Coercion

"I see. So the three of you have this all planned out, do you? Conspired among yourselves on the best way to win my cooperation? Did you think I'd be all happy, jumping up and down and clapping my hands in joy? Tell me this, Christine, dear wife. I've been fucking you nearly daily for five whole years now. You've been on the pill the whole time. Then we're forced into making this unholy swap against my will to keep you out of prison, and suddenly, bingo! You're both pregnant? Something's rotten in Denmark."

"We knew you'd think it was a conspiracy, Nolan. That's why we insisted on presenting this news together, all at the same time, to support one another through this exciting time. But if you want to blame anyone, blame me. It's my fault really," Abby confessed.

"Oh? How so, Mrs. Sinclair?" I figured calling her that was preferable to bitch.

She winced at my sarcastic formality. This purported wonderful bonding moment wasn't going as planned. Still, she remained hopeful. "A week or so before Christine's horrible circumstantial evidence came to light concerning that awful thug, I had been talking to her for a good while about both of us getting pregnant at the same time. As I said, this was BEFORE anything had been discovered or the thought of a month-long swap had emerged. We both stopped taking our birth control pills at the same time and wanted to surprise both of our wonderful husbands with babies that we all said we wanted. It was supposed to be a surprise gift."

Abby continued, "But when all hell broke loose, and we all agreed to the sudden swap, all of those thoughts about birth control were forgotten and overshadowed by recent events. The excitement of us all having new partners to explore, and the fact that neither of us had ever thought about pregnancy before because of the pill, well, neither of us had the presence of mind to recall that until morning sickness recently found me."

"And you three expect me to believe all that bullshit?" I fumed.

"She's right, honey," Christine confirmed. "It's the truth, I swear it. We were all caught up in the experience. It's almost as if everything was supposed to happen this way to keep us all together. It's perfect, don't you see?"

"No, I don't see. I've read that some kind of non-invasive DNA paternity test can be performed on an unborn child. How soon can that be done on you two?" I asked.

"As a detective, I'm familiar with that," Justin confirmed. "Yes, such tests can be carried out at a fairly early stage of the pregnancy, around 7 weeks. They are 100% safe for both mother and child and only require blood samples from the mother and a mouth swab from the potential father. The test analyzes the baby's DNA found in the mother's bloodstream. There is no risk to the mother or the unborn child."

"I'd like to have those done on both of you women as soon as possible," I requested.

"But why, Nolan? Do you think I'm going to come after you for child support for your baby? Or do you think you might sue me for child support? That makes no sense whatsoever. We'll both be fathers of each other's children. It'll be a wash. Or are you worried instead about custody issues? You'll never have any reason to be concerned about that. We WANT you involved in the life of the child you fathered with Abby just as we'd want to be involved with my child shared with Christine. Think about it, it's perfect!" Justin beamed.

"I'm asking again. If I make all the arrangements and pay for the tests, only Christine, Abby, and I will require testing. All I need to know is whether or not I am the father of either child. If I am not, then by default, we all know who is. Will you two ladies meet me at the facility after I set it up? Yes, or no? I need to know exactly where I stand with certainty before making any decisions." I solicited.

Both women looked at Justin for approval, which angered me even more. He sadly nodded his head.

"Great, Christine will notify Abby when and where to be for the test. Thank you. Now, if you two don't mind, Christine and I need to have a personal husband/wife conversation. I'd rather have it in private. I'm sure she'll catch you both up later on what we discuss. Christine will show you to the door."

The three of them stood there unmoving, as if they had expected a completely different outcome, and couldn't believe that they were being summarily dismissed. They must have believed I would talk to Christine in front of them. I held my arm out showing them the door. Abby grabbed her purse and walked out as Christine whispered with them along the way.

Christine reappeared about five minutes later. I feel certain she received coaching from Justin on how best to respond to me. I was counting on that.

"They're both very disappointed that all four of us aren't sitting down together to discuss this important life situation right now. They could offer insights and helpful suggestions that you and I might never think of. I'm thankful at least that you didn't call them horrible names and make it any worse than it was."

