Chapter 8: The Truth About Noah
I stared at the image on my phone.
Jason.
Holding Noah when he was three years old.
Both of them smiling.
It looked innocent.
Normal.
A family moment.
But after everything I had learned, nothing felt normal anymore.
I showed Rachel.
Her face immediately changed.
“Where did you get that?””
“Someone sent it.””
“Who?””
“I don’t know.””
She took the phone carefully.
“Mark…”
“What?””
She looked scared.
“This picture was taken the week before everything changed.””
I frowned.
“What do you mean?””
Rachel sat down slowly.
“The week before Jason started telling me you were leaving.””
I felt cold.
“Why would that matter?””
“Because after that day, Jason stopped coming around.””
I looked at the picture again.
“What happened that day?””
Rachel didn’t answer immediately.
That worried me.
“Rachel.””
She closed her eyes.
“Jason asked me something strange.””
“What?””
“He asked if Noah looked like him.””
I stared.
“What?””
She looked at me.
“I thought it was a joke.””
My heart started beating faster.
“Rachel…”
“I told him Noah was your son.””
“And?””
“He laughed.””
A silence followed.
“What kind of laugh?””
“The kind that made me uncomfortable.””
I stood.
“No.””
Rachel looked at me.
“I know how this sounds.””
“No.””
My voice became louder.
“No, Rachel. Don’t tell me you’re thinking what I think you’re thinking.””
She looked down.
“I don’t know what to think anymore.””
For the first time in days, I saw fear on her face.
Real fear.
Not fear of an argument.
Fear of a truth.
I grabbed my jacket.
“Where are you going?””
“To find Jason.””
“Mark, wait.””
“No.””
I looked at her.
“I spent years believing my marriage ended because you didn’t trust me.””
She started crying.
“And now I find out there were people behind it.””
I shook my head.
“I need answers.””
I found Jason at his office.
He worked downtown in a glass building where everything looked expensive and perfect.
The kind of place where people smiled while hiding problems.
His assistant looked surprised when she saw me.
“Mr. Carter is in a meeting.””
“I’ll wait.””
She hesitated.
“Do you have an appointment?””
“No.””
I walked toward the waiting area.
Ten minutes later, Jason walked out.
He stopped when he saw me.
“Mark.””
I studied his face.
My brother.
The person I trusted most.
“Hello, Jason.””
Something changed in his expression.
He knew.
Maybe not everything.
But enough.
“What are you doing here?””
“I have questions.””
He looked around.
“About what?””
“About Rachel.””
His face tightened.
“Why are you bringing up the past?””
“Because the past isn’t finished.””
He sighed.
“Mark, whatever happened between you and Rachel was years ago.””
“Was it?””
He went quiet.
I stepped closer.
“Did you lie to her?””
His eyes moved slightly.
A small reaction.
But I saw it.
“Where did you hear that?””
I laughed.
“So you’re not denying it.””
“I don’t know what you think you know.””
“I know you showed her fake messages.””
His face changed.
Only for a second.
But enough.
“You need to leave.””
“Why?””
“Because you’re angry.””
“No.””
I shook my head.
“I’m confused.””
I lowered my voice.
“Why would my own brother destroy my marriage?””
Jason looked away.
Then he said something I never expected.
“Because you had no idea what was happening inside your own house.””
I stared at him.
“What does that mean?””
He looked back at me.
“You think you know everything about Noah.””
My stomach dropped.
“What did you do?””
Jason said nothing.
“Jason.””
He walked closer.
“You should ask Rachel who Noah’s biological father is.””
The hallway suddenly felt silent.
My ears rang.
“What did you say?””
Jason’s expression was unreadable.
“I think you deserve the truth.””
I wanted to believe he was lying.
I wanted to believe this was another manipulation.
But then he reached into his desk drawer.
He pulled out a small folder.
And placed it in my hand.
“This is why everyone has been hiding things from you.””
I looked at the folder.
There was one word written on the front.
*DNA.*
And underneath it was a date.
May you like
A date from twelve years ago.
The day Noah was born.
