His Substitute Wife... My Sister Book One

by Sylvia Hubbard

  “But you have to know how an apple tastes in order to judge other apples, don’t you?”

  “You’ve changed the subject on purpose.”

  “I think you just did that.”

  “Parker, is it that difficult to answer my question? I’m curious.”

  He lied. “I thought about the last time Cheyenne and I were together.”

  “You meant Chyna?”

  “I said that.”

  “No, you didn’t. You said Cheyenne.”

  He stuffed his mouth full of food and wondered how the hell had he messed up like that.

  “Chyna isn’t stupid. She knows you slept with her twin sister,” Charisse said accusingly.

  “I never said she was stupid, but you’re treading in territory you know nothing about, Charisse,” he warned.

  “You cheated on her.”

  “I’m fully aware of that and if you’re trying to make me feel guilty you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

  “Guilty? I figure you’re already feeling like that, since that’s why you give her anything and you allow her to speak to you like that.’

  “Speak like what?” he questioned.

  “Like you need her more than she needs you. Just because her beauty impressed you when you met her that doesn’t make her still valuable. And just because you got a little full of yourself because your looks improve don’t make you hot shit either.”

  “Then I’d say we deserve each other, don’t you think?”

  She picked over her food. “No, Parker. You talk about making me happy, but I watch daily at how the two of you are torturing yourself. Do you really think a baby is going to make it better?”

  “That’s between Chyna and I and like I said, you’re speaking of things you really know nothing about. Despite what you have heard or what you want to believe, there are two sides to every story.”

  “Really? That sounds even better than masturbation, Parker.” She was being sarcastic. “Why don’t you tell me what I haven’t heard?”

  “I wasn’t raised to make my wife look bad.”

  “You already did that when you cheated with her twin sister,” she responded quickly.

  Parker refused to say anything else about the matter. It would have been easy to tell Charisse of the affair his wife had and how he had wanted to kill his own accountant for the deceit that was done, but the past was the past and he was not about to reveal what Chyna thought wasn’t her sister’s business or even try to beat Chyna at her “make me smell like a rose” game. “After ten years I think we know how to handle each other and make this marriage work.”

  “So in short you’re telling me to shut up.”

  Parker chuckled, “In a proper way, yes.”

  She had mad respect for Parker not cowing down to her pressure. “You’re different than how Chyna always describes you, Parker.”

  “You’re talkative tonight, Charisse,” he noted.

  “I’m moody and uncomfortable.”

  “How did Chyna describe me?”

  “Cold, aloof and serious, but you have a streak of sarcasm.”

  “Maybe it’s apart of my coldness.”

  “I know coldness and you’re not cold. You’re a smart aleck. There’s a bit of a difference.” She pushed her food away. “You’re hiding who you really are.”

  “And you’re an authority now on hidden personalities.”

  “Three stays in crazy facilities make me more of an authority than you.”

  Parker couldn’t help himself as he threw his head back and laughed.

  Sitting there watching him waiting for him to calm down, she couldn’t help to note how arousing his deep laughter sounded.

  “You’re amazing, Charisse,” he said, once he calmed down.

  She stood up to throw her plate away. “You’re not taking me serious.”

  “Am I supposed to?”

  Mischievously, she said, “Why should you? I’m just a failure.”

  “Failures are people who never tried,” he refuted. “I’d consider you a major success at suicide. Your body is just a little stronger than the normal person.”

  Charisse never looked at it that way. “That’s a funny way to look at it, Parker.” Wiping her mouth, she only nodded a good night and went back to her room.

  Parker arose and unlocked the cabinet to get a glass of gin. After that verbally arousing conversation, he needed a strong drink to force down his libido.

  ***

  Rochelle returned before Chyna returned and found Charisse in the living room wearing pajamas, her hair tucked under as usual and curled up in a chair watching the door. “Why aren’t you in your room?”