I ignored her statement. "Christine, listen to me carefully. I promise you that you do not want to hear a single word I'd have to say to you tonight. More than likely, it would be the end of us. Please leave the room and stay away from me tonight. Don't touch me; don't say a word to me; don't even look at me. If you do I swear you'll regret it. I need time to think, alone. If you can't leave me completely alone tonight, I'll go to a motel if you'd rather me be away from you out of the house. Otherwise, please don't make a sound; just get out of my sight."

She started sniffing as tears spilled from her eyes but, to her credit, she walked away in silence. My parents taught me the wisdom of not making important life decisions in the heat of the moment, which is what I was now experiencing. The outcome may not be any different but calmer heads needed to prevail. That's why I wanted the assholes gone and Christine away from me. I sat alone in the dark with my thoughts and pondered my options. Tonight's revelations added a great deal to the unresolved jumble portending the potential destruction of our marriage. I slept alone on the couch that night.

I called in sick early Thursday morning. There's no way I would be able to get anything of consequence done given my present mental state. As she was getting ready for work, Christine looked at me in my disheveled condition. Since I remained silent, she left without a word for which I was thankful. She and her best friend could discuss the latest and greatest strategy to get me on board. It would be unsuccessful. I needed to make some arrangements and get answers to a few questions.

The first thing I did after showering and having breakfast was to make an appointment for the DNA tests. I thought I'd need a hospital but found a local clinic that could handle everything discretely. I didn't want public records showing that I was having two women tested at the same time. I made the appointment for 8:30 am tomorrow, so we could all get it done on our way to work and just arrive a bit late to work. I texted the specifics to Christine so she could coordinate with Abby. I was glad that Christine had nothing to tell Abby and Justin about last night other than it was no contact.

I spent the morning doing some online research about paternity legalities in the State of North Carolina. I didn't like everything I learned but I can't say I was surprised. My first question was about legal responsibility and last names. What I found was, at least in the State of NC, that if a married woman has a child, and her husband is proven not to be the father, he can refuse to sign the birth certificate freeing him of any responsibility for the child. Regardless, the child will be given the last name of the mother which is also my last name. So I can't prevent this child from bearing my last name even though I have no paternal involvement. That disappointed me. I was hoping that Sinclair could be the baby's last name. Oh well.

Then I researched adoption legalities in my State. Due to her upbringing, there's no way Christine would ever abort her child. And to be perfectly honest, I'd never ask that of her even though, in my mind, she was technically raped although she does not align herself with that perspective. If I pressed her to put her child up for adoption, my preference would be to have it go to an unknown couple with sealed records to create a disconnect between us and the baby. However, adopting the child out like that would require the signature of the biological father, Justin, which I'm certain would never happen. Therefore, if we adopted the baby out, Justin and Abby would likely be our only option. The downside to that, of course, would be the lifelong connection between Christine and the Sinclair family because they would want her to be heavily involved in the child's life. And if we stayed together, that would always stick in my craw.

However, even if we did allow them to adopt Christine's baby, the child would still bear my last name unless they had it changed at the time of the adoption. I would press for that, and I believe Justin would also prefer that his adopted child, his own flesh and blood, bear his last name. He would be known as the adjudicated father according to my web source. If they did wish to adopt Christine's baby, I would simultaneously sign away my paternal rights to Abby's child should I be determined to be the father to prevent them from pursuing child support. What a mess! At least I now have a clearer picture of my options once DNA tests resolve the question of paternity in both cases. Before the end of the day, I made some reservations and waited for Christine to get home.

"Hi, Nolan. You didn't go to work today?"

"No. I had too much on my mind, so I called in sick."

"Did you get my text saying that Abby would meet us at the clinic tomorrow?"

"Yeah, thanks. Look, I'm still not ready to try to talk this all out yet."

"I realize you need time to figure things out. I'll go start supper."

