Hidden Mistress, The Man With Two Families

Chapter 1

A new student joined my class today. The resemblance between her and my husband was uncanny.

While chatting with her mother, I learned the father's name was Lennon Sterling.

The problem was, my husband's name was also Lennon Sterling. Every single letter matched.

Later, when I went to confront Lennon for a divorce, I found him celebrating a wedding anniversary with someone else.

That was when I realized we had never actually signed a marriage license.

It turned out I was nothing more than Lennon's hidden mistress.

...

"Ms. Holloway, I'll be leaving Cece in your capable hands."

I looked at the little first-grader standing before me. I had to force a smile onto my face.

It wasn't for any professional reason. It was because the girl's eyes and brow were a carbon copy of my husband's.

She looked exactly like my own son.

I pulled a registration form from my desk and handed it to the smiling woman.

"Please fill in the basic information for you and your husband here."

The woman took the form and began to write.

I watched her pen her own name, "Luna Sterling."

Then came her husband's name, "Lennon Sterling."

A sudden, violent shiver ran down my spine.

My husband was also named Lennon Sterling. It wasn't just a common name; it was an identical match.

How could such a coincidence exist in this world?

My heart hammered against my ribs as I watched Luna fill out the rest.

Every detailDhis age, his professionDperfectly aligned with my husband's life.

Luna finished the form and handed it back to me while I was still dazed.

"Ms. Holloway, my daughter is a bit shy. Please look out for her."

My hand trembled as I took the paper. "That... that's my job."

Luna noticed my reaction and asked with concern, "Ms. Holloway, you're sweating. Is it too hot in here?"

I grabbed my water bottle and took a long, desperate gulp. "Yes... a little."

After a moment to steady my breathing, I continued. "Cece's mom, do you have a photo of your husband? It helps us recognize him if he comes for pickup."

Luna quickly pulled out her phone and turned the screen toward me.

"These are all photos of him. We actually have a lot of couple photos together."

She showed me a gallery full of their life.

She introduced them with such warmth.

"This was our honeymoon. This was when Cece was born. And this was just last week at her birthday party."

From the very first photo, my body began to shake uncontrollably.

I could see it clearly. The man in those pictures was my Lennon.

He was the exact same man I shared a bed with.

I listened mechanically as Luna kept talking.

By the time she swiped to the last photo, my strength vanished. I lost my grip.

The phone clattered onto the floor.

Luna picked it up, seeing the cold sweat on my forehead and my trembling frame. "Ms. Holloway, what's wrong?"

I couldn't stop the shaking, so I pinched the web of my thumb hard to force myself into focus. "You two look so happy together."

A blissful smile spread across Luna's face.

"We've known each other since we were kids. We've been married for eight years now, and he still treats me like a queen."

My expression froze.

I had known Lennon for six years. I hadn't even been in his life for half of their marriage.

I had been played. For six years, I was his dirty little secret.

After Luna left, I immediately asked the principal for a leave of absence and went home.

The house was empty. Lennon had told me he was too busy with work to come home often lately.

I looked up and saw our wedding photo hanging in the living room.

For a moment, everything felt surreal, like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from.

We met six years ago, right after I graduated from college.

I hadn't decided on a career path yet, so I went on a graduation trip.

My first stop was Sedona, Arizona. That's where I met Lennon.

We were both traveling solo and staying at the same boutique inn. Getting to know each other felt natural.

There was a local bonfire event one night, and the owner invited us.

We had so much fun that we didn't want the night to end, so we went to a dive bar to listen to folk music.

We hit it off instantly. It felt like we had a lifetime of topics to cover.

He told me he was traveling because his family put too much pressure on him.

Since childhood, everything he did was according to his parents' orders. He never got to follow his heart.

I had studied psychology in college, so I couldn't help but offer him some comfort.

Those few deep conversations seemed to spark something in him. We spent the rest of the trip together.

When the trip ended, we parted ways without even exchanging phone numbers.

Two weeks after returning to Chicago, I ran into him again at a bakery.

He was buying a strawberry shortcake.

I was curious who it was for.

He said it was for his younger sister.

We exchanged contact info right then and there.

After that, we talked every day and went on dates every weekend.

Falling in love was the most natural thing in the world.

Every day of our relationship was sweet.

However, he never introduced me to his family, friends, or coworkers.

Outside of knowing Lennon himself, I knew nothing about his world.

He traveled for work constantly. Sometimes, he wouldn't contact me for an entire day when things got "busy."

My best friend always told me something felt off. She warned me to keep my guard up.

