Chapter 5: The Secret From Ethan’s First Day
I stared at the paper in my hand.
The auditorium disappeared.
The voices disappeared.
Even the people watching us seemed miles away.
All I could see was the date at the top.
Ethan’s birthday.
The day my entire world changed.
The day I became a mother.
“Mom?””
Ethan’s voice pulled me back.
I looked at him.
His face was filled with worry.
I forced a small smile.
“I’m okay.””
But Ethan knew me too well.
He always had.
“No, you’re not.””
I looked down.
He was right.
Because suddenly I was remembering everything.
The hospital room.
The rain against the window.
The way I held my newborn son and cried because I couldn’t believe something so perfect belonged to me.
And Marcus.
Standing beside me.
Or at least, I thought he was.
I looked at Rachel.
“What happened that day?””
She took a breath.
“Marcus received a phone call.””
Marcus stepped forward.
“Rachel.””
She ignored him.
“He left the hospital.””
I frowned.
“I remember that.””
I looked at Marcus.
“You said you had to handle something at work.””
His eyes lowered.
“I did.””
Rachel shook her head.
“No.””
The word was quiet.
But it carried across the room.
“You left because you found out something.””
My fingers tightened around the paper.
“What?””
Rachel looked at Ethan.
Then back at me.
“Marcus was told there was a possibility Ethan wasn’t his biological son.””
The room exploded with whispers.
My entire body went numb.
“What?””
Ethan looked shocked.
“Mom?””
I turned toward Marcus.
“Is that what you thought?””
He looked away.
And that hurt more than anything.
Because it meant it was true.
“Marcus.””
My voice cracked.
“You thought I cheated?””
He swallowed.
“I was confused.””
Rachel shook her head.
“No.””
Her voice became sharper.
“You were scared.””
Marcus looked at her angrily.
“You don’t know what I felt.””
Rachel stepped closer.
“I know exactly what you felt because I was there when you made the phone call.””
My heart raced.
“What phone call?””
Rachel looked at me.
“The call where Marcus told someone he needed a way out.””
The silence was unbearable.
Ethan looked at his father.
“You wanted to leave because of me?””
Marcus immediately shook his head.
“No.””
But his answer came too quickly.
Ethan noticed.
“So what was it?””
Marcus opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
I felt tears forming.
“Answer him.””
Marcus looked at me.
And for the first time in years, I saw something I hadn’t seen before.
Fear.
“I was told there was a chance.””
“A chance?””
“That you had been with someone else.””
The words felt like a slap.
I looked around.
At my son.
At the people watching.
At the man who had been my husband.
“I was in labor.””
My voice trembled.
“I was giving birth to our child.””
Marcus looked down.
“I know.””
“No.””
I stepped closer.
“You don’t know.””
My hands shook.
“You weren’t worried about whether I was okay. You weren’t worried about whether your wife was terrified. You were looking for proof that would let you leave.””
Marcus’s face changed.
Because he knew I was right.
Ethan slowly approached.
“Did you ever get a test?””
Marcus didn’t answer.
Ethan’s expression hardened.
“Dad.””
Finally, Marcus whispered.
“Yes.””
A painful silence followed.
“And?””
Marcus looked at him.
“The results were clear.””
Ethan waited.
“Say it.””
Marcus closed his eyes.
“You were mine.””
The room went silent.
I almost laughed.
Not because it was funny.
Because the pain was too big.
“You knew.””
Marcus looked at me.
“Yes.””
“You knew I didn’t betray you.””
He looked away.
“Yes.””
“Then why?””
His face tightened.
“I was already unhappy.””
There it was.
The truth.
Not an accident.
Not a misunderstanding.
A choice.
I nodded slowly.
“So you let everyone believe I destroyed our marriage.””
Marcus said nothing.
Ethan looked devastated.
“You let me think Mom abandoned you.””
“I never said that.””
Ethan laughed bitterly.
“You didn’t have to.””
The words cut deeper than anger.
Rachel touched my arm.
“There’s more.””
I looked at her.
More?
How could there possibly be more?
She handed Ethan another document.
“This is from the hospital.””
Ethan read it.
His eyebrows pulled together.
“What is this?””
Rachel looked at Marcus.
“Something he buried.””
My heart started racing again.
“What?””
Ethan looked up.
“The hospital records show someone requested the paternity test.””
He turned the paper around.
“The request came from…”
He stopped.
Everyone waited.
“Who?””
Ethan looked at Marcus.
Then at Chloe.
And Chloe suddenly stood up.
“No.””
Her face had gone pale.
Because she knew.
May you like
Ethan slowly finished the sentence.
“The request came from Chloe.””