"Christine, let's discuss the new developments over the weekend. But for now, I'd like to call a truce. How about we go out to eat tonight, and then catch a movie? There's one I've been wanting to see. It runs for three hours and 12 minutes. I'd like to have a stress-free evening for a change if it's alright with you."

"Of course, it's more than alright, honey. Let me go pee, change out of this dress, and get some comfy clothes on, then we'll go. Thank you for being so thoughtful."

She picked up on my vibe. Not a word was spoken about Abby or Justin, though the elephants were always lurking about. We enjoyed a quick dinner out and the movie killed the rest of the evening. It was refreshing to be able to leave the baggage at home for a respite.

Friday morning, I was displeased to see Justin arrive at the clinic with Abby but neither of us made a scene. I couldn't prevent him from being there. She was his wife, after all. He waited in the lobby as the girls took their turns having blood samples drawn. My simple mouth swab took thirty seconds. The clinic receptionist provided me with a portal link where I could access the results online with my name and password once the results become available. I also requested that a hard copy be mailed to my home address as well for documented confirmation. We said our goodbyes and each went our own way.

Chapter-19

That afternoon, I texted Christine requesting that she pick up some fast food that both of us liked. She texted back that she'd visit two different establishments to get each of our favorites. We both arrived home at the same time. I asked her to put the food in my car and to go ahead and change into her comfy clothes again. I wouldn't tell her what my plans were for the evening but she viewed our spending any time together as a good thing. When she came downstairs changed, I asked her for her cell phone. She nervously handed it to me. I think she was worried about me snooping through her every text and call. Instead of snooping, I turned her phone off and placed it on the kitchen table. Then I did the same with mine.

"If it's okay with you, I'd rather that we have no call or text interruptions while we're out," I suggested. "Let's just leave them here for the time being."

Christine provided a wan smile and said, "That's fine with me. Where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there," I mysteriously alluded.

As soon as we cleared the city limits, I suggested we both eat on the way to our destination. She blithely handed me my food and drink in stages on the road as she ate hers until it was all consumed. It reminded me of earlier fun times. When we'd been heading southeast for an hour, her curiosity overtook her.

"Where on earth are you taking me, Nolan? I can't imagine where it would be unless....."

"Unless what?"

"The route we're taking is the way we've always gone to Myrtle Beach. Are we going to the beach?" She said aghast.

"And what if we were? Would that be so bad?"

"No, of course not. It's just that I don't have anything to wear."

"Oh, yes you do. What if your husband packed a suitcase for you in advance and put it in the trunk of his car?"

"If that was the case, then I'd say he was a pretty smart man," she giggled.

"Our phones. They're turned off at home in the kitchen."

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, what if our parents call? Won't they get worried if we don't respond?" She asked concerned.

"Not to worry. Before leaving work today, I texted them both saying we were heading to the beach for the weekend, and that we'd be leaving our phones at home."

"So you ARE a pretty smart man, huh?" She chuckled.

"So does this mean..?"

"Don't read anything into it, Christine. All it means is that I wanted for us to be away from everything so we could talk in private this weekend just as I mentioned we would. I don't want us to have any distractions. I wanted this trip to be a surprise. If you had known about it, you'd have shared the information with your 'friends' who may have coached you on some kind of elaborate strategy on how best to seduce or deal with me. Instead of four people influencing what happens this weekend, I'd rather it be just the two of us, alone, no one else."

"But I'm sure Abby is going to call me this weekend. She won't be able to reach me. What will she think? She will get worried that something bad has happened. She might even call the police."

"If you're saying that you can't go a single weekend without talking to that bitch, perhaps we don't have anything to talk about after all. I don't give a rat's ass if she gets concerned about not being able to reach you. Call the police? Hell, she's married to a dirty cop. So what's it going to be? Do I need to turn this car around, and take you back home, or can we have this time alone without any outside interference? It's up to you."

She had a perplexed look on her face for a moment before her concerns melted. "I'm with you, cowboy. Let's go to the beach, just us. I sure hope I can wear whatever you picked out for me."

