Family Album

"And what about Mercedes?"

"No, n-no."

She heard Oprah's footsteps walk away.

Courtney folded her arms and rested her back against the tiled wall. She almost started crying but stopped. She was going to deal with Mercedes if she laid her hands on her.

Thomas was brooding around the dining area with a glass of wine in his hands. He paced a bit before he sat down on one of the glassy dining chairs. Oprah came and she sat down across from him. She was relaxed and a plain expression was painted across her face. She recognized who Thomas was.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him.

"Trying to get some quiet moment."

"This part of the house is not opened to intruders. You better leave."

"Is that what I am now?"

She stood up sharply and walked over to him. "You want to hear more? Do you want to know what you really are? A swine. A buffoon. You're nothing. Did you hear me? Nothing! Fool."

Thomas stood up and he wasn't angry. "This is your party." He tried to touch Oprah's cheek.

"Don't touch me." She said through gritted teeth and threw his fingers away from her face.

"You don't need to get upset."

"Stop. Don't you dare try to act all righteous with me, don't you dare. We all know the sort of person you really are." She looked away from his eyes, "Why did you come?"

He was quiet.

"Why did you have to come and make things difficult for everyone? Why?"

"I wasn't going to. Abigail insisted—"

"Because she doesn't know what a lying bastard you are," she looked into his eyes, her anger burning within her. She started crying a bit but stopped immediately. "And you're right, it's my party." She walked away.

Meanwhile, the party was still going on outside like normal.

"Kiss me," Kimberly said to an unwilling Leslie. "Kiss...me."

He touched her lips with his.

"Is that it? Is this the way you kiss me?" She gave him an unsatisfied look. "Kiss me."

I was sitting two tables away from them. I saw my mom standing almost five yards away with a sorry look on her face. It was the first time I saw her like that. Before the guests would notice, she wore a disguised smile and greeted them warmly. I looked away, deep in thoughts.

"Kiss me." Kimberly pulled Leslie's face and forcefully kissed his lips.

He recoiled like her lips had venom on them.

"Are you okay?" She was growing impatient with his behavior.

"I'm fine."

She saw Oprah walk by and she noticed her friend was saddened and disturbed. Oprah wasn't moving gracefully as she had been doing all night.

"Excuse me."

"Where are you going?" Leslie held her wrist.

"I think there's something wrong with Oprah. Let me go check up on her."

"Okay, okay. Go, go, go."

Leslie was eased a bit as soon as Kimberly left the table, but that didn't last long. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to see Courtney. She sat down where Kimberly had sat a few seconds ago.

"You don't look so good," Leslie noticed. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, darling, I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact of what Mercedes is doing behind our backs."

"Oh, yes, that." He couldn't care less.

"I mean how could she do this to Oprah? Especially today."

"But I—that's uh... anyway, what are you gonna do about it?"

"I don't know. I can't tell Oprah, she just got married."

"You can't possibly do that."

"Imagine what would happen if people found out."

"It will be a disaster. I mean that's heartless. It's heartless. Aren't they supposed to be friends or something?"

"I know. I can't believe this."

"She's a devil. I mean that girl is a devil. In fact, anybody who betrays the trust placed in them is a devil." He noticed but overlooked the irony in that statement.

"This is a disaster," she shook her head, "O Leslie, this is just a disaster."

Kimberly followed Oprah into the greenhouse where her dear friend had been weeping. She wanted to comfort her but didn't know how because she didn't know why her friend was crying in the first place. Kimberly sat beside Oprah and looked at her with genuine concern.

"I'm fine," Oprah tried to say in an assuring tone.

"I know. It's typical for a bride to cry on her wedding day. Come here." She held her friend against her bosom and comforted her.

"What's with you and fidgeting and looking around all night?" Courtney asked Leslie.

"I'm not—I'm not... am I looking around? I'm not looking around. Look, Courtney, besides what's going on, I mean, you know, the whole saga and everything, besides that, we really need to talk."

"Talk?"

"Yes. You and—"

"Will you stop thinking about yourself for even one minute. Does this seem like the right time for you to talk? Listen, all I want to do now is find Mercedes and tell her a piece of my mind."

"I'm sorry," Oprah said to Kimberly as they strolled out of the greenhouse towards the pool area. "Somethings are just too private to tell."