  “I did go in my room,” she answered simply. “I took a shower and now I just felt like sitting down here.” This was a big lie. She was waiting for Chyna to get back and wanted to speak to her before anyone else.

  “Where’s Mr. Mills?” Rochelle asked concerned.

  “In the library. I just felt like sitting out here.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing Rochelle. I just feel like sitting here.”

  “You look different. What happened?”

  Charisse sighed in exasperation. “I’m really okay.”

  “Your skin is glowing.”

  “I washed it.”

  “You’re lying. There’s something going on with you and you’re looking like…” The older woman couldn’t find the words to describe what she was seeing.

  “Please Rochelle, I’m really okay. I just wanted to sit here and think for a moment. I’ll be up soon. I promise.”

  Warily the nurse left and went up to the room on the top floor. About thirty minutes, just as Charisse had wanted, Chyna came in looking weary.

  “How’d it go?” Charisse asked immediately.

  Chyna looked instantly startled because she was so consumed in thought that she hadn’t noticed Charisse sitting in the chair. Taking off her coat, she said, “Not well, but you already knew that.”

  They kept their voices low because they knew others could easily listen on normal levels.

  “I knew.” Letting her sister in on her newfound recovery was something she really didn’t want to do right now. Keeping it a secret was in her nature and fear of it being taken away was always present. “She suspects anything?”

  “Yes, she does, but of course she didn’t say a thing. I think secrets should be our last name instead of Sheridan.”

  “But she doesn’t suspect anything, does she?” Charisse questioned nervously.

  “No, and I’m pretty proud of Parker for not saying anything. But she still talked confidently about taking him.”

  “She admitted out right she was going to?”

  “No, not outright, but put me down enough to say I wouldn’t be able to keep him and I wasn’t woman enough for him.”

  “Why can’t she find her own man? What’s so damn special about Parker?” Charisse questioned and she had been seriously trying to figure this out for herself as she was fighting her own attraction to him.

  “He’s a good man. Despite his brief moment of weakness, he is, and Cheyenne can’t stand that he’s mine. Her goal is not just to take him from me, but also to make sure he has nothing to go to. Conquer and destroy.”

  “Sounds so much like Mother.”

  “At least Mother only did it to people she loved,” Chyna said caustically. “Whatever happens, Charisse, please don’t think Parker is a bad person. I know the stuff I’ve told you makes him bad.”

  “But deep down he’s a good man?”

  Chyna honestly nodded. “Being around me doesn’t help a lot and I’ve a lot to contribute to the bad things he’s done.” There was guilt in her voice briefly. “And I know I don’t deserve him, but I’ll be damn if I let her just have him.”

  “Why Chyna? Why fight her? You never could before.”

  Stiffly, with a lot of hurt behind her words, she hissed, “Because he’s mine first and I’m not going to let that vind
ictive jealous bitch steal him!” Her shoulders slumped in mental exhaustion. “I know in the end, no matter what, she’s going to win, Charisse. And fighting her is useless, but I can’t give up on him like that without a fight and if I lose then I’m going to make sure she knows that she didn’t win easily.”

  Charisse was a little bit proud of her sister at this admission, but of course she didn’t show it.

  “And she said she’s going to get me too?”

  “We both know why she wants you. She knows that Parker would never agree to an adoption, but at least he’ll concede to a blood relation of some kind and just knowing she can use you to create the child she needs to get him is driving her to obtain custody of you. She’s going to sensitivity classes and even seeing a psychiatrist so they can write a letter to the courts to renege all restrictions.”

  “She’s desperate.” Charisse said, knowing desperate people could resort to many means in order to accomplish things and Cheyenne had no shame in doing anything, but would it be tragic for them if they fought her?

  “She just wants him because she hates not having him and even though I can’t say I’m not in love with him, neither can she, Charisse, but at least I do care enough about him.”

