Stay the Night

Chapter 42

November 18th, 2003

Michael swung his body around to face his sister, the air leaving his lungs. Janet shrank away from him, her eyes immediately going to the floor.

"No, what did you just say?" He croaked, his mouth going dry.

Janet let a long sigh before looking up to meet his gaze. "Just forget I said anything, Mike."

He could feel the ground sway beneath his feet. Of all things, cheating was the thing he least expected from Mariah. He could feel himself shattering, the weight of Janet's admission combined with the stress of just being released from prison. He couldn't take it.

"Forget? How can I forget? You just told me my wife's been cheating on me." He bit his lip, lowering himself onto the couch. "And you knew all this time?"

She shook her head. "Well, I didn't want to say anything because it was a rumor that I heard from Jermaine-"

"A rumor, Dunk?" Michael could feel the weight lifting off him almost immediately. Janet knew better to believe rumors about anyone in their family. He laughed, shaking his head. "You know better than that.

"I know, and that's what I told Jermaine when he mentioned it to me." Janet paused, as if she were trying to pick her words. "But then she made a comment..."

Michael felt his chest growing tight as Janet continued. He had half a mind to shut her up before she told him anything too incriminating about his wife and mother of his kids. He needed Mariah's support through his legal proceedings, he couldn't afford to find out now.

"She mentioned something about the eyes not matching, it was kinda poetic when she said it but she basically said that the eyes didn't match and that she was afraid." Janet looked back up at Michael. "I'm sorry, Mike."

"Eyes..."Michael mused quietly. "Did she mean Lizzie? Dunk, are you saying that she doesn't know if the kids are mine?"

Janet's eyes widened. "Mike, I don't know. All I know is that Jermaine mentioned it to me around the time Elizabeth was born and then he brought it up again while she was pregnant with Carey."

Michael felt sick to his stomach as the words continued to flow out of Janet. "So it was more than once?"

"Mike, it could just be rumors." Janet interjected quickly. "Could've easily been a regular business meeting with Tommy."

"How do you know it was him?" Michael asked quietly.

Janet frowned. "Jermaine."

"Well Jermaine seems to know a fucking lot about my wife, doesn't he?"

Janet opened her mouth, then closed it again.

He glared at the woman. "Nah, don't get quiet now. I want you tell me everything you know."

Janet shook her head. "That is all I know."

"Janet..." He whispered. "What if Lizzie isn't mine? Hell, what if Carey isn't mine?"

"You're the only father they know." Janet soothed. "Tommy ain't gonna care for them kids."

Michael nodded slowly in agreement.

Why would Mariah do something like this? She told me she never loved him and I believed her...even after everything. God, I'm such an idiot.

He put his face in his hands, horrified at the information Janet had given him. If it was true, he couldn't leave her because the media would twist against him. Yet, if it was just a rumor then he would spend time suffering in silence for no good reason. He'd have to ask Mariah the truth.