Chapter 2
Kevin's face was even more ghastly than mine.
Shock gave way to panic, then a deathly gray pallor settled over his features.
His lips parted, a silent attempt to form words that never came.
Meeting my gaze—eyes as cold and unfeeling as ice—he swallowed whatever excuse he'd been about to offer.
Finally, his head dropped in defeat, his voice rough like sandpaper. "Julia... let me explain."
The absurdity of it almost made me laugh.
The evidence was right there in black and white—what more could he possibly say?
Explain how he ended up in bed with his own brother's wife?
Or how he could stand by and watch me shower his illegitimate child with the same affection as if he were our own nephew?
My heart felt frozen, heavy and numb, yet my expression remained eerily calm.
I simply stared back at him, my tone flat. "Alright. Explain."
My composure seemed to catch him off guard.
He hesitated, a flicker of hope flashing in his eyes.
Maybe he thought, like before, a few sweet words and this would all blow over. How naïve.
He said, each word strained, "It... it was an accident. About a year ago, Michael was away on business.
"Evelyn was alone and called me late one night—she had a high fever.
"I drove her to the hospital, stayed to help her through it. That evening... we both had some wine."
He spoke slowly, watching my reaction closely.
"It only happened once. I swear, just that one time! Afterwards, I was filled with regret. I knew I'd betrayed you—and Michael.
"I told Evelyn straight up that it could never happen again, that we'd have to cut all contact.
"But I never imagined... she ended up pregnant.
"By the time I found out, she was already too far along—there was no way to end the pregnancy."
His voice cracked as he reached out, trying to take my hand.
"Julia, I know I screwed up. I've always loved you; you're the only one for me.
"There was nothing between me and Evelyn. It was just a stupid mistake."
I drew back, avoiding his touch.
His hand froze mid-air, the awkwardness thick between us.
"So you just stood by and let Michael believe he was Leo's real dad, happily playing the part?
"You watched him give Leo all his fatherly love, thinking he was his own son?" I pressed, my tone cutting and merciless.
Kevin's face flushed deep red, the embarrassment almost making him look bruised.
"I... I never wanted this. But it happened, so what could I do?
"Tell Michael? Our family would fall apart! My parents are getting old—how could they possibly take a blow like this?
"Evelyn swore she'd never breathe a word of it, she'd take this secret to the grave," he said, desperation creeping into his tone.
Nice speech. He just pinned all the blame on "I had no choice" and "I did it for the family."
Wow, what a heroic, selfless act.
I was this close to giving him a standing ovation.
"So why did Michael and Evelyn get divorced?" I continued, not letting the matter drop.
"Michael... he had some problems of his own. They'd been married for years, tried everything, but just never had a kid.
"When Leo finally showed up, Michael was so happy, like he'd hit the jackpot. But after a while, he started to realize Leo didn't really look like him.
"They started arguing all the time. Michael thought Evelyn was cheating on him, but he never had anything solid to go on.
"Maybe Evelyn felt guilty, or maybe she was just fed up with all the drama, so she finally agreed to split up," Kevin muttered, sounding almost embarrassed.
So that was how it was. What a ridiculous family soap opera.
My husband and his brother's wife joined forces to make his own brother the biggest fool on earth.
And now, they expected me to clean up their mess and pretend this joke of a family was still peaceful.
I spoke his name slowly, each syllable sharp and deliberate, "Kevin, what makes you think I would ever forgive you?"
Kevin flinched, his whole body jolting like he'd been hit.
He looked up at me, his eyes practically begging for mercy.
"Julia, after all these years together—" he started, his voice shaking.
"Together?" I cut him off, a dry laugh escaping me. "You dare talk about 'us'? Where was 'us' when you were having sex with Evelyn?
"Where was I when you heard Leo call you 'Daddy'?
"You enjoyed the life I built for us while hiding a secret family. You don't get to speak about all those years together."
My voice wasn't loud, but every word was a dagger to the heart.
Kevin's face turned ghostly pale, inch by inch.
He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
"I want a divorce." The statement hung in the air, calm and final.
There were no tears, no screaming.
The moment I saw that paternity report, something inside me had died.
There was nothing left for this man.
"No! I won't get a divorce!" Kevin finally came to his senses and rushed over, grabbing me in a desperate hug.
"Julia, please, give me another chance. I promise, I'll never do anything like this again!
"I'll tell Evelyn to take Leo and leave, to stay far away from us—they'll never come near us again, I swear! "Please, don't leave me," Kevin cried, sounding desperate and broken.
He was bawling like a little kid.
But I didn't feel even a hint of pity for him.
I pushed him away, hard. "Kevin, don't make me look down on you.
"You did it, so deal with it. Man up and face the consequences."
Right then, my phone started ringing—talk about bad timing.
It was Kevin's mother, Ashley Brooks.
I stared at the word her name flashing on the screen, and honestly, it felt almost comical.
I pressed answer and switched to speaker.
Ashley's booming voice came through the speaker.
"Julia, I heard from Michael that you guys are taking Leo to the amusement park tomorrow? Your dad and I haven't seen our grandson in ages, so we thought we'd tag along and make it a real family day," she said, her voice full of excitement.
Before I could even say a word, Kevin snatched the phone out of my hand, like he was grabbing onto a lifeline.
"Mom! You need to come over right now! Julia... she wants a divorce!" he blurted out, his voice shaking with panic.
There was a brief silence on the other end.
Then, Ashley's voice came back, even sharper.
"What? Divorce? Why? Everything was fine—why are you suddenly talking about divorce out of nowhere? Julia, are you acting up again?" she snapped, her tone full of irritation.
I ignored the accusation. My gaze remained fixed on Kevin, watching this final, pathetic play.
He had dragged his mother into this, trying to wield family pressure and guilt as his last remaining weapons.
A profound clarity settled over me. How had I ever loved this man?
How had I missed the cowardice, the selfishness, the utter lack of backbone hiding behind his charming smile?
I took the phone back from his trembling hand. My voice, when I spoke, was calm and deliberate, each word carved from ice.
"Mom, you should come over in person.
"And while you're at it, make sure Michael and Evelyn come, too.
"Your son's made quite a mess, and I think it's about time the whole family hears the truth," I said, my voice cold and resolute.