Chapter 11

My nose started to tingle, and I felt tears threatening to spill.

That evening, Taylor showed up.

He stood at the door, holding Isobel's little blanket.

My mom didn't let him in.

Taylor looked at me. "Come back home with me."

I said, "Isobel and I are staying here tonight."

"Don't drag Isobel into this just to spite me."

"I'm not."

He turned to my mom. "This is between me and my wife."

My mom let out a cold laugh.

She said, "So you do remember you're her husband."

Taylor's face darkened.

I stepped forward. "Mom, take Isobel to the bedroom."

My mom hesitated.

But after giving me a look, she scooped up Isobel and went into the bedroom.

After the door closed, only Taylor and I remained in the hallway.

He said, "Did you hear something?"

I looked at him. "What do you want me to hear?"

"What do you want me to hear?"

Taylor fell silent.

Just then, his phone rang.

As the screen lit up, I caught a glimpse of the caller ID.

It was a teacher from Sunnydale Kindergarten.

Taylor declined the call.

But a moment later, a message flashed on the screen. [Mr.Francis, Freddie started having a nosebleed at kindergarten. We've already contacted Willow. Please come as soon as you can.]

Taylor gripped his phone tightly in his palm.

His face went pale in that instant.

I stared at him.

He stared right back at me.

The hallway lights flickered off.

Darkness settled over us, and neither of us made a move.

After a few seconds, the lights came back on.

When Taylor spoke at last, his voice was rough. "I'll come pick you up later."

I asked, "Who had a nosebleed?"

He avoided my gaze. "It's a coworker's kid."

I gave a small laugh.

It was so soft, even I barely recognized it myself.

I said, "So your coworker's kid calls you 'Dad' now?"

Taylor swallowed hard.

He didn't answer.

I said, "Taylor, after all these lies, aren't you exhausted?"

He rubbed his forehead. "Coraline, now's not the time for this."

"Then when is the right time? Is it after you take Isobel to the hospital, then?"

He snapped his gaze to me.

For the first time, I saw real panic in his eyes.

He asked, "How much do you know?"

I said, "Enough to make sure you never touch Isobel again."

He stepped toward me.

I immediately stepped back, clutching the doorknob.

"If you come any closer, I'll call for help."

Taylor froze in place.

He spoke in a hushed tone, "Freddie's sick."

I said, "So what?"

"He needs a chance."

"Isobel isn't his answer."

"It's just a simple screening."

I stared at him. "So you really knew all along."

His face grew even darker.

I asked, "When did you start planning to use Isobel?"

Taylor closed his eyes. "Don't put it like that."

I said, "Then why don't you teach me how to put it nicely?

"Is it better to say you set up a check-up for your eight-month-old daughter, or that you hid from your wife and tried to use our daughter for a bone marrow match for another kid?"

Taylor's voice dropped. "Freddie is my son, too."

When those words hit me, it felt like a hole had been punched right through my chest.

Knowing the truth was one thing.

But hearing him actually say it out loud? That hit different.

I pressed him, "And five years ago? What about then? Where were you when Emmalee had him?"

Taylor's expression shifted.

He looked genuinely shocked that I even knew her name.

He stayed silent for a long time.

Then he said, "It's not like that."

"Then what is it?"

"It's over between me and her."

"So 'over' that you still signed as her husband in the delivery room?"

"Things were urgent back then."

"Urgent enough to make you lie to me about a business trip?"

"Coraline."

I cut him off before he could finish. "Don't call me that. Just hearing it makes me want to throw up."

As soon as those words left my mouth, the tears finally fell.

It wasn't because I was soft-hearted.

It was because all those years I'd cherished so much, they came crashing down.

The lemonade that sat untouched and went cold at the bridal shop.

The way he held my hand outside the prenatal clinic.

The way his eyes were rimmed with tears when Isobel was born.

All those moments I thought were real—now all those memories are tainted by the shadow of another life.

When Taylor saw me crying, his expression softened a little.

He said, "It's not that I didn't want to tell you."