¯s wife. What we¡¯ve been doing, when we¡¯re doing it, I see you as a lovely and willing woman, but you¡¯ve always been his wife at the end of the day.¡± Puppies shook her head, clearly not appreciating what she was hearing. ¡°So, I¡¯m just your naughty stepmother, is that it?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean-¡° ¡°And what about Gabbana? Think about how long we¡¯ve been having our affair, and when she was conceived. You know she could be as much your child as your father¡¯s child. Yet you still only see me as just your stepmother and not as the possible mother of your daughter?¡± Jay Greg swallowed hard. ¡°Do¡­do we know that I am Gabbana¡¯s father? I mean, for sure?¡± he inquired. ¡°Um, how would I get a paternity test without raising suspicion? I said she possibly could be yours, as much as she could be¡­¡± ¡°You trailed off there, Puppies. Were you going to say ¡®as much as she could be my father¡¯s¡¯?¡± Puppies didn¡¯t reply. She just let out a snort. ¡°Look, what I¡¯m trying to get at is I¡¯ve always known this relationship between us wasn¡¯t right, but this morning at breakfast, to hear my father announce that he is planning an anniversary celebration for you has more than confirmed we have to end this. My father loves so little, but it is obvious you are the most cherished person in his life. He certainly doesn¡¯t like us kids despite all we¡¯ve been through with him¡­¡± ¡°So then why care if our ¡®relationship¡¯ continues? You just said yourself your father has no regard for you. I can, in fact, recall more times than I can count him complaining about you and your sisters to me. Especially Theresa. Man, she¡¯s really made an enemy of Jeffy¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s still my father,¡± said Jay Greg, ¡°and you are his wife. Regardless of how poor he treats me, it is clear he loves you dearly, and I cannot¡­I cannot allow us to continue like this, knowing now just how much he loves you. I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s over.¡± Before anyone could speak further, a loud rustling came from the sizable hedges to their left. Both Jay Greg and Puppies nearly jumped from fright as a figure emerged from beneath the green boughs. It was Walter Winters, the property¡¯s gardener. He was an older man though his face was less wrinkled than some men his age. At present, however, his face was quite red from sunburn and his clothing quite disheveled. He stumbled out of the shrubbery; in his right hand was an empty glass bottle. ¡° ¡®Morning,¡± he slurred with a big smile on his face. ¡°Walter, you¡­you¡¯ve been in the bushes?¡± Jay Greg sputtered and turned with a horrified glance to Puppies. ¡°This whole time,¡± the gardener replied, holding up the object in his hand. ¡°Guess I spent the night in there too. Good thing your talking roused me or else I¡¯d probably have slept the day away.¡± ¡°So¡­so you could hear our conversation?¡± Jay Greg nervously asked. ¡°I could what now?¡± the old man cupped a hand over his ear. ¡°You know I¡¯m hard of hearing. Speak up!¡± ¡°You said our talking woke you? Did you hear our conversation? ¡° Puppies, with an equal nervousness, inquired. ¡°What? Oh no, no, no,¡± Walter waved his empty hand with a playful motion. ¡°No, I couldn¡¯t hear a damn thing you two were saying. Too much drink, I think. No, I woke up because I heard talking.¡± Jay Greg and Puppies looked at each other. ¡°So then¡­you didn¡¯t just hear us¡­what we were saying, I mean¡­¡± Jay Greg tried to clarify. ¡°What?¡± Jay Greg raised his voice. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear us?¡± ¡°What, I can hear you now just fine. No need to yell.¡± ¡°But earlier, did you hear us?¡± ¡°What?¡± As Jay Greg and Walter tried to make sense of one another, Puppies was suddenly overcome with the feeling of being sick to her stomach. It wasn¡¯t that she felt unwell because her secret affair with her stepson may have been overheard or even that their affair was about to end; it was legitimate queasiness and she had to vomit. Covering her mouth, she quickly hopped to her feet and ran off towards the far side of the mansion. ¡°Where¡¯s she going?¡± pointed Walter. Jay Greg turned to watch her go. ¡°What- what¡¯s wrong?¡± he called after her. Before he could make a move, the back door opened once more. ¡°WHAT are you doing?!¡± snapped Jeffrey, standing in its frame. ¡°I thought you said you had to take a dump! Instead I find you outside chatting with the gardener?! What about planning for this anniversary party do you not understand?¡± Jeffrey had apparently just missed Puppies¡¯ departure. ¡°I was¡­ I¡­¡± Jay Greg began. ¡°He woke me from my sleep!¡± giggled Walter, ¡°too much drink! Ha ha!¡± Jeffrey scowled at both men before him. It was bad enough the gardener was a drunk. Even worse was that Jay Greg would rather waste time in conversation with such a man than assist his own father- the man who had provided for him all his life and let him still live in his house- with planning a fine anniversary party. He shot a bitter glare at his son. ¡°Jay Greg,¡± he said in a stern voice, ¡°come back to my home office with me. We need to talk.