The Child Between Us

My heart sank. If I were to be specific, it felt like it'd been plunged into an icy abyss. That was the voice of Zoe Wilson, my husband's true love.

Tim Brook's true love.

We grew up in the same group house, but she had all his love and affection for more than 10 years. Six years ago, she left him at the altar and fled overseas. And so, Tim married me in a fit of temper.

Everyone jeered at me, calling me a thief, calling me someone who finally got her wish. Unease had gripped me since then, and it only grew stronger.

I desperately wanted a baby, naively thinking that I would at least have a connection with Tim even if Zoe returned.

Fate decided to slam that door in my face.

Tim was diagnosed with low sperm mobility, and I'd gotten many injections over the years just to get a successful IVF. My body was already covered in bruises from my attempts, yet my efforts were all for naught.

I didn't think Zoe would come back, but here she was. As if it couldn't get any worse, Cece was her child. That made me wonder who the father was.

Realization hit my mind like thunder. I refused to think further. Unfortunately, I lost my balance in my despair, causing the fruits to tumble out of my hand and hit the ground with loud thuds.

The voices inside went quiet, father and daughter jerking their heads back. Tim's smile was still hanging on his lips, but his eyes narrowed when he realized who was standing outside, and he quickly got up.

Then, he nervously held my hand and put the back of his other hand against my head. He was worried I'd lost my balance because my cold got worse. I lied to him about the hospital trip. It wasn't a cold. I was searching for help for Cece.

I've gone across the whole country over the last few years, but nothing worked. A concerned Tim told me to stop fussing over the matter, but I couldn't watch while Cece suffered from aphasia. So, I looked for doctors behind his back.

I turned away stiffly.

Tim didn't suspect me of overhearing their conversation. He pulled his hands back and picked up the fruits.

"Just tell the housekeeper if you need any groceries. Don't exhaust yourself. Spend more time with Cece." Then, he waved at Cece. "It's all your favorites."

The girl waddled over like a penguin, but she circled me and approached Tim. She'd never been close to me. I'd always felt guilty taking her to all those doctors. I thought she was scared of me because she associated me with the doctors, but… well.

I stared at them, picking the fruits up as my heart twisted into knots. My chest went numb, but slivers of pain still peeked through.

A moment later, I took a deep breath and decided to poke the hornet's nest a little. "Did Cece call me Mom?"

Cece jerked her head back, her eyes wide as the blackberries she was holding. Tim froze for a moment before he patted Cece's head and told her to go back to her room.

After she was gone, he said solemnly, "You were mistaken. Cece's already diagnosed with a voice disorder. Don't bring that up when she's around ever again."

He made his way to the nursery, leaving me alone in the living room. My eyes stung, their edges red. I knew what I heard. That was no hallucination.

I bit my lip until the skin tore, until the pain numbed me. When I spoke, my voice shook. "But I…"

"Enough, Yvonne. Don't make this harder on me." Tim stopped for a moment just to give me that icy answer. Then, he went into the nursery and slammed the door shut. The rest of my sentence died in my throat.

Tim's respect for me was conditional. He would shut me down whenever I went against him. He would turn his back against me, and his eyes always only had Zoe. Only Zoe.

Everyone said I managed to snag a great bargain. I once fantasized about this relationship actually blossoming into romance. However, reality was a cruel mistress, and our marriage had been lukewarm for six whole years. He probably wouldn't ever fall in love with me.

He knew I hated lies and deception.

When I was five, my mother duped me into opening the door for her. She went into a man's car and never came home. When my father threatened to beat me up, Tim was the one who barged right into the line of fire and defended me.

The scar on his forehead was still vaguely visible even after all this time. Since that day onward, I'd had a visceral hatred for lies.

This fraudulent marriage had abused and hurt me until not an inch of me was left unmarred. In the end, all I gained was a masterfully crafted lie.

I wiped my tears away and dialed that man's number with trembling fingers. The call went through almost immediately. Henry Silhouette's flippant but surprised voice came through.

Henry had been the boy who wouldn't stop following me around like a particularly vicious goose since we were kids, and he was always at odds with Tim. "Have you finally gotten over your useless husband and are willing to consider me, Eve?"