"It's okay, you don't have to tell me anything you're not prepared for. I just wanna make sure my baby is okay."

"Thank you very much."

"You're welcome."

"I'm very lucky, you know, surrounded by people who truly love me."

"We thank God. Some of us don't even—"

"Who opened the pool house?" Oprah noticed the interior lights of the small house by the pool were turned on. "That house is always locked."

Mercedes proceeded out of the pool house, just as she was out the door, Antonio pulled her back and kissed her lovingly on the lips while his hands grabbed her ass cheeks. Oprah was speechless. She almost fell to the ground, but Kimberly supported her. They could see what was going on between Mercedes and Antonio. They saw how Mercedes threw her hands around Antonio's neck and melted into his body, how he held her like he didn't belong to someone else. Like he had never married his own wife.

Oprah couldn't take it anymore. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Kimberly saw this and she followed Oprah who had quickly fled the scene.

Mercedes severed her lips from Antonio's, "I have to go."

"I don't want you to."

"We've been here for too long. Let's show ourselves briefly and then meet up here in an hour." She was about to go and Antonio pulled her back and kissed her one more time. She kissed him back "I love you."

"I love you more." They kissed again before going their separate ways.

Oprah was weeping bitterly in her room, her make-up was now a wet mess on her face and Kimberly stood over her. She caressed Oprah's shoulders, trying very hard to comfort her heartbroken friend when Courtney walked in. She sat beside Oprah on the bed with a perplexed look on her face.

"What's going on?"

"She saw her husband kissing another girl."

Courtney shook her head in disbelief. "I'm so sorry that Mercedes will do this to you. I don't know what to say."

"So, what are you going to do now?"

Oprah calmed her heavy breathing and held back her tears. "Nothing. I'm going to do nothing."

"For now, I agree. I think you should just try and put yourself together, at least, for the ni—"

"I'm going to do nothing."

"So you're just gonna sit there and watch your friend snatch your husband from you?"

"Kim, I don't want to hear anything about this anymore." She was beginning to sound strong-willed. "It's my wedding and all I want to do is play the bride."

Oprah left the room as a bewildered Kimberly looked at Courtney. She followed her friend and left Courtney alone. At the next minute, Mercedes entered to find Courtney with her hands on her hips. Courtney pulled her forcefully on the bed and stood in front of her.

"Are you crazy? What is wrong with—"

Courtney gave Mercedes a stinging slap dead on her left cheek before she could finish. "That's exactly what I need to be asking you. Have you gone mad?!" Her nostrils were flaring. "You are the scummiest person I have known my entire bloody life."

"For God's sake, Courtney, what has come over you?"

"You will explain to me this very minute just how this... nonsense started and how it's been going on."

"How long what's been going on? You're not making sense."

"Don't you dare pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. Don't you dare!" Courtney checked the window to see if anyone was within earshot. She walked back to a visibly scared Mercedes. "You're a slut, that's what you are. I'm so ashamed of you."

Just then, step by step, Antonio was walking up the stairs. He had just finished a bottle of Martini and needed to ease himself a little bit in one of the restrooms.

"I have told you I have no idea what you are talking about."

"How long have you been sleeping with Antonio?"

Mercedes thought Courtney couldn't have found out and she concealed her astonishment very well. "Are you out of your mind? I have never—"

"Don't you dare!" Courtney barked.

While he was upstairs, Antonio caught the heated conversion from the hallway. He placed his ear against the door and eavesdropped.

"I'm telling you the truth. Where did you get such a horrendous idea?"

"You are such a viper, Mercedes. I can't believe you've been my friend all these while."

"This nonsense has got to stop."

"If you have a shred of dignity left in you, you would get it out right now."

They stared straight into each other's eyes. "Fine. Yes, yes, and yes. I have been sleeping with Antonio, satisfied? You want details right? We make love every day. Yes, every single day."

"Why?" Courtney asked as if she was almost pleading. "Oprah is our friend."

"Because I love him."

"Bullshit."

"It's true. I love him and he loves me."

"Just listen to yourself, Mercedes."

"I know how it sounds, but I couldn't help it, Courtney. I think I can't live without him."

"How long has this been going on?"

"Four months."

"Christ! Mercedes?"

