The Sweetest Devotion (The Affair Series Book 2)

When Her Life Began

NOTE: I highly suggest you read the first book in this series, The Affair, before you read this one.

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Almost forty years ago, Stefanie Marie Foster was born to Sharon Louise Foster. It was a joyous occasion for most new mothers, but not Sharon. Not in the least, for Stefanie was supposed to be a boy because that's what Sharon promised Mitch.

Mitchell Lewis was the man of Sharon's dreams. The man that she loved and wanted more than life itself. The man she hoped would leave his wife for her once she had their son and the man she wanted to marry.

However, that plan failed miserably because Sharon knew she wasn't having a boy and lied to Mitch, saying there must have been a mix-up in the sonogram.

"You have a beautiful baby girl, Mitch. Isn't she?" She said, showing up at Mitch's front doorstep with Stephanie in her arms. Wrapping the newborn in a cheap blanket, she stole from the store the rain was pouring heavily outside, and she had no business taking the little baby out, but Mitch had not called her since she was born.

"Jesus christ, woman, you can't come up here on my doorstep like this. My wife is home." He said quickly, shutting the door behind him, hoping his wife Cheryl had not heard anything.

"Well, Mitch baby, how else can I get your damm attention. I mean, I keep calling and calling, and you haven't been answering, and you haven't even come over to visit your daughter."

"Daughter? I told you I don't need another girl.I got three of them. You promised me a boy. That picture you gave me was a boy! You said you knew it was a boy and felt it was a boy."

"Well, I can't help it if the machine was wrong, Mitch. And it got the picture all messed up. But she is just as good as any boy. Look how beautiful she is now. Looks just like her Daddy. Don't you want to hold her?"

"Look, Sharon, get off my porch before my wife sees you."

"You mean the wife you are supposed to leave for me? That bitch of a wife you go in there huh?"

"You gotta go! It's over Sha!"

"So just like that it's over! I carried your baby for nine months Mitch! Nine! Nine damm mouth! You said once I had this baby I was yours. That you would leave this woman for me. You said that." She yelled even louder as Stefanie started to cry her eyes out from hunger.

"I didn't want no girl! Now get that kid out of here and you get lost as well. Leave!" Screaming in her face she pulled him by the shirt as the rain poured even heavier drenching Sharon as her makeup smeared all over.

"If you don't come by I will tell your wife everything! Everything! How you fucked me night after night. Saying you were gonna marry me! I'll do it!I'll do it right now and show her this baby!" Threatening him Mitch grabed her by the arm slamming her against the wall of the house as baby Stefanie almost went flying as well.

"You say anything I'll kill you. I swear I will. Stay the fuck away!"

"What you gonna kill me right here huh? While I hold your baby in my hands. Go ahead and do it! Go on!"

"You're nuts and you need help Sharon! Nuts!" Letting go of her as he walked away she couldn't help but follow behind him begging, begging for him to come home with her in the pouring rain as her heels dug into the soft ground, her hair a long wet matted mess, mascara running from each eye.

"I'm making a real nice dinner tonight Mitch. Steak and eggs. Your favorite. I got that good steak too and we will wait up for you. Ya'll see we will be a family. A real one." Yelling back as he turned around slamming the door in her face she continued to yell his name over and over. But he shut the lights off leaving the young woman with the baby out in the street as she cried her little eyes out. Holding the baby close to her she looked deep into her babies eyes.