But I was blinded by love. I didn't doubt him for a second.

Looking back now, I was pathetic and naive.

I snapped out of my memories and climbed onto the sofa to tear down the wedding photo.

Clutching the frame, I finally broke down into hysterical sobs.

My cries filled the empty rooms of our home.

I didn't stop until I was physically exhausted and my tears ran dry.

I couldn't accept being a homewrecker.

This relationship had to end immediately.

But as I headed out to find Lennon and demand a divorce, a realization hit me.

Lennon and I had never actually gone to the courthouse for a marriage license.

Even our son's birth certificate listed me as a single mother.

At the time, Lennon told me his family was controlling his every move.

He claimed he couldn't legally marry me or have a public wedding yet.

He had cried in my arms, repeatedly calling himself useless and weak.

I felt so much pity for him. I told him the paperwork didn't matter to me.

We had planned a honeymoon in Bali once.

But the night before the flight, he claimed his mother was sick and he had to go care for her.

No matter how upset I was, I couldn't stop him from being a "good son."

So, our "marriage" was nothing but a beautiful lie.

A year later, our son was born. Without a marriage license, he took my last name.

Using the GPS tracker on his phone, I drove to Lennon's current location.

It was a high-end French bistro.

The doors were closed, looking like they weren't open for regular business.

As I reached for the handle, a server stepped out and bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry, ma'am. The entire restaurant is booked for a private event today."

I asked instinctively, "Is it Lennon Sterling?"

The server blinked in surprise. "Yes, Mr. Sterling. It's his eighth wedding anniversary. They look so in love, it's truly enviable..."

I couldn't hear the rest of the server's words. I stumbled back to my car, my world spinning.

So today was Lennon and Luna's actual anniversary.

No wonder he told me this morning he'd be too busy to see me.

Through the window, I caught a glimpse of the two of them.

The view was blurry, but I could see them feeding each other and laughing.

I couldn't take it anymore. I pulled out my phone and called him.

Lennon declined the call at first, but I didn't give up. I kept calling.

On the fifth try, he finally walked outside the restaurant to answer.

I leaned against my car, staring at his back. "Lennon, where are you?"

Lennon looked back nervously at Luna through the glass before replying. "I'm at the office working late. What's up?"

My face remained expressionless. "Nothing. I just missed you."

His voice turned soft and tender. "I miss you too, babe. Once this project is over, I'll take you and our daughter on a trip."

I didn't say a word. I just started walking toward him.

"Jenna? Are you there?"

His voice crackled through the speaker.

I quietly stepped up right behind him. I called his name in a flat, icy tone.

"Lennon."

Lennon jumped, spinning around in sheer terror.

When he saw me standing there, his face went pale with horror.

He grabbed my arm and shoved me toward a corner, his voice a frantic whisper. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He treated me like I was a piece of trash he needed to hide.

I looked at him and felt like I was staring at a complete stranger.

I asked, "Lennon, how much longer were you planning to lie to me?"

He frowned, pretending not to understand. "What are you talking about?"

"Your wife enrolled Cece in my school today."

"You've been married for eight years and have a six-year-old daughter. How long were you going to keep that from me?"

Lennon suddenly clamped his hand over my mouth.

He dragged me further away, trying to pacify me.

"Jenna, listen to me. I can explain. I didn't mean to deceive you."

How hilarious. He had lied for six years, and now he claimed it wasn't intentional.

Just as I was about to scream at him, the restaurant door swung open.

Then came Luna's voice. "Lennon? Who are you talking to?"

Panic flashed in Lennon's eyes, but he had no choice but to turn around slowly.

Luna saw me and looked genuinely surprised. "Ms. Holloway? You know Lennon?"

Lennon looked back at me and shook his head frantically, begging me with his eyes to stay quiet.

He walked over to Luna and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Luna, why didn't you tell me you were transferring Cece to a new school?"

"I knew you were busy, honey. I didn't want to bother you with small details."

Luna leaned into him with a smile, but she quickly returned to the previous topic.

"Do you two know each other? You didn't mention Ms. Holloway this afternoon."

Lennon scrambled for an excuse. "We were just classmates. We saw each other a few times in college. I doubt she even remembers me."

We did attend the same university.

But he was a year ahead of me, and we had never actually met back then.

Lennon stared at me, blinking rapidly.

Under his desperate gaze, I slowly let a smile spread across my face.

"Yeah. Lennon and I were just... classmates."

The moment I got home, I started packing.

I didn't finish until the early hours of the morning.

Looking at the home I had carefully decorated, I took a deep breath.

