Chapter 8: The Truth Beneath
Emily didn’t know how long she stood by the door after walking away from James, but when she finally moved, the house felt different. The air was thick with something unspoken, something that neither of them could escape. She had retreated to the nursery, her refuge, but even there, the shadows of doubt and heartbreak seemed to press against her. She stood by the crib, watching her daughter’s chest rise and fall with each peaceful breath. It felt like the only thing in her life that was still whole.
The baby stirred, her tiny hands reaching up in sleep, and Emily’s heart broke a little more. She hadn’t asked for any of this. She hadn’t asked for her marriage to fall apart, for the trust between her and James to be shattered. But now, she was left to pick up the pieces, unsure of how to rebuild the life she had once dreamed of.
She wanted to scream, to tell James how deeply he had hurt her. But the silence between them felt like a boundary, one neither of them seemed brave enough to cross. He had stayed in the living room for hours after she had left, but Emily couldn’t bring herself to face him. She needed space—space to think, to breathe. She needed to figure out what she wanted.
The next day, Emily decided to take a walk with the baby, anything to clear her head. The weather was dreary, the sky overcast, mirroring the heaviness in her heart. The cold air hit her face like a slap, but it felt good, as if it were washing away some of the lingering confusion.
She walked aimlessly, the sound of her shoes crunching against the wet pavement echoing in the stillness. Her mind kept returning to James, to their past. She had loved him, deeply. She had trusted him with everything, with her hopes and dreams, with their child. How had they come to this?
As she reached the park, the weight of her thoughts threatened to overwhelm her. She paused near the swings, looking at the empty space where children should be playing. The loneliness pressed down on her, and for a moment, she wished for things to be different. For the past to be something she could reach back and change.
That’s when her phone rang. She hesitated for a moment before answering, the number unfamiliar. But when the voice on the other end spoke, her stomach dropped.
“Is this Emily Parker?” the voice asked.
“Yes,” she replied, her voice thin.
“We have the results you requested… There’s been a mix-up.”
The words hit her like a thunderclap. A mix-up? What was this about? Emily’s heart began to race as she waited for more information. She could barely breathe.
“Can you come in?” the voice continued. “We need to clear something up.”
To be continued…
What mix-up is the clinic referring to? Can Emily handle another truth that might change everything? Find out in Chapter 9.