¡± Jay Greg did not like Jeffrey¡¯s tone. Chapter 4: Discovery at the Doctors Theresa squirmed as she sat awkwardly in the doctor''s office chair. Her appointment so far had been uneventful; she had answered some basic questions and peed in a cup as was often the case at check-ups. But for the past five minutes the doctor, a young woman named Loretta LeLune who could have passed as a stunt double for Angelina Jolie, seemed transfixed by the results of the urine sample. The silence was beginning to get to Theresa- after all, she had not been feeling her best for some time and she was optimistic she would soon have an explanation why. "Well, doctor," she asked softly, "any ideas?" Dr. LeLune stared at the test results in her hand. She seemed to be scrutinizing them quite closely. "So," she finally said not looking up, "when exactly did you say your symptoms began to appear?" "I suppose...three or four years ago," replied Theresa, "I mean, they were not very strong at first. But they''ve gradually gotten worse." "And this would be the headaches and pain around the front of your face, correct?" "Well," confessed Theresa, "and the insatiable blood lust." The doctor nodded a little, though her expression was solemn. "Yes, that''s right, the blood lust." "What do the results say? Any idea what might be wrong with me?" Dr. LeLune pushed her glasses further up her nose and finally made eye contact with the patient before her. "Well, Mrs. Trotts-Shreffler, I may have an idea, but I am not able to say with any certainty until we perform a few more tests." She looked Theresa over. "You haven''t noticed any strange hair growth, have you?" Theresa was silent a moment. "It''s okay, I''m your doctor. You have to tell me so I can help you, I''m not going to judge." "I mean," Theresa slowly replied, "the past few months my body hair has begun coming in a lot thicker. But nothing I can''t shave off quickly. It does seem like it grows back a lot faster than in the past, though." "Now, when you say ''body hair'', where exactly do you mean?" "All over- my face, back, legs, arms ..all over my body. And the hair''s sort of a strange...golden gray color. Godwin,my ex-husband -well, soon-to-be ex, we''re still working through the divorce process- he used to say he thought it had hints of red too. " "And as the hair has gotten thicker, so too has the ravenous desire to tear people asunder?" Theresa nodded slowly. "Yes, yes, I suppose it has gotten stronger too now that you mention it. I mean, I can still control my urges, obviously not ripped anyone to bits yet, but...it feels like the primal urges to kill are becoming more and more frequent." The doctor shook her head. "Yes, I believe I have a theory on what you may have, but I am reticent to diagnose without conducting a biopsy and more blood work." She grabbed a notebook from the counter behind her and began to scribble something. "Doctor, please," requested Theresa, "don''t keep me in the dark. I realize you want to be certain before saying conclusively what may be going on but can''t you share what you think it may be?" Dr. LeLune paused a moment, as if thinking whether or not to reply. Finally, she said: "Tell me, Mrs. Trotts-Shreffler, have you ever been to the American Southwest?" "Why, yes! Godwin and I spent our honeymoon in New Mexico!" replied Theresa. "Does that matter? Did I get something from that trip? A parasite or...?" "And while you were in New Mexico...did you drink the water?" "What do you mean?" "Did you drink the water in New Mexico? Tap water, I mean. Not necessarily as a drink in restaurants." "Well," Theresa pondered a minute, "we were staying in an AirBnB in the desert. I wouldn''t say I drank the water but I certainly used it to brush my teeth. No, maybe I drank it once or twice when I had to take vitamins, come to think of it. But just on one or two occasions and certainly not a full glass." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The doctor let out a sigh. "Don''t you know better than to drink the water in New Mexico? Travel experts always warn, ''don''t drink the water in New Mexico'' for a reason..." Theresa blinked. "No, I thought it was that one shouldn''t drink the water in, like, Mexico. The country, not the US state. As far as I''m aware, I''ve never heard New Mexico''s water being an issue. Is it an issue?" Dr. LeLune nodded. "I would hazard a guess that tainted New Mexico desert water is the cause of your symptoms. From all that you''ve told me it seems you most likely have Ma''ii Disease." "Ma''ii Disease?" Theresa repeated with confusion, "what''s that?" "A very, very, rare condition that is only found in a very small portion of the population. And I''m not saying you do have it, but the signs seem to suggest it- drank water in the desert of New Mexico, started getting headaches and frontal face pain, developed a blood lust..." "So then...?" "Again, I don''t want to alarm you and as I said, I would like to run some more tests. But long story short, I suspect you have