Luckily, my son was staying at my parents' place for a few days. He didn't have to see this.

As I went to grab my suitcase, the front door opened. Lennon walked in.

He froze when he saw the luggage. "Jenna, where are you going?"

"We never signed a marriage license, so we don't need a divorce. My son is on my registry, and he's staying with me."

"You bought this house, so I'm leaving it. I bought the car, so I'm taking it."

"We're done. Don't ever contact me again."

I tried to push past him, but Lennon grabbed me in a tight embrace.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and buried his face in my neck.

"Jenna, please believe me. I'm going to divorce her as soon as possible. You and Noah are the people I truly love."

I took a light sniff.

The scent on Lennon was the same perfume Luna had been wearing that afternoon.

And on his neck, there was a fresh hickey from his wife.

I pushed him away with all my strength. "I will never believe another word you say."

Lennon looked panicked, grabbing my hand with a pleading tone.

"Jenna, please. Back then, the Sterling family was falling apart. I only married Luna to get the investment from her family."

"So many people were depending on me. I couldn't be selfish. But I don't love her."

"I've never been happy with Luna. It wasn't until I met you that I knew what love felt like."

"I've been working so hard all these years for our future. Just wait a little longer. I'll divorce her soon."

Hearing his explanation didn't move me at all.

Instead, I felt a chilling sense of desolation.

Lennon married Luna for money.

And now that he was done using her, he was ready to discard her just as easily.

What kind of man was he really?

I only hated myself for being so blind to his true nature.

That night, Lennon begged for forgiveness until dawn, but I still walked out with my suitcase.

The next morning, I dropped Noah off at preschool and went to work at the elementary school as usual.

At the school gates, Luna was just letting Cece out of her car.

Cece shyly greeted me with a "Good morning, Ms. Holloway."

Luna gave me a polite smile as she handed Cece over.

Looking at Cece, who looked so much like Noah's sister, I felt a bitter pang in my heart.

But the child was innocent. She was my student, and I wouldn't take my anger out on her.

Cece was a bit of an introvert.

To help her integrate, I sat her in the front row next to a more outgoing student.

By the end of the day, she didn't have any negative reactions and seemed to get along with her seatmate.

During pickup, Luna came to get her, and I mentioned the PTA meeting on Friday.

Luna looked hesitant. "I might have something going on that day. My husband is busy too."

I maintained a professional smile. "You're welcome to schedule a private meeting with me whenever you're free."

Luna thanked me and left with Cece.

I wandered the streets aimlessly for a while before going home.

As soon as I walked in, Noah ran up to me. "Mom, why isn't Dad home yet?"

My heart ached.

Noah was only four. I didn't know how to explain this to him.

I couldn't tell him that his father already had another family.

I blinked back tears and smiled. "Dad's on a business trip. He'll bring you a toy when he gets back, okay?"

Noah nodded happily. "Yay!"

On the day of the PTA meeting, I arrived early.

It was the first meeting of the semester, so most parents showed up ahead of time.

When the meeting started, Cece and her parents were still missing.

I assumed they weren't coming and stepped up to the podium to begin.

But a few minutes into my opening remarks, the door was pushed open.

I looked up and saw Lennon walking in.

Luna was right beside him, her arm linked with his. Lennon was holding Cece's hand.

Cece saw me and excitedly pulled Lennon toward the front. "Ms. Holloway, this is my daddy!"

I stood there, frozen, staring at Lennon.

Lennon, however, gave me a calm, detached nod, as if we were mere acquaintances.

I never imagined he would stand before me in this capacity.

Someone else's father. Someone else's husband.

I had to stand there and watch the man I thought was mine act intimate with another woman.

Luna's face was grim as she sat down with Lennon and Cece.

I forced myself to snap out of it and turned around to compose my emotions.

Once I had swallowed back my tears, I officially started the meeting.

The meeting went by quickly, ending in about an hour.

Next was the Q&A session for the parents.

Everyone was eager to ask questions, and I patiently answered each one.

When no more hands were raised, I smiled. "Thank you all for coming. Today's meeting is nowD"

"Wait, I have one more question."

Luna suddenly raised her hand, interrupting me.

I was caught off guard. Looking at her cold, expressionless face, a knot formed in my stomach.

In our few interactions, Luna had always been polite and smiling.

I had never seen her look this stern.

I asked, "Cece's mom, what would you like to know?"

Luna stood up and asked in a chillingly calm voice.

"Ms. Holloway, how does a homewrecker like you..."

"...have the nerve to stand there and educate other people's children?"