Julie had nursed her 3 months old daughter, Faith, and placed her in her cot. She kissed the baby and lowered the light in her bedroom. Tonight, she was alone as Mark, her husband had left earlier in the evening for a three day seminar on the West coast.
Julie stood at the door of her room and gazed at Faith with a faraway look. She could feel the tears welling her eyes and quietly closed the door. She walked to the living room and sat down on the sofa.
At moments like this, Julie just did not know how to cope. She knew that she had sinned and been unfaithful to Mark. The child that she had carried in her womb for nine months was not her husband's. But fate had it, her features resembled Mark. Only she and the man she had it with knew the truth. Faith was Mark's father's child.
Their illicit affair had started 6 months after she married Mark.
Mark was an accountant in his father's firm. Julie was employed as Mark's secretary. After a year as his secretary, they had fallen in love and ended in marriage.
Even before the marriage, Frank Sanford, the owner and Mark's father had tried to make advances towards her, always in a subtle way. Only when he came to know that his son was dating her, did he ceased his advances. But Julie always felt that Mr. Sanford looked at her in ways that made her felt uncomfortable.
Julie was 19 when she married Mark. She was breathtakingly beautiful, slim, standing only 5ft 7 in her bare feet. The fair skin and breasts just slightly larger for her body size and curvaceous buttocks could make any male turn to give her a second look.
Frank felt his groin going tight whenever he saw the lovely girl, and now she was his son's wife.
Julie and Mark were deeply in love with each other. At their wedding, Frank was slightly drunk after a number of scotch. After bidding the guests farewell, Julie had gone into the house to change. As she turned the corridor leading to her room she saw Frank leaning against the wall.
"You ok, dad?" she said as she neared him.
Frank looked at her with glassy eyes. Julie felt apprehensive at her father-in-law's gaze.
"Julie, oh my dear Julie," Frank said gruffly.
He took her small hands into his. Frank was a big man, almost 6ft 2 and they looked an odd couple, with him towering over her.
"Welcome to the family," he said, slurring his words.
He held her with one and the other cupped her face. His mouth descended onto hers. His lips pressed against hers and his tongue forced into her mouth.
Julie was shocked as she pushed against him. He released her, but the fiery imprint of his lips and tongue made her tremble. Julie ran to her room. She locked the door and stood against it, shivering.
After awhile, she slowly sat down on the floor, not knowing what to do. As she calmed down, she forced herself to assume that her father-in-law was drunk.
She could not bring herself to tell Mark what happened. For God's sake, he is his father.
After the incident, Frank did not show any signs of acknowledging that he had been out of line. Maybe he was not even conscious of what had transpired. Julie tried to forget. He was drunk; after all, she consoled herself.
In the second week of March, there was commotion in the office. It was discovered that there had been a financial crisis.
Julie could feel a change in Mark's demeanor. He was quiet and he kept to himself. When Julie asked him what was wrong, he was curt with her. They had been married for six months and life seems to be crumbling between them.
The phone on Julie's table rang and she took it up. The voice was Frank Sanford.
"Julie, could you come to my room? Now!"
"I'm on my way," she replied.
"Mr. Sanford is waiting, go right in," his secretary told her as she stood at his door.
Julie stepped into Frank's opulent penthouse office.
Frank was giving some instructions to one of the officer, and when he finished, she was alone with her father-in-law.
"Sit down Julie," he said. He looked at her. "How's Mark? I understand that he is under the weather. He had not been in for the past two days."
"I really don't know what is wrong with him. He seems preoccupied." Julie said softly.
"I'll tell you what is wrong," Frank replied. "I suppose you've heard about the financial debacle last week. Well, your husband had been playing the market with the company's funds."
"What....no....not Mark," Julie gasped.
"The evidence is undisputable. He could destroy this company," Frank said. "There are only a handful of people who really know the details," Frank continued.
"What should we do," Julie said, almost in tears.
"Nobody is to know anything," Frank replied. "I'll work out something and let you know. Don't tell Mark what you know or what I told you."
"Thanks, Mr. Sanford....Dad," she said softly.
Two days later, Mark was sent to a branch office to check on certain accounts. At nine in the evening, Julie's house phone rang.
"Julie, this is Frank. Could you come to the Crown hotel? I'm in the executive suite. I want to resolve Mark's problem."
"Ok," Julie said, her spirits lifted.
She knocked on his door. Frank opened and she walked in.
She was taken aback. Frank was in his dressing gown.