Chapter 4 — The Baby Nobody Wanted to Talk About
Chapter 4 — The Baby Nobody Wanted to Talk About
The first thing I noticed about Chloe's baby was how much she looked like Daniel.
Not a little.
Not vaguely.
Enough that my stomach tightened the moment I saw the photograph.
Chloe had sent it to me at 6:12 the next morning.
No greeting.
No explanation.
Just one picture.
A tiny baby girl asleep beneath a pink blanket.
And beneath it, a message:
You need to know the truth about her father.
I stared at the screen for nearly a minute.
Then I looked toward Lily's crib.
My daughter was awake now, kicking beneath her blanket.
I picked her up.
“Good morning, sweetheart.”
She grabbed my finger.
I kissed her forehead.
Then I looked back at my phone.
I knew exactly whose father Chloe was talking about.
Daniel.
But I didn't know why she was suddenly so desperate for me to know.
I called her.
She answered on the first ring.
“Hello?”
“What's going on?”
Silence.
Then she said:
“I got the DNA test.”
My heart stopped.
“You did one?”
“Yes.”
“Without telling Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Her voice broke.
“Because he kept saying there was no reason.”
I sat down.
“What did it say?”
She took a breath.
“It's positive.”
I closed my eyes.
“Daniel is the father.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
Then I heard Chloe crying.
“I thought you'd be angry.”
“I am.”
“At me?”
“Not right now.”
“Then who?”
I looked at Lily.
“Mostly him.”
Daniel had never told me Chloe was pregnant.
He had told me she was “an old friend going through a difficult divorce.”
He had told me he was helping her because he felt sorry for her.
He had never said:
She's carrying my child.
But there had always been clues.
The strange phone calls.
The sudden hospital visits.
The money disappearing from our account.
The nights he said he was working late.
And one night, when I was seven months pregnant, I had found a tiny pink sock in his car.
I had held it up.
“What is this?”
He had laughed.
“Someone left it there.”
“Who?”
“I don't know.”
I had believed him.
That memory suddenly made me sick.
Because now I knew.
“Why did you do the test?” I asked Chloe.
“Because Daniel kept changing his story.”
“What story?”
“At first he said he was certain the baby was his.”
I frowned.
“Then?”
“After you found out about the affair, he told me he wasn't sure.”
My stomach tightened.
“He told you that?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
I did.
Daniel was already thinking about the consequences.
If the child was his, he would have financial obligations.
Legal obligations.
Parental responsibilities.
He couldn't simply walk away.
“He was trying to convince you that the baby might not be his.”
“Yes.”
“Did he know you were doing the test?”
“No.”
“What happened when he found out?”
“He called me.”
“And?”
“He said I was trying to trap him.”
I closed my eyes.
Of course.
The same man who had planned two households was suddenly terrified of responsibility.
“What did you say?”
“I told him he was the father whether he liked it or not.”
I almost smiled.
“Good.”
She was quiet.
Then she said:
“Jennifer?”
“Yes?”
“I need to tell you something else.”
My smile disappeared.
“What?”
“He knew.”
“Knew what?”
“That I was pregnant before you found out.”
I froze.
“What do you mean?”
“He knew before I was twelve weeks.”
I stared at the wall.
“So when I was pregnant…”
“He already knew.”
“And when he told me we couldn't afford a bigger apartment…”
“He was already paying my rent.”
“And when he told me we needed to cut expenses…”
“He had already bought furniture for the baby.”
I said nothing.
Chloe started crying again.
“I didn't know about all of that.”
I believed her.
At least I believed that part.
But there was one question I needed answered.
“Did you know about me?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“I knew you were his wife.”
“Did you know I was pregnant?”
“Yes.”
“From the beginning?”
“No.”
“When did you find out?”
“When I was about four months pregnant.”
“And you stayed.”
“Yes.”
I swallowed.
“Why?”
Her voice became barely audible.
“Because he told me you were going to leave him.”
I closed my eyes.
“He said that?”
“Over and over.”
“What else?”
“He said you didn't love him anymore.”
I almost laughed.
That lie hurt more than I expected.
Because there had been a time when I had loved Daniel more than I knew how to explain.
I had built my entire adult life around him.
I had believed his dreams were our dreams.
And all the while, he had been telling another woman that I didn't love him.
“Jennifer?”
“Yes?”
“There's something else you need to see.”
“What?”
“I have an email from Daniel.”
“Send it.”
“I will.”
A few seconds later, my phone vibrated.
I opened the attachment.
It was an email from Daniel to Chloe.
The date was six months before Lily was born.
