Chapter 5: The Man Who Came Back Too Late
Jason arrived two hours later.
I almost didn’t recognize him.
The man who once walked into my house without knocking looked completely different.
His expensive jacket was wrinkled.
His confident smile was gone.
He stood outside the hospital room like he was afraid to enter.
Good.
He should have been.
“You have five minutes,” I said.
Jason nodded.
Emily immediately stood.
“No.””
He looked at her.
“Emily—”
“No, Jason.””
Her voice was sharp.
“You don’t get to come here now.””
Jason looked between us.
“I know.””
“Do you?””
She laughed bitterly.
“Because you left me to handle everything.””
I watched them carefully.
There was history there.
Painful history.
The kind that existed before I knew there was a problem.
Jason looked at me.
“I’m sorry.””
I didn’t move.
“Sorry for what?””
He swallowed.
“For hurting both of you.””
“Both of us?””
I stepped closer.
“You mean me and the baby?””
Jason looked down.
“Yes.””
I wanted to hit him.
I wanted to scream.
But my son was sleeping.
And I refused to let my anger become something he would feel.
“Tell me the truth,” I said.
Jason nodded.
“I was with Emily before you knew.””
“I know that part.””
His face tightened.
“But I didn’t know she was pregnant until later.””
Emily looked at him.
“You knew.””
Jason looked away.
“I knew.””
Her expression broke.
“You promised you would help.””
“I was scared.””
“You abandoned us.””
Jason closed his eyes.
“Yes.””
I looked at him.
“So why come back now?””
He reached into his pocket and pulled out an envelope.
“I found something.””
He handed it to me.
I didn’t take it.
“What is it?””
“Proof.””
“Of what?””
Jason looked at Emily.
Then back at me.
“That the baby was never the problem.””
My stomach tightened.
“What does that mean?””
Jason placed the envelope on the table.
“Before Emily gave birth, someone contacted me.””
Emily froze.
“Jason.””
He ignored her.
“They wanted me to disappear.””
I stared at him.
“Who?””
Jason’s face became serious.
“Someone who didn’t want the truth about your son coming out.””
I looked at Emily.
She looked just as confused.
“You’re saying Emily didn’t know?””
Jason nodded.
“She thought I left because I didn’t care.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Then why did you leave?””
Jason looked ashamed.
“Because I was threatened.””
The room went silent.
“Threatened by who?””
Jason didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he looked toward my son.
Then he said:
“Someone from Emily’s past.””
Emily shook her head.
“No.””
Jason looked at her.
“You know exactly who.””
Her face lost all color.
I looked between them.
“Who?””
Emily whispered:
“My father.””
The name surprised me.
Because Emily had always told me her father died when she was young.
But Jason’s expression told me something was wrong.
“Your father is alive?”” I asked.
Emily sat down.
Tears filled her eyes.
“Yes.””
The silence afterward felt unbearable.
“Then why did you lie?””
Emily stared at the floor.
“Because I was trying to escape him.””
I looked at Jason.
“And he threatened you?””
Jason nodded.
“He told Emily that if she had this baby, he would make sure everyone suffered.””
I felt anger rise again.
“Why?””
Emily looked at her sleeping son.
And then she said something I never expected.
“Because he believed this baby was proof of something he wanted hidden forever.””
I stepped closer.
“What proof?””
Emily’s voice cracked.
“The truth about what happened to my mother.””
Before I could ask another question, the hospital lights flickered.
Then my phone rang.
The caller ID appeared.
A name I had never seen before.
But Emily recognized it.
May you like
And the moment she saw it, she whispered:
“He found us.””
