Her Husband's Secret Family

ck had burned away the last remnants of my grief, leaving behind a cold, hard resolve. I met

full of concern. "We can still just get you the be

He' d lie. He' d drag it out for years. It would be a public spectacle, and I' d be 'the

ss the table. "I want

e photo was of me, but with my hair cut short and dyed a soft brown. It was the result of Chloe' s resourceful and slightly illegal connections. S

he' s a volunteer art teacher from a small town in Oregon. Likes hiking

first real spark of hope in what felt

pression turning serious. "Just say t

calls or respond to his endless stream of text messages. He showed up at my office, begging to talk,

esperate. When I finally went home on the thir

as I stepped out of the elevator. "I' ve be

himself. He was worried about losing his perfect life, his perfect wi

deliberately cold and distant. I walked

ng me inside. "What you saw at the g

like? A child ran up to you, called you 'Daddy,' and his mother, your former assistan

. "She' s... she' s manipulating me. It' s a complicated sit

h the lie. I almost fel

ff. "Chloe and I are taking her father' s yach

mething he could understand. It was tempor

idea. You take all the time you need. We can talk wh

m, letting the sile

into our bedroom. He was sitting on the edge o

too long," he said, his

ch. Finally, with a steady hand, I slid my wedding ring and my engagement ring from my finger. The skin

e rings out to

ing?" he asked,

id calmly. "They' re too valuable. Can you put

sign, some hidden meaning. But my expression was blank. He s

like an electric shock. He closed his hand around them, a look of profound relief on his

motion. "Of course. I' ll keep them safe for you.

you will,

t lie I would