"I'm sorry."

"It's not good enough."

"Besides I didn't think I was doing anything wrong."

"You didn't think you were doing anything wrong?" Courtney sat down before she would lose oxygen and pass out.

"She's pregnant with another man's child."

That was all it took for him to burst into the room. Antonio looked at the two ladies who didn't have the guts to look him in the eye. His lips quivered. There was an undeniable confusion swarming around the room. Nobody knew what normality felt like anymore.

"What? What did you just say?!" He darted towards Mercedes. "You are going to tell me everything you know about this pregnancy. Everything!"

"I can't tell you anything, Antonio, I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. No, you're not sorry. How long has she been pregnant?"

"You can't make me tell you anything."

"You. How could you have kept such a thing from me, Mercedes, how could you?!"

"I promised her."

"This could have changed everything for the both of us, you know that. How could you?!"

"She's my friend and she trusted me."

"To hell with friendship."

"Some trust," said Courtney. "Shame on both of you."

She left the room and went outside to the garden where she found Oprah. Pulling her aside and away from the crowd, Courtney wanted to know what the pregnancy was all about and why Oprah kept it a secret. When they were alone, Courtney double checked this time to see if anyone was coming their way.

"What is going on?" Courtney folded her arms waiting for an answer.

"I don't understand. Listen, if it's about what happened earlier, I—"

"It is about the pregnancy."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You never planned on telling me, did you?"

Oprah looked up, she looked down and back at Courtney. "I can't believe she told you."

"I thought we three were best pals, Oprah. Now I know my stance. You know what? Actually, forgive my intrusion."

Courtney was about to leave, but Oprah pulled her back. "Courtney, Courtney, I'm sorry. Please."

"I'm hurt that you believe you can't trust me!"

"Keep your voice down, please. Calm down."

"Oprah, why?"

"Stop. Listen, I didn't tell you because I was too ashamed. You've always been the straight one and you never approved of this marriage and I never really had a choice."

"Oprah, I would never have judged you."

"I know, Courtney, I know. You've never known this, but I've always looked up to you. I couldn't bring myself to tell you about such a blackspot in my life. Please."

Courtney sighed. "Antonio knows."

Oprah covered her opened mouth with her hands. Her heart started beating faster like it did earlier. "God! Why is everything going so wrong?!" She sniffed, "where is she?"

Courtney said nothing.

"Where is she?!"

"Up in your room."

Walking with great haste and anger, Oprah only had one thought in her mind; she was going to find Mercedes and put a knife through her backstabbing heart. She had never loathed anyone in her life the way she did Mercedes at this moment. She looked like a lioness whose cubs had just been taken away and couldn't do anything about it. But Oprah could do something; she would pluck out Mercedes eyeballs from their sockets.

As they entered the large living room, Oprah and Courtney ran into Antonio who was already at the foot of the staircase with Mercedes behind him. Oprah walked up to her husband and looked at him dead in the eye. He returned the same wrathful look his wife was giving him.

"Whose... child... is it?"

Mercedes was crying as she walked sheepishly beside Antonio. "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not!" Oprah roared. "Mercedes, you're not! The only reason I kept silent about the affair was that you had my secret and I was afraid you would speak up if I dared interfered. So, I allowed the two of you have all the fun you wanted and then, you still went around and told everyone about something I told you in confidence. Mercedes, you went to my husband and spilled the beans. Are you happy now?"

"It was all a mistake, I never—"

"You're not my friend Mercedes!"

"Wait, wait, wait," Courtney interrupted, "so you've known about the affair?"

"For two months, yes." She turned to Courtney and then back at her husband who was shocked on hearing Oprah's confession. "For two months I have watched the two of you stab me in the back."

"Hey, let's not shift the attention here. My sleeping with Mercedes is nothing compared to what you've done. You stood before the altar and you swore to be mine for the rest of your life...with another man's child growing right inside of you. What were you thinking? I mean what were you planning to do? To blame the pregnancy on me?"

"Yes," Oprah pushed Antonio on his chest with her index finger, "and what were you planning to do? What were you going to do with Mercedes? Cheat on me for the rest of our miserable married lives?"

"That's not the point!"

"What's the point then?"

"The point is what you've done."

"Really?"

"It's unforgivable!"

