Chapter 2: The Secret Between Them
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
It was like the entire world had stopped to watch my life fall apart.
Jason stood halfway down the stairs, his face drained of color.
My mother sat on the couch, crying silently.
And I stood there, holding onto the edge of the table because my legs suddenly didn’t feel strong enough to carry me.
“Ma,” I whispered.
My voice cracked.
“Tell me I’m hearing this wrong.””
My mother looked at me with tears running down her cheeks.
“Emily…”
“No.””
I shook my head.
“No, don’t say my name. Just tell me I’m wrong.””
Jason finally stepped down from the stairs.
“Emily, please listen to me.””
I looked at him.
The same man who kissed me goodbye every morning.
The same man who held my hand when I lost my job.
The same man who promised me we would build a future together.
Now he was standing in front of me with guilt written all over his face.
“How long?”” I asked.
He stopped.
“What?””
“How long has this been happening?””
“Emily—”
“How long have you been sleeping with my mother?””
My mother broke down.
“Please don’t talk like that.””
“Like what?”” I shouted.
“Like the truth?””
Jason rubbed his face.
“It wasn’t supposed to happen.””
I laughed.
A painful, empty laugh.
“That’s your explanation?””
“No. I mean—”
“You accidentally betrayed me?””
He looked down.
“I never wanted to hurt you.””
I stared at him.
“You never wanted to hurt me?””
My voice became quieter.
“That’s what you’re going with?””
My mother stood up.
“Emily, I know how this looks.””
I turned toward her.
“How this looks?””
I could barely believe those words came from her.
“You’re my mother.””
“I know.””
“You raised me.””
“I know.””
“You watched me fall in love with him.””
Her face collapsed.
“I know.””
“Then how could you do this?””
She covered her mouth.
“I was lonely.””
That sentence hurt more than anger would have.
I looked around the room.
The same living room where we celebrated birthdays.
The same couch where my mother hugged me after my first breakup.
The same house where she told me I deserved someone who respected me.
And now she was standing there beside the man who destroyed me.
Jason stepped forward.
“Emily, I wanted to tell you.””
“When?””
He stayed silent.
“When were you planning to tell me, Jason?””
“I didn’t know how.””
I nodded slowly.
“Of course you didn’t.””
I looked at my mother.
“And you?””
She wiped her tears.
“I found out I was pregnant a few weeks ago.””
“A few weeks?””
“Yes.””
“You both knew?””
Neither answered.
That silence was enough.
My chest felt like it was breaking open.
I picked up my purse from the chair.
Jason immediately moved closer.
“Where are you going?””
I looked at him.
“Somewhere I don’t have to look at you.””
“Emily, please.””
“No.””
He reached for my arm, then stopped himself.
Maybe he finally realized he had no right to touch me.
“I love you,” he said.
Those words almost made me angry enough to scream.
“Don’t say that.””
“Emily—”
“Don’t say something beautiful after doing something so ugly.””
The room went silent.
My mother sat back down, crying.
Jason looked destroyed, but I couldn’t tell if it was because he hurt me or because he got caught.
I walked toward the front door.
Then I stopped.
Because something suddenly bothered me.
Something didn’t make sense.
I turned around.
“Mom.””
She looked up.
“What?””
I stared at her.
“If Jason is the father…”
Her face went pale.
I continued.
“Why did you look scared when I asked who it was?””
Neither of them answered.
Jason looked at my mother.
My mother looked at him.
And that tiny exchange told me there was another secret.
A bigger one.
I slowly stepped back into the room.
“What aren’t you telling me?””
My mother’s hands started shaking.
Jason looked away.
Then my mother whispered the words that made my blood run cold.
“Emily… Jason isn’t the only person who knows about this.””
I stared at her.
“What does that mean?””
She opened her mouth.
But before she could answer, someone knocked on the front door.
Three slow knocks.
My mother looked terrified.
And when she saw who was standing outside through the window…
She whispered one name.
May you like
A name I had never heard before.
“Daniel.””
