Chapter 5: Confrontation
The tension in the house had reached a breaking point. Emily’s fingers trembled as she sat at the kitchen table, staring at the receipt once again. The paper had burned its image into her mind, and every time she looked at it, her heart pounded with the same sickening feeling. The truth was now undeniable. James didn’t believe their child was his, and she had to know why.
She had spent days wrestling with the decision of whether or not to confront him. Part of her wanted to believe it was a misunderstanding, that there was a logical explanation. But as the days went by, the weight of his silence, the way he avoided eye contact, the way he pulled away from her—it became harder to ignore.
With a deep breath, she stood up and walked to the living room, the receipt crumpled tightly in her fist. James was sitting on the couch, flipping through channels mindlessly. He didn’t look up when she entered, but Emily could feel his awareness, the tension between them palpable.
“James, we need to talk,” she said, her voice steady but quiet.
He turned to face her, his expression blank, his lips pressing together in a thin line. “About what?” he asked, though the defensive edge in his tone was already clear.
Emily’s heart raced, but she held her ground. “About the paternity test.”
James froze, his eyes briefly widening before he looked away, his hand running through his hair. “Emily,” he began, but she cut him off.
“I found the receipt,” she said, her voice soft but firm. “Why didn’t you tell me you were testing the baby’s DNA?”
The silence stretched between them like a chasm. He didn’t speak at first, and Emily watched him closely, her heart in her throat.
“I didn’t want to hurt you,” he finally said, his voice low. “I wasn’t sure. I didn’t think… I didn’t think I could handle it if—”
“If what?” Emily interrupted, the words bursting out before she could stop them. “If the baby wasn’t yours? Is that what you think? That I would betray you like that?”
James flinched, his face contorting with emotion. “I didn’t know what else to think,” he said, his voice raw. “You’ve been distant too, Emily. I didn’t know if I could trust myself, let alone—”
“Stop,” Emily whispered, her voice cracking. “You didn’t trust me, James. You didn’t trust our family.”
The words hung in the air between them, heavy and sharp. James lowered his gaze, and for a moment, Emily thought he might say something—something to explain himself, something to make her feel like he still cared, still wanted to make things right. But he didn’t.
The silence between them was deafening, each of them locked in their own turmoil. Emily felt the sting of betrayal, and yet she couldn’t look away. She had to know the truth now, even if it hurt more than anything.
“I’m going to get the results,” James finally said, his voice distant. “I’ll know for sure then.”
And with that, he turned away from her, retreating further into his own pain, leaving Emily to face the shattering reality of what they had become.
To be continued…
What will the results reveal? Will their relationship survive this betrayal? Find out in Chapter 6.