I read it once.
Then again.
Then a third time.
Don't worry. Once the baby is born, everything will change. Jennifer will be too overwhelmed to fight me. I'll tell her the marriage isn't working and make it look mutual. I already know what to do with the money.
My hands went cold.
I scrolled.
The next sentence was worse.
The two kids will never have to know about each other if we keep things quiet.
I stopped breathing.
Two kids.
Daniel had already been thinking about keeping Lily and Chloe's daughter apart.
Not because he wanted to protect them.
Because he wanted to protect himself.
I forwarded the email to Laura.
Then I called her.
She answered immediately.
“I got it.”
I stared at the screen.
“Can this be used?”
“Yes.”
“What does it prove?”
“That he was planning financial and custody arrangements before your daughter was born.”
I swallowed.
“And the children?”
“It shows deliberate concealment.”
I looked at Lily.
“She deserves to know her sister.”
Laura paused.
“That's your decision.”
“I know.”
“But don't make any decisions today.”
“Why?”
“Because you're still emotionally involved.”
I almost laughed.
“I'm allowed to be.”
“Of course.”
She softened her voice.
“But Daniel may use that against you.”
I understood.
Every emotional reaction could become evidence.
Every angry message.
Every confrontation.
Every mistake.
He wanted me unstable.
I needed to become impossible to manipulate.
“I understand.”
“Good.”
She paused.
“There's something else.”
“What?”
“Daniel's attorney contacted me.”
My stomach tightened.
“What does he want?”
“He wants to discuss an agreement.”
“What kind?”
“Financial separation.”
I frowned.
“Already?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because he's scared.”
That afternoon, I met Laura again.
She placed a document in front of me.
“His proposal.”
I read it.
It was insulting.
Daniel wanted to divide our assets almost equally.
He wanted me to take responsibility for a large portion of the marital debt.
He wanted the house sold.
He wanted shared custody.
And he wanted the financial transfers to Chloe excluded from consideration.
I looked up.
“He thinks I'll accept this?”
“He thinks you'll be emotional.”
I stared at the document.
“Does he know about the DNA test?”
“Not yet.”
“Should we tell him?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I want him to commit to his position before we reveal everything.”
I nodded.
Then I noticed one clause.
“What is this?”
Laura leaned over.
“Which part?”
“This.”
I pointed.
Neither party shall publicly disclose private or sensitive information regarding the other party's personal relationships.
I looked at her.
“He wants me to sign a confidentiality agreement.”
“Yes.”
“About Chloe?”
“Probably.”
I laughed.
“He's terrified.”
“Yes.”
“Because he knows what happens if everyone finds out.”
Laura nodded.
“And because he doesn't want Chloe's existence becoming part of the custody and financial proceedings.”
I looked at the document again.
“He wants me silent.”
“Exactly.”
I pushed it away.
“I'm not signing.”
“I assumed you wouldn't.”
That evening, Daniel came to my mother's house.
I saw him through the window.
He was holding flowers.
I almost laughed.
The man who had hidden a second family behind my back was standing outside with roses.
I didn't open the door.
He called.
I answered.
“What do you want?”
“I want to see Lily.”
“You can see her when the appropriate arrangements are made.”
“She's my daughter.”
“Yes.”
“You can't keep her from me.”
“I haven't.”
“You're punishing me.”
“No.”
I looked through the window.
“I'm protecting her.”
“From what?”
“From instability.”
He went quiet.
Then he said:
“Did Chloe contact you?”
I didn't answer.
He knew.
“You talked to her.”
Still nothing.
“Jennifer, don't.”
“Don't what?”
“Believe everything she tells you.”
I smiled.
“Interesting.”
“What?”
“You didn't deny it.”
He was silent.
I continued.
“Is the baby yours?”
His voice changed.
“Why are you asking me that?”
“Because I know.”
Silence.
Then:
“She isn't your concern.”
I felt something inside me go cold.
“She is your daughter.”
“I'll deal with it.”
“You should have dealt with it before you created this mess.”
“I said I'll deal with it.”
“You've been saying that about everything.”
He became angry.
“You're trying to destroy me.”
“No.”
I looked at Lily.
“You did that yourself.”
He came closer to the door.
“Jennifer, please.”
“No.”
“I'm still your husband.”
“For the moment.”
His eyes filled with tears.
“You don't have to do this.”
“I have to.”
“Why?”
“Because you planned for me to disappear.”
He stared at me.
“You planned my financial ruin.”
“No.”
“You planned to make me look unstable.”
“No.”
“You planned to keep our children separated.”
