CH 10

Hannah

Suddenly, Marie fell silent, and all that could be heard was the sound of her breathing. Marie’s silence made me too afraid to ask any further. We remained silent for a long time.

A few minutes later, Marie cleared her throat. “I don’t know how to answer that. My answer will only cause problems for you. But I can’t lie to you either.”

“Mom, please. I understand your position. I just want to know the truth.” My voice trembled.

Marie sighed deeply. “Dear, I knew this situation would come. Some time ago, Jason came to visit and asked me to help him, even though I didn’t agree with his attitude. He said that if you ask me about the diamond bracelet, I should say that I received it, even though I never received that diamond bracelet at all. I know his actions were wrong. Then, I asked him why I had to help him lie. However, he immediately left, saying nothing. I also tried calling him to ask, but he still said nothing. What happened? Is there a problem with your marriage?”

Something unexpected happened. Tears streamed down my eyes and face. I was sure Marie could hear me crying. However, she remained silent and waited for an explanation from me. “He is having an affair with a woman who also lives in the same building as us.”

“What? Are you sure?” Marie sounded shocked.

“Yes. I saw it with my own eyes when we were invited to dinner by that woman and her family.”

“I am sorry to hear that, dear. I hope I heard wrong and Jason didn’t do something so shameful. What’s her name?”

“Bella Turner.”

Marie fell silent again, making me curious. “Mom, is there anything else you know about them?”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because you suddenly went quiet when you heard her name,” I replied. At that moment, I braced myself to hear more painful facts.

“He once called a woman named Bella on the back porch. I thought Bella was one of his friends, but then he said he had transferred the money to Emma. Do you know who Emma is?”

It was like a bolt of lightning striking in broad daylight. Another painful fact hit my heart and mind. So, Jason was also supporting Emma? Did Mike know about all this? But I only found out about their affair recently. So, it was likely that Mike knew nothing, either.

Jason’s love for Bella was so great that he helped support Emma, even though we had discussed Jason’s income and set aside most of our income for Jensen’s future. But plans are just plans because now Jason is supporting two families at once.

Ah, I remember something and I’m so stupid for not realizing it until now. A few years ago, Jason said that the company he worked for was streamlining in several areas.

This affected Jason. With the same number of working hours, the hourly wage was reduced, so his monthly salary also decreased. He also said that the company was laying off employees.

I believed everything he said and accepted it with an open heart. So, since then, the salary Jason gave me also deceased, but we still lacked nothing financially.

However, today I discovered the truth and the connection. He was giving a portion of his salary to Bella and Emma.

My question at the time was, why was he paying for Emma? Isn’t Emma Mike’s responsibility as her father? Everything that happened that day left my head spinning.

“Emma is Bella’s biological daughter with her husband, Mike Turner,” I replied to Marie.

“Why is Jason paying for her education and getting her insurance?”

It felt like a huge rock had hit my heart. Insurance? Why would Jason do that for Emma? Emma isn’t his biological child.

Wait. Could Emma be Jason and Bella’s biological child? Oh, God.

“Hannah? Are you there?”

“Y-yes. I’m here.”

“Do you know the name of the insurance company?”

“If I heard correctly, it’s RF Insurance. What’s going on? You didn’t answer my question.”

“I don’t know the relationship between Jason and Emma, either. But RF Insurance is an exclusive insurance company that charges higher premiums than other insurance companies. I, Jason, and Jensen have insurance with RF Insurance. What I don’t understand is why Jason would do that for Emma. I wondered if Emma might be Jason and Bella’s biological child.” My voice sounded softer and hoarse. My world felt like it was turning upside down, and I felt shattered inside.

“If I may give you some advice, it’s best to stay positive while you find out more. Maybe Jason is helping the child. How old is she?”

“Six years old. She’s the same age as Jensen.”

“It is likely that he’s helping the child. You’d better find out more details. If I get any more information, I’ll let you know. Please save your marriage. For Jensen’s sake,” Marie pleaded. Deep down, I wanted the same thing, but if Jason didn’t want me anymore, there was nothing I could do. One thing was certain: I would take Jensen with me if we had to separate.

“Okay, Mom. I’ll try to find out. Thank you and bye.”

“Bye, dear. I love you.”

After ending the call, I thought for a moment. Regarding the diamond bracelet, I already knew its original owner. Regarding the insurance, it was difficult for me to find out because patient information is highly confidential.

When I turned and observed the community members, an idea suddenly came to mind. Maybe they knew something about Emma.

I hurried back and sat down in my seat. Because I had been talking with Ms. Cindy and Mom for so long, my food had gotten cold. Jennifer, who noticed my arrival, asked. “Are you okay, Hannah?”

I turned, and our eyes met. Although Jennifer wasn’t the extroverted type, she cared about everyone in the community. More than that, she knew everything that happened in the community.

“Umm, yes. Sorry for interrupting your lunch. There’s something I want to ask,” I said while looking at each community member’s face.

“Please, say it,” they all replied.

“Have you ever heard about the issue regarding Emma’s health condition?”

“Emma Turner? Don’t you know?” one of the community members asked.