"So what is forgivable? Sleeping with my best friend a night before our wedding and barely twenty-four hours after? O yes I know." She took her eyes off Antonio and looked at Mercedes. "That's right, I know."

"How did you know?" Courtney asked.

"How I found out is not important, but the fact remains that I know and it is true."

"I've got nothing to lose now. I've been sleeping with Antonio for the past four months because I love him." Mercedes obviously wasn't holding back anymore. "The two of you are the most hypocritical people I've ever known."

"How dare you?"

"You never loved him. You only married him because you couldn't afford to have a child out of wedlock. That would have tarnished your perfect family status and your parents would have never forgiven you." She turned to Oprah's husband, "And I wouldn't have given into your advances if I haven't heard you telling your friends how good married to Oprah would be good for business and how you couldn't get me off your mind."

"You...you heard it?"

"Your friends asked you to kill whatever was building between us before it got out of hand, but then I had fallen in love with you," tears rolled down her cheeks. "Here was a man who loved me for who I was, who hopefully still loves me."

"Who was getting married to your best friend!" Courtney burst.

"Who never loved each other."

Everyone was quiet for a bit, but still angry and confused. It got awkward.

"I agreed to marry you because I thought you loved me and with time, I could learn to love you too. Maybe I should just give you two the opportunity to live together." Oprah shrugged her shoulders, "Because I'm getting a divorce."

"Oprah, please, no."

"Mercedes, I'm not doing this for you. I am doing this for myself and my unborn child."

"Oprah?" Courtney held her hands as Oprah was fleeing the scene but she pulled away.

"I want to be alone!" She ordered.

Antonio put his hands on his head as he sat down uneasily. Mercedes flopped on the floor and wept while Courtney moved to counsel her.

Oprah was at the back of the house soliloquizing about her life choices and the decision she had taken for herself and her unborn child when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see her father with a concerned look on his face.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked. "I saw you walk out."

"We need to talk, dad."

They went inside the house, to the dining area where they would be alone.

"Will you tell me what's going on?" Stan asked her daughter.

"You will be disappointed." She cried bitterly.

"No," he shook his head, "you are the most thoughtful and sincerest person I've ever known in this world. I sometimes wonder how you became my daughter."

"That's why I can't tell you."

"You will never disappoint me, never. Look, no one is perfect in this world."

"But you are."

"No, I'm not. You only think I am, but I am not. Now, tell me what I wanna know. What's happening?"

"I'm pregnant. Antonio is not the father. I...I'm getting a divorce."

Stan was shocked. He didn't know what to say, he just kept quiet.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay, it's okay," he pulled his daughter against his chest. "Come here, it's alright."

"Why did you marry him in the first place?"

"I didn't want to shame the family. I felt that with time... I'd learn to love him. He's cheating on me... He never loved me. He never has."

"Hey," he kissed her forehead, "baby, don't cry. Now listen to me, whatever you decide, I'll be with you through and through."

At the time, I was sitting on the stool in the kitchen, getting drunk and forgetting about life when my mother walked in through the back door. Now the kitchen was adjacent to the dining area and all the while Oprah and Stan were conversing, I was drinking myself into a stupor, I didn't notice anyone there. My mother who I had been avoiding all night, walked in through the back door. When she saw me, she went on her knees. I could see deep sorrow and great regret in her eyes. She had been crying, her blue eyes looked like an ocean after a storm.

"Julian...please. Just give me a minute. What you saw goes far beyond you."

"Are you trying to justify what I saw?"

"No."

"Do you know what I saw?"

"No. I don't want you to hate me. A long time ago, I loved a man who didn't have a dime and no matter how hard I tried, my parents were against it."

Stan and his daughter heard the discussion coming from the kitchen. They got curious because the voices they were hearing were familiar voices. Stan stood up and moved to the door to hear better.

"I married your father not because I wanted to," Abigail continued, "but because I had to."

"You don't care about dad, mom, you don't even care about the family."

"I care about you. You mean the world to me."

"Why now mom? Does dad even know you're cheating on him?!"

Oprah's eyes widened. She looked at her father who was still comprehending the whole thing. Walking to the door, she opened it to see her mother whimpering on the floor. "What? Julian, how dare you say such a thing about mom?"