Chapter 3

When my in-laws rushed Alvin to the clinic in town, the doctor diagnosed him with severe anemia. But the clinic had no blood bank—either relatives had to donate, or blood had to be transferred from the city hospital.

To save money, Edmund secretly called his brothers over.

Once everyone had arrived, the doctor asked who the father was and said he would test him first. The four middle-aged men looked at each other hesitantly.

The doctor asked, puzzled, "Don't you know who the father is? Stop being so slow and go get your blood tested."

Edmund looked grim.

Casey called out anxiously, "Let's just get everyone tested, all of you."

When I heard Casey didn't intend to get tested, my heart skipped a beat.

I pulled Casey quickly aside and said, "Casey, let's both get tested. The nurse told me sometimes even parents can't donate, and people without blood ties might still be a match.

"The more of us who test, the better the chance Alvin gets what he needs."

Motherly instinct won out—Eliza rolled up her sleeve to be tested as well.

But I knew what the tests would show. Syphilis wasn't something one caught yesterday or the day before. It would come out in the results.

The Harpers had slandered me in my previous life, saying I got syphilis. They ruined my name, and drove my mother to suicide.

Just thinking of it made my teeth grind with hatred.

This time, I wanted them to taste the same shame, rejection, and scorn.

While waiting for results, Eliza told me to run home to pack some stuff for Alvin.

Holding Maya in my arms, I deliberately walked through the busiest part of the town, greeting the townsfolk, lingering long enough to attract attention.

As expected, Esther, Ruth and Eliza all came to question me.

Ruth said, "I get that Alvin needs a blood transfusion, but Casey and Edmund can donate blood. What's the point of calling our husbands as well?"

I stammered, "M-more people mean more help, right? Alvin needs a lot of blood."

Ruth was sharp; she could tell immediately that I wasn't telling the truth.

She shrieked, "How much blood does a young man need for anemia? Did the doctor say one donor wasn't enough?"

I flushed red and ducked my head, not knowing what to say.

Esther demanded, "What exactly is wrong with Alvin? Is he dying?"

Backed into a corner, I dropped to my knees with a loud thud.

I said, "Please, let your husbands help him. Alvin's dangerously anemic. He needs a lot of blood, and the clinic doesn't have a blood bank. I'm begging you."

I sobbed for effect, then added the fatal blow. "Casey said she doesn't know who Alvin's real father is either. That was why she called your husbands, to see whose blood matches."

Those words were like splashing oil into a fire. The cornfield scandal a week ago hadn't even died down and now this bombshell dropped.

The crowd swarmed closer, buzzing with excitement.

"Casey herself said she doesn't know whose kid Alvin is?"

"Did Edmund beat Casey for this?"

"What if Alvin isn't even a Harper? Maybe Casey slept with men outside the family too."

"So the three brothers all slept with Casey? No wonder it's a mess."

The whispers went on.

The townsfolk were always hungry for gossip. They helped me up, smiling and practically begging me to spin them a full-blown scandal.

Esther, Ruth and Eliza's faces turned pale with rage. They shoved through the crowd, jumped on their bicycles, and tore off toward the clinic.

Eliza even had a butcher's knife tucked into her waistband.

Naturally, I had to play the dutiful wife and chase after them.

At the clinic, I rushed ahead, arms spread wide. "Please, let's talk later. At least wait until Alvin gets his blood."

Then I turned my head and called out to the doctor, "Doctor, did the blood test results come back yet? Whose blood can be used?"

I didn't want the women to beat up the men yet. It was too early. After all, I knew the results of the tests.

The women might as well hear the results first. Otherwise, they'd have to kick their husbands' asses twice.

The doctor came over with several reports. "Casey and Edmund are no good—they both tested positive for syphilis. Dereck and Logan are matches. Shawn and Emily's blood types don't fit."

Upon hearing that Shawn and Casey had syphilis, Eliza couldn't be restrained any longer. She yanked out her knife and stormed toward the ward, yelling, "You filthy slut! I'll gut you where you stand—"

The medical staff panicked. Some called security and some called the police.

But none dared to block Eliza's path. Eliza charged forward, unstoppable.

When Esther and Ruth heard that their husbands and their nephew could be a blood match, their faces turned several shades.

Fuming, they started to follow Eliza.

But they felt uneasy and turned back to ask the doctor, "Are you sure our husbands don't have syphilis? How accurate are your tests?"

The doctor said, "Our test is accurate. But syphilis has a three-week incubation period. Anyone who's been intimate with Casey and Shawn recently should get retested at a larger hospital in three weeks."

Esther and Ruth were startled by this news and became even angrier.

They stormed after Eliza into the ward.

Moments later, the ward erupted with screams, curses, and the sound of furniture crashing.

Other patients and families crowded the hallway, watching eagerly as chaos unfolded.

Clutching Maya close, I shrank back against the wall, too frightened to go near.