Chapter 5

What I didn't expect was that my parting words would drive him to get a DNA test.

Two weeks after signing the agreement, Kyle stormed back into my recovery suite, waving the lab results.

"The baby is mine! Why the hell did you tell me his father was dead?!"

My anger boiled over. "His name is Julian Carter! Julian!"

Startled by my sudden outburst, his aggressive posture deflated slightly. "Fine, Julian. But why did you claim he wasn't mine?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yes, it matters! You're not taking my son anywhere until you explain yourself. Either you leave alone and leave the baby with me, or you both stay."

A strange calm suddenly washed over me.

They were never the same person. They didn't even look that much alike.

All these years, I had been blinded by grief, latching onto Kyle just to have somewhere to pour out my love and longing.

I looked at him calmly. "Do you remember the person who donated his heart to you?"

Kyle blinked. "Yeah. The doctors told me he was a police officer. Died in the line of duty."

"He was the love of my life."

The remaining arrogance on Kyle's face shattered. His words stumbled out: "You mean... he was your ex-boyfriend?"

"He was never my ex. We never broke up. Not for a single second."

Kyle grabbed his hair with both hands, trying to make sense of what I was saying. It didn't take a genius to connect the dots.

"You mean... the only reason you ever approached me, the only reason you married me... was because his heart is beating inside my chest?"

"Yes. Exactly."

Every drop of love I had shown him over the years was nothing more than a misplaced shadow.

"So you never loved me? I was just his stand-in?"

"Yes."

"For seven years... you've been lying to me this whole time?"

"Yes."

His emotions detonated. He wanted to rage, but he had nowhere to aim it.

Watching him lose his mind was almost comical. Didn't he have his own precious first love?

Kyle grabbed everything within reach—vases, glasses, fruit bowls—and hurled them onto the floor, shattering them to pieces.

I sat quietly on the bed, watching him tear the room apart. A sharp, twisted satisfaction flared in my chest.

I loved it. I loved watching him taste this raw, bloody agony.

"Chloe Carter, you're a monster!" he roared, tears of rage springing to his eyes. "You played me for seven years!”

“No wonder you were so calm whenever Gina was around! No matter how terribly I treated you, you never cared! Because you never gave a damn about me to begin with!"

Now that we were divorcing, he wanted to act like a devoted, brokenhearted husband? It made me sick.

"What's the point of shouting now?" I snapped, matching his intensity. "Did I ever stop you from running to Gina? Are you the only one allowed to have a first love you can't get over? Am I not allowed to have mine?!"

"Gina and I are just—"

"Just what? Just friends? Was making out with her in front of everyone just friendly?”

“Was ditching me on our anniversary to stay out all night just friendly? Was leaving me screaming in labor to run to her just friendly?!"

I stared him down. He went dead silent. He couldn't deny a single word.

"Say whatever you want, this baby has my blood in his veins!" he hissed.

"Yes, your blood runs through him. But without that heart, would your blood even be pumping?" I countered ruthlessly.

"To me, your heart belongs to Julian Brooks. Your life is an extension of his. And this baby is the continuation of Julian's life. Without Julian, you'd be six feet under.”

“Without you, this baby wouldn't exist. At the end of the day, the man behind this child is Julian."

I would never forget that day.