His face went pale.
I had him.
For one second, his expression revealed everything.
Fear.
Real fear.
“How did you—”
I opened the door just enough to look at him.
“Good night, Daniel.”
Then I closed it.
The next morning, Daniel called Chloe.
She recorded the conversation.
She sent it to me.
I almost didn't listen.
Then I did.
His voice was furious.
“You had no right to do a DNA test without me.”
Chloe replied:
“You lied to me.”
“I never said the baby wasn't mine.”
“You said you weren't sure.”
“I was confused.”
“You told Jennifer you weren't involved with me.”
“I was trying to protect myself.”
“You promised me a family.”
“I can't do this right now.”
“Why?”
“Because Jennifer knows.”
“She already knew about me.”
“She knows about the baby.”
Silence.
Then Chloe asked:
“What are you going to do?”
Daniel's voice dropped.
“I don't know.”
“You need to tell her.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because if she knows the baby is mine, she'll use it against me.”
Chloe laughed bitterly.
“She's not the one who needs to worry about that.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I'm done protecting you.”
The recording ended.
I sat at my kitchen table.
I played it again.
Then I stopped.
Not because of what Daniel had said.
Because of what Chloe had said.
She was done protecting him.
That meant there were probably more secrets.
And I was beginning to understand the shape of the truth.
Daniel had built a life on lies.
But the people he lied to were finally comparing notes.
And once that happened, his story couldn't survive.
That afternoon, Chloe came to my house.
I almost didn't let her in.
Then I saw the baby in her arms.
She looked tiny.
Peaceful.
Completely innocent.
I stepped aside.
“Come in.”
Chloe entered.
She looked nervous.
“I didn't know where else to go.”
“You can sit.”
She sat on the sofa.
I remained standing.
“What do you want?”
She looked at the baby.
“I want her to know her father.”
“She will.”
“You promise?”
I hesitated.
“I can't promise what Daniel will do.”
Chloe nodded.
“But you?”
I looked at her.
“I won't lie to her.”
Tears filled her eyes.
“Thank you.”
I sat across from her.
“Tell me everything.”
She looked frightened.
“Everything?”
“Yes.”
“Even the things that will hurt you?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I'm already hurt.”
She looked down.
“Then you deserve the truth.”
She took a deep breath.
“Daniel wasn't planning to leave you after Lily was born.”
“I know.”
“He was planning to wait until you returned to work.”
I frowned.
“Why?”
“Because he wanted access to your income.”
My jaw tightened.
“What else?”
“He had a plan to convince you to sell the house.”
“Why?”
“To free up cash.”
“What would he do with it?”
She looked at me.
“Buy a house for me and the baby.”
I stared at her.
For several seconds, I couldn't speak.
The house.
Our house.
The place where I had painted Lily's nursery.
The place where I had imagined watching her take her first steps.
The place Daniel had called our home.
He had been planning to sell it.
To finance another family.
I looked toward Lily's room.
Then back at Chloe.
“Did you know?”
“I knew he wanted to move.”
“But not that it was your house?”
She shook her head.
“No.”
I believed her.
Then she said:
“There is one more thing.”
I felt tired.
“What now?”
“He didn't choose the name for my baby.”
“What?”
“He wanted to name her Emma.”
My heart stopped.
That was Lily's middle name.
Lily Emma Carter.
I stared at Chloe.
“He told me that name months ago.”
I whispered:
“Why?”
“I don't know.”
Neither did I.
But suddenly, the two babies born from Daniel's two lives seemed connected by more than blood.
And that frightened me.
Because I had spent months believing the affair was about another woman.
Now I was beginning to understand.
It had always been about Daniel.
His secrets.
His money.
His control.
His need to build a world where everyone depended on him.
And now that world was collapsing.
I looked at Chloe.
“Are you going to testify?”
She hesitated.
“Yes.”
My heart pounded.
“Against Daniel?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
She looked down at her daughter.
“Because she deserves better than a father who lies about being her father.”
I nodded.
Then I looked at my own daughter.
Two little girls.
Two mothers.
One man.
One enormous lie.
And for the first time, I realized that the truth about Daniel's second child might become the thing that finally destroyed the story he had spent a year building.
But there was something I still didn't know.
Why had Daniel been so determined to keep the two babies apart?
And what exactly had he been planning to do with our house, our money, and both children's futures?
I knew I would find out.
Because the next morning, Laura called me with a message that made my blood run cold.
“Jennifer,” she said, “we found another account.”
I sat down.
“How much?”
May you like
She paused.
“More than enough to change everything.”
