Total pages in book: 38
Estimated words: 36820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 184(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 123(@300wpm)
“I knew it,” Jin says, ice in her voice. “Should’ve known better.”
“We’ll get to this,” I say as I hold up Mei’s hand. “Start from the beginning. Who is Penny’s father?”
Jin’s tough exterior melts a bit and she frowns. “Don’t play ignorant. You both know it’s Christopher.”
Mei lets go of my hand and sits straighter, glowering at her mother. “Why lie? Why let me think Penny was an accidental pregnancy from a one-night stand?”
Jin huffs. “Because she was an accidental pregnancy from a one-night stand.” She pauses to drink another gulp of wine. “I didn’t know he’d last past that night or let alone I’d fall in love with him.”
Mei softens. “You love him?”
“Of course I do,” Jin clips out. “My life has been a mess since I crawled into bed with him. Love has me going back to him again and again.”
“Why all the secrecy?” I ask, eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. “From what I’ve witnessed, he loves Penny dearly. I guess I don’t understand why the two of you aren’t together.”
Jin checks her phone, replies to someone, and then purses her lips. “It seems simple to you. It wasn’t always simple.”
“Explain the complexity then,” I urge. “She’s family. I’m at the very least your friend, Jin. You can confide in people and not die.”
Jin snorts with what might be humor. Mei stifles a giggle.
“After a particularly difficult work day, I went to the bar to unwind. Met a handsome guy with an intensity I was attracted to.” Jin’s eyes glaze over as if she remembers that night like it were yesterday. “He was perfect. I haven’t ever felt so…smitten over a man.” Her barely hidden pleasure is wiped away by a flash of regret. “Should have known it was too good to be true.”
Mei shoots me a frown and I shrug. I have no idea what’s the problem so far.
“Christopher was married,” Jin says simply. “To someone in an influential family.”
“Oh,” Mei says, voice soft.
“I saw the ring, saw the torment in his eyes, and pursued him anyway.” Jin downs the rest of her wine. “It was good, but the next morning, he expressed his shame for cheating on his wife.”
She disappears to grab her wine bottle and returns a few seconds later. I take Mei’s hand again, stroking her skin with my thumb, hoping to offer comfort as her mother tells her deepest secrets.
“As much as I liked him,” Jin continues, “I didn’t want to be that woman. We agreed not to see one another. That was that.”
“Until…” Mei encourages.
“Until seven months later when he showed up with his wife at my practice. I was her doctor and it took me by surprise to walk into the exam room that day. Christopher was handsome as ever, but he was with the reason we couldn’t have more. Her.” Jin lets out a sad laugh. “By then, I was obviously pregnant. Somehow, Christopher knew it was his. I tried to play it cool, but I think my eyes gave it away. After work, he was waiting outside for me. Alone. I told him it was his baby, but I was fine with raising the child alone.”
Obviously, that didn’t happen, because Penny is two and they’re still very much involved.
“He didn’t like that,” Jin says with a sigh. “He wanted to help me. Went to a few doctor appointments, brought me stuff for the baby, and even took me to dinner a few times to check in on me.” Jin bites on her lip and her eyes shine with tears. “And then it happened again. We had sex. I knew he was married and continued to sleep with him because I was selfish.”
“You weren’t the only one in the wrong, Mom,” Mei says, coming to her mother’s defense.
“He’s no longer married, is he?” I ask.
Jin shakes her head. “They got divorced not long after Penny was born.”
Mei stiffens. “The postpartum depression…”
“Was more complicated than just that,” Jin admits. “I hated myself for destroying his family.”
“So, if you love him, why aren’t you with him?” Mei’s question is one I want the answer to as well. “Why all this?” She waves a hand around indicating this house and me.
“It’s a scandal,” Jin explains through gritted teeth. “Christopher is on track to become the sheriff when McMahon retires. If anyone finds out, and does the math, they’ll know I slept with him while he was married to Amanda. Not only will this town drag him through the mud and ruin his chances for sheriff, but they’ll destroy my practice. I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am.”
I thread my fingers with Mei’s ignoring Jin’s critical stare. Just like we knew Christopher was Penny’s dad, she knows we’re together. All secrets come out tonight. All of them.
“So, marrying me wasn’t just for saving Carol’s house?” I ask. “It was for optics? For you and Christopher’s careers?”