  Despite the bad things Parker had done, Charisse did find herself caring very much about him and she did not want to get him anywhere near Cheyenne ever again. The woman was pure evil and no matter how strong Parker was, Cheyenne could beat the soul down on anyone.

  But to save him meant working together with Chyna, who sounded very ready to fight for him and Parker deserved to be saved.

  “We’ll beat her together,” Charisse said with assurance. “No matter what happens, I’ll stand by your side, Chyna, as long as I feel your intentions are truly to help against Cheyenne.”

  There was a lot of relief over Chyna’s face. “If I could touch you, I’d hug you Charisse.”

  “Oh gawd, please don’t make me sick,” Charisse teased.

  Chyna smiled, something she hadn’t seen from her sister in a long time. “Daddy was right about you the moment he set eyes on you.”

  “What was that?”

  “You’d win every battle without even trying. You’d make everything better.” She looked away quickly to stop herself from becoming emotional. “I missed him a lot. And I hate that we had to forget him, but you never did. And I do find that amazing, Charisse. You are stronger than all of us, you know that, right?”

  “I didn’t until recently. Thanks, Chyna.”

  “No thank you. Having you here has been refreshing and life changing. You’ve made me appreciate the things I’ve never appreciated before.”

  “Parker? You appreciate him more?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So why are you fighting him?”

  “What do you mean?”

  Charisse wasn’t sure why she even voiced her question because Parker was right – she needed to keep out of married folks business. Yet, she saw two people who couldn’t stand to be in the same room with each other and because of what Parker had done for her, she felt she could help her sister keep her man.

  “I know I’m not a marriage expert and I’m not even a relationship expert, but even if you win this thing with Cheyenne, you’re going to lose him, Chyna if you don’t start giving that man his husbandly rights.”

  Chyna couldn’t help it anymore and broke down in tears sitting on the chair close to Charisse. “I know. I know, but I can’t, Charisse. I just can’t have sex anymore and I don’t know what else to do.”

  Charisse was at a loss for words because she had not expected her sister to give this admission.

  Chapter 16

  “You mean you can’t have sex with Parker anymore?” Charisse asked.

  Chyna shook her head gravely. “Please don’t hate me for this, Charisse, but I cheated on Parker first a long time ago. I didn’t want to tell you because I just wanted to get you on my side. It’s not just Parker I can’t have sex with, it’s any man. It’s a medical condition and it’s getting harder and harder to hide it.”

  “How Chyna? What happened?”

  “I did get pregnant about six years ago. Parker was always working on this business and Cheyenne got in my head and made me feel like maybe I was just too good for him, plus I’d see her all the time with Pascal and I guess I thought the grass would be greener in her pasture, so I had an affair with him.”

  “You seduced her man?”

  “He really seemed all for it because he admitted he was attracted to me before he even started dating Cheyenne.”

  “So he knew you before he knew Cheyenne?”

  “Yes, Charisse. He was Parker’s accountant.”

  “You’re serious?! And Parker found out?”

  Chyna nodded. “Along with that, he also found out that Pascal was about to embezzle some money. It was a whole big mess, but after it was over a couple of months later, I found out I was six months pregnant and I knew it wasn’t Parker’s. We’d just started trusting each other again.”

  Charisse covered her mouth so blown away by her sister’s confession. “What did you do?”

  “I paid some cheap doctor to abort the baby because I was so far along that no real doctor would touch me. For that stupidity I gained a severe pelvic infection that’s gotten worse over time and no matter what Dr. Redmond prescribes me it still hurts. I have my good days and bad days, but there’s always pain especially whenever I have sex with Parker. And it gets worse each time.” Offhandedly, she said, “Maybe if he weren’t so big.“

  Closing off her ears, Charisse said, “T.M.I., Chyna!”

  “But it’s true. Parker’s abnormally big.”

  “Compared to whom? This Pascal weasel?”

