A broken bond

Previously on Thoughts of a Mistress:

My mother is constantly worrying about me. She has no idea that a man name Hunter is in my life. (Unanswered Questions)

***

The knock at my door startled me. I was sitting with my friend, Adrienne Carter and going over her new bottle designs for the launch of her hair care product. When I opened the door my cousin Rachel was standing there with an guilty look on her face. “Can I come in?” Her voice was shaking. She neither called or text that she wanted to come by. Watching Rachel my intuition told me something was wrong. Very wrong. Her usual calm and confident exterior was gone. Today she looked like a teenager who was caught cheating on their math test.

Sitting on my couch Rachel just looked at me. “What's wrong, hun?” I asked. Adrienne notice how strange Rachel was acting and said her goodbyes. Adrienne and Rachel have been friends for years. Rachel introduced me to Adrienne at a Fourth of July party a couple of years ago.

After Adrienne left I sat on the couch. She looked at me then looked at my rug. Taking a deep breath, “I told Auntie Diana about Hunter by mistake. I didn't mean to tell her. We were talking about women that was an unlikely candidate to have an affair with a married man and I mentioned you. Without thinking. I'm really sorry.” My mouth dropped open. Auntie Diana was my mother's youngest sister. She was also our family gossip and troublemaker. No one in their right mind told Auntie Diana a secret. She thrived off others weakness and secrets. “I told her not to tell anyone, especially your mother.” Rachel kept talking, noticing how I wasn't responsive to her. “Listen I hope that Auntie Diana, keeps her word and not tell your mother.” Rachel knew damn well that Auntie Diana wasn't going to keep this type of information a secret. “Are you mad?”

The word that would describe how I felt at that moment wasn't mad but disappointment. Disappointed in a woman that have lived her life by her limits and by her own terms would tell my secret to a family member. But more importantly I was disappointed because Rachel knew my relationship with my mother and I didn't want her to know. If my mother found out about Hunter it would hurt her and I don't want to her my mama.

“Please leave my house.” That was all I could say to Rachel. I knew that Rachel didn't do it on purpose. She wasn't trying to hurt me. She probably was caught up in the phone conversation and spoke before she started to think. I've done it before. Gathering her things she apologized again and suggested that I should lie to any family members that might call and ask about Hunter.

Once Rachel left I began to panic. Truly panic. Auntie Diana was going to tell my mama. What do I do? Do I call my aunt and tell her not to mention anything to my mother or do I lie like Rachel suggested?

For the first time since I started this affair with Hunter I was unsure of my next move.