The Mistress Had To Die

Chapter Seven

“I’m only giving him until tonight to start processing his wife's divorce papers,” she said to herself as she walked toward her office to grab her bag.

The Next Day (Morning) Jackson’s POV:

“Hello, Angela,” Jackson said over the phone as he buttoned his shirt, heading out. “I won’t be coming to the office today, please. Tell Peter about it because I can’t reach him on his phone.”

He paused, then continued, “Yes... I want to use today to give Belinda the divorce paperwork. But before that, I would like to look into something.”

He moved toward the riverside near their house, mumbled a few more words, and ended the call. He turned and looked up at their balcony. Belinda was standing there, staring out into space with an unreadable expression on her face.

Since they came back from the party last night, they hadn’t spoken to each other. He wasn’t planning to talk to her either, not until he was ready to hand her the divorce papers.

When he reached the riverside, he saw his neighbor, Tim Woods—a fifty-three-year-old divorced man who lived alone and had no children.

“Hi, man. How are you doing?” Tim asked, shaking his hand as Jackson walked up to him.

“I’m fine. And you?” Jackson smiled, shaking his hand back.

“I’m okay. I heard your son is graduating soon. Will there be a celebration?” Tim asked, grinning.

Jackson smiled. “Yes, man. There will definitely be a celebration that day.”

“Okay, so what can I help you with?” Tim asked.

“The only help I’ll need from you is setting up the bonfire,” Jackson said.

“Alright, if that’s all, I’ll gladly help you,” Tim replied.

Jackson looked at him. “Can I ask you a question, Tim?”

“Sure, go on,” Tim answered immediately.

“Okay. Can you tell me how your ex-wife reacted when you brought up the idea of a divorce?”

“Hmm...” Tim hummed. “Jackson, there wasn't much of a problem. She went to her friends for advice. They supported her and told her it was obvious we would be better off apart, especially since we didn't have any children. She agreed, and that was how we divorced.”

Tim paused, looking closely at Jackson. “But my case might not be the same as yours. Are you planning on divorcing your wife?” he asked, a look of realization dawning on his face.

Jackson looked away from him, staring at the flowing water. He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Yeah. I think I’ve found a better woman than Belinda,” he said, a smile spreading across his face. “But it’s not going to be easy because Belinda has some dirt on me.” The smile quickly disappeared from his face.

“Oh, that sounds like a threat,” Tim said, drawing closer to Jackson.

Jackson just nodded and continued. “Belinda is different. She doesn’t really have friends anymore, because she has been taking care of Charles all this time, ever since she quit her job back then.”

“But there must be someone,” Tim said.

“I don’t think she will want to talk to anyone about it either,” Jackson said, scratching his head.

“But you can’t be the shoulder for her to cry on when you leave. I mean... find an old friend of hers. Someone who can support her when you're gone,” Tim said, patting his back.

Jackson nodded his head. “Thanks, Tim. I have to go now. I’ll let you know when to start preparing for the bonfire.”

“Okay, man. I’m always around,” Tim said as they parted ways.

Jackson didn’t bother going back inside his house. He went straight to his car and drove off.

Belinda’s POV

Belinda looked incredibly pale as she sat on the edge of the bed. She stared at their framed wedding portrait, remembering how sweetly she and Jackson had been smiling at each other that day.

Suddenly, a flashback of what she saw yesterday rushed into her mind. She clutched her chest and winced in pain.

“Is this how I am going to lose Jackson to that w***e?” she muttered painfully to herself. “That b***h had the nerve to look me in the eye with that haunting smile of hers.” As she whispered the words, more tears spilled from her eyes.

“I won’t sit back and watch her take him away from me. Not after all these years of suffering together,” she said, wiping her tears away.

She got up immediately and went into the bathroom to take a shower.

Afterward, she got into her car and drove straight to Jackson’s company. When she arrived, she noticed Jackson’s car wasn't parked in his usual spot in the garage.

She sat in her car for a few minutes before driving away. Just as she was about to turn onto the road leading back to her house, she saw Jackson’s car heading in the opposite direction.

She immediately followed him, keeping a safe distance of two cars between them. She kept trailing him until, thirty minutes later, he pulled up outside a boutique.

He parked his car, stepped out, and went inside.

“I’ll wait until he comes out. I’m not going anywhere,” Belinda said to herself, adjusting her seat to make herself more comfortable.

Jackson’s POV

Jackson entered the boutique and walked up to the counter. “Excuse me, I’m looking for Sapphire,” he told the girl working there.

“Okay, sir. She’s over on the other side attending to customers,” the girl replied.

“Thank you,” he said, heading in the direction she pointed.

When he got there, he saw Sapphire talking to a customer. He waited out of the way until she was finished. When she turned around and saw Jackson, her face lit up.

“Hi, Jackson!” she said happily, walking over to him.

“Sapphire, how have you been?” Jackson asked, shaking her hand.

“I’m good, Jackson. How are Belinda and Charles?” she asked.

“Belinda is fine, and Charles is doing good too,” Jackson replied.

“How old is he now?” Sapphire asked.

“Charles is turning eighteen, and he’s graduating next week,” Jackson said with a smile.

“Wow, that’s amazing! Let’s go sit down,” Sapphire said.

Jackson followed her to a seating area.

“So, what brings you here?” Sapphire asked.

“I actually came here because of Belinda...” Jackson started.

“Belinda?” Sapphire cut in immediately. “I hope everything is okay with her. It’s been twenty years since Belinda and I last saw each other,” her mood changing a little.

“I came because of how our life together has been lately. I want a divorce, Sapphire,” Jackson said to her.

“A divorce? I wouldn’t advise you to do that to Belinda,” Sapphire said, shaking her head slowly. “I’ve known her since childhood. She isn’t the type of person you can just walk away from.”

Jackson scoffed. “What do you mean by that?”

“She had an old boyfriend named Eddy. Did she ever talk about him with you?” she asked.

“Eddy? Not that I can recall,” Jackson said, shaking his head.

“Oh.” Sapphire nodded slowly, her mood turning somber. “It’s just... he died. It was a really sad story back when we were growing up. A very terrible story.”

“What actually happened?” Jackson asked, suddenly feeling uneasy.

“He fell off a cliff and died on the spot. I don’t know all the details because I wasn’t there when it happened,” Sapphire explained.

“Wait, was he with Belinda then?” Jackson asked.

“Yes. They were dating. And then...” She paused, trying to remember the details. “Then I heard that Eddy wanted to break up with Belinda. The night he died, he was with another girl.”

Jackson shifted uncomfortably in his seat, sweat trickling down his face.