Three and three-quarter hours from home, we checked into a hotel where I'd reserved a room with two double beds. We would be sleeping in the same bedroom for the first time in a while but I wasn't ready to share a bed with her just yet. She quickly sorted through the conservative garments I'd packed for her. I'd brought nothing of hers that she had worn when we were out with them. This wasn't a frisky romantic getaway. We had some soul-searching deep conversations and difficult life decisions to face.

After unpacking, we took a walk on the beach just to get our feet wet in the ocean. No handholding, though she reached for me a few times, my hand was conveniently unavailable. She got the message and ceased her efforts.

"When will we talk?" She probed.

"Tomorrow afternoon. Until then, why don't we try to relax and be ourselves? Christine and Nolan, no one else."

"I'd like that," she smiled.

There were a lot of kids and families happily running around the beach in glee. I wondered if we'd ever be able to have such a family.

Saturday morning after breakfast, we went shopping. Myrtle Beach is a shopping mecca. She picked up a few souvenirs and looked at a few bikinis. Ordinarily, I'd be urging her to buy a micro-micro-bikini but since the swimsuit I had packed for her was a conservative one-piece, she didn't offer to try any on. After lunch, we changed into our swimwear and rented an umbrella with two chaise lounge chairs on the beach from the lifeguard station. It was gorgeous weather, a bit cool to swim but there were many hardy souls out in the surf. The calming sounds of the waves pervaded the atmosphere. As we relaxed in the balmy shade, I figured it was time.

"Have you decided whether or not to keep the baby?" I lobbed.

"What kind of question is that? Of course, I'm keeping our baby. I don't believe in abortion. I thought you knew that. It's the way I was brought up. I can't believe you'd even ask me such a question," she expressed heatedly.

"Hold on a second. I never said anything about abortion. I'd never ask such a thing of you, you KNOW that. Let me clarify my question. Have you given any thought about giving up the baby for adoption, or had you planned on keeping it and raising it yourself?"

"Adoption? Do you mean to give our baby away? There's no way I could ever give our baby away. It's my own flesh and blood for God's sake. Why are you asking me these questions? Haven't we talked numerous times about having a family? You've told me on many occasions how you'd love to be a father. I think you'll make a great father. What are you getting at, Nolan?"

"Other than the fact that I am married to you right now, I may have no connection to your child whatsoever. If that asshole is the biological father, then I'm afraid your child will go unloved."

"What do you mean 'unloved', Nolan? "I already love our baby with all my heart."

"Will you stop saying 'our' baby? There's no way I could have made you pregnant. The DNA test is merely a formality, the absolute final authority for confirmation of what we both already know to be true."

"What does it matter how I became pregnant? I'm your wife! You need to support me in this! This baby is totally innocent! YOU are and will always be my baby's father!"

"Is that right?"

"Yes!"

"Please tell me then, my loving wife, what role will the asshole who knocked you up will play in OUR child's life? Please explain that to me."

"He's not an asshole. I wish you'd stop calling him that. His name is Justin, and he's a wonderful man. Yes, he is most likely the biological father of our child, and he will naturally want to be involved in his biological child's life. But that won't be a problem unless you make it one because YOU will want to be involved in your biological child's life as well. It works both ways, sweetheart. Don't you see?"

"Let's leave the other child out of this conversation for a moment; can we do that and speak only about the child in your womb?"

"How can we possibly do that, Nolan? We're all irrevocably intertwined together."

"What if she miscarried?"

"What?" Christine asked stunned.

"What if Abby, for reasons unknown, experienced a miscarriage? It happens; it's possible. Many women every day spontaneously miscarry. I'm not saying I want that to happen at all but can you say it is an impossibility?"

"Of course not. That would be terrible. What a horrible thought. Why do you even bring such an atrocity up?"

"Because it is within the realm of possibility. Consider for just a moment the possibility that she miscarries. What would happen then?"

"Well, there really wouldn't be much difference would there? I mean besides the fact that they would no longer have a child connected to you. But Justin would still want to be involved in the life of his biological child that I now carry."