  “Parker wasn’t my first, but it wasn’t just the income he was bringing in that swayed me, Charisse. The package below that man’s waist was enough to encourage me to stay and then he knew how to work it too.”

  “Oh gawd, please stop it.”

  “I’m serious. I had to do some serious adjusting in the beginning because I wasn’t used to the size and you just can’t imagine oral sex.“

  Charisse changed the subject too embarrassed anymore about discussing what was below Parker’s waist, “Dr. Redmond knows?”

  “Yes and I paid him a lot of money not to tell anyone, especially Parker.”

  “You should tell Parker, Chyna. I’m sure with therapy, Parker will accept it.“

  Chyna cut her off this time. “No! And you have to swear to keep it to yourself. I won’t make him see me any worse than what he already knows me to be. Plus, after everything that’s happened since, I know Parker won’t be able to look me in the eye. I can barely stand myself for what I’ve done. I’ve been trying lately, because for some reason he’s been adamant about it more than usual and then the last time, he came up to the room and woke me up starting it, but then stopped suddenly and I didn’t know why. I was worried that he knew the truth about my condition, but I knew he couldn’t know that. I stayed up half the night thinking he might try again, but he didn’t. This really got me to worrying about it very much, Charisse, and if I don’t do something soon I’ll lose him to her.”

  Charisse felt awful for her sister but she held back showing too much.

  Thinking that Charisse was just at a loss for words, Chyna continued, “That’s why I was adamant about you and Parker doing it.”

  “What?! Why?!”

  “I wasn’t stupid, Charisse. He’s a man and I’m no fool, but I’m desperate. I know he wants sex. He asks for it all the time and all I can do is lay there like a dead woman because if I even try to move, I’ll be in the worse kind of pain. So I thought that you’d be the solution to this celibacy that I’ve forced upon him.”

  “You planned on using me in more ways than one, huh?”

  “Well, you canceled that out didn’t you?

  “I didn’t know that’s the reason. That’s why you weren’t that upset that he was cheating on you?”
<
br />   “Yes, but only to different women. Not Cheyenne. I knew he had to get it from somewhere and I was kind of glad when he decided on using the lab to get pregnant. Because that meant no more sex, but he’s a man and a man likes it – and Parker likes it a lot.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “Bear it I guess since you can’t do a thing. But the pain is getting worse.”

  For some reason, Charisse was feeling guilty for not being able to help her sister. Guilt always made her do the silliest thing and Chyna was really racking it on there. “Chyna, I tried, plus we found another way to get pregnant.”

  “I know,” Chyna said with sympathy. “I just thought maybe if I gave him someone that I approved of things would be, well, I guess, okay. My thinking is all fucked up, isn’t it?”

  “The truth wouldn’t hurt.”

  “Then what? What’s he supposed to do? This is his dream and he doesn’t want to start over. I’ll crush him. He’ll become one of those mean ornery men who feel betrayed by women and Parker doesn’t deserve that. Maybe I could find someone else to kind of take my place and somehow trick him and when he gets affectionate with her, I can then tell the truth and then it won’t be so bad. Women in other countries do it all the time.”

  “Trick a man?”

  “No. They don’t mind their husband having mistresses. I’ll just have to find one for him that I won’t mind.”

  Charisse couldn’t believe what her sister was thinking and how outrageous it sounded. “Do you know how crazy you sound? Parker’s not going to agree to this. He’s trying to repair the damage of cheating with Cheyenne and now you’re going to hurl him back out there with some stranger?”

  “There’s nothing else to do and I don’t want to just destroy him. He just needs a sex partner. Not a wife and I don’t want someone who wants to take him from me.”

  “This is crazy. You’re loony.”

  “So just tell me you’re just as crazy and do it for me.”

  “Do what?”

  “Become Parker’s mistress. You don’t want to take him from me and you’re a perfect candidate. Plus, once you start this pregnancy, you’re going to want it anyway, so he’ll just fill a need.” She said it like it was just the simplest thing to do.