Ma''ii Disease, and essentially that means...you are turning into a coyote." There was a silence. "I''m turning into what?" exclaimed Theresa. "I told you, it''s a very rare condition so I want to test you further before assuming the worst. But I also don''t want to deceive you; you have all the tell-tale signs of a Ma''ii Disease patient." Theresa could not wrap her head around what she was being told. "What do you mean I''m turning into a coyote? The wolf-like animal? Are...are we talking about that type of coyote?" "Well, you could pronounce it another way, but yes, Canis latrans." "Why...why am I turning into a coyote?" "As I just said, you drank the desert water of New Mexico-" "-but surely many other people have drank the desert water in New Mexico. Have they all turned into a coyote? My husband- well, soon-to-be ex-husband- he also drank tap water during our honeymoon. Is he turning into a coyote too?!" LeLune shook her head. "No, that is highly unlikely. Ma''ii Disease is very rare and only affects an extremely small number of people. Not much is known about why certain individuals get it over others. There''s theories it is connected to genetics in some way but, again, nothing conclusive." "And, so, let''s say I am turning into a coyote somehow. Is...is this condition curable? Is there a way to reverse the effects?" "I don''t want to alarm you before we know more about your case-" "is it curable?" The doctor slowly shook her head. "As I have mentioned, this is such a rare condition. No major medical research has really focused on Ma''ii Disease, though I have heard talk of some scientists in Colorado beginning research into reversing the effects. At this time, however, there is no known cure." "So...then I''m...going to become like a were-coyote?" Asked Theresa. "What do you mean?" "I''ll turn into a human/coyote hybrid creature?" "No, I''m afraid you will turn into a full coyote with no trace of humanity. There will be no turning back." Theresa dramatically clasped her hands on both sides of her face. "This...this can''t be right!" she cried, "how can this even be possible?" "I should have said nothing," replied Dr. LeLune, "I did not want to alarm you. As I said, there''s still many tests I need to run before I can confidently say you have Ma''ii Disease, but I want to give you a realistic idea what to expect if the tests suggest the condition." "How long do I have? How long before I really start to change...into a..." Theresa couldn''t finish her sentence - the whole notion was still absurd and horrifying. "Well, my knowledge of Ma''ii Disease is very minimal," Dr. LeLune confessed, "after all, with so few cases reported and most being discovered in the Southwest, I cannot say anything for sure at this time. But I would gather if you are feeling blood lust, you are well beyond the early warning signs. Additionally, that frontal face pain you feel is your soon-to-be coyote snout; I imagine it will start growing in before too long, maybe a week or so." Theresa''s eyes went wide. "A week?! That soon?!" "These are just guesses. Likewise, your ears will start to shift too; I imagine your headaches will only get worse. Let me prescribe something for that, while we''re on that topic. If your fingernails are still, well, nails, I imagine they''ll be hardening up and turning more claw-like in the next few days as well." Theresa quickly glanced down at her fingers. All seemed normal, but if things could change rapidly... "Doctor, when can I get the tests done?" she inquired, "I...I want to know with some more certainty that this is...is really what is happening. That I really am turning into this..." Dr. LeLune scribbled out a prescription as she replied: "that is certainly understandable. What I have mentioned today is just an educated theory, and maybe with more testing we will find it is not Ma''ii Disease. When you leave today, please talk to Cynthia up front; she can schedule your appointment for the phlebotomist." "Please, doctor," said Theresa, "I know you can''t confirm or deny my possible condition at this time but...in your expert, medical opinion, off the records...how likely do you think it is that my symptoms- the headaches, pain, hunger for blood- are accurate and I do have Ma''ii Disease?" Dr. LeLune did not flinch. She continued to write and then pulled the prescription from her pad, handing it to her patient. "I do have to warn you, as with so many other industries, our medical team has been short-staffed as well. This has greatly limited when testing is available. I am not sure what the earliest appointment for blood work may be but I recommend you do you best to make it work in your schedule." "So, is that to say...?" "Are you a vegetarian, Ms. Trotts-Schreffler?" "Hmm?" the question caught Theresa off-guard. "Do you eat meat?" "Yes, I...I know what a vegetarian is. And no, I eat meat. Why are you asking?" The doctor shrugged. "Just wondering. Should you need to start hunting live prey to survive, you may not have as difficult of a time with the lifestyle transition as some." Theresa did not feel great.