Chapter 3

The next morning I woke to Kerry already rushing to get out the door.

He saw my eyes open and reached over to stroke my hair.

"There's an important meeting at the company today, something last-minute. I have to go in. I'll be with you tonight, okay? Just be good."

I gave a small nod.

He seemed surprised that I'd agreed so easily. Before he left, he turned back to look at me, his eyes full of tenderness.

Once Kerry was out the door, I followed behind him and got into a car.

The car didn't head for the company. It drove all the way to a maternity hospital.

I trailed after Kerry and watched him walk into a hospital room.

I stood outside. The person lying in the bed was clearly Katherine.

"Kerry, Aunt said Cora threw a fit yesterday. You don't think she's found out something, do you?" Her voice was so sweet it turned my stomach.

Kerry soothed her. "She hasn't. You just gave birth, don't fill your head with all this, it's bad for you. And even if she did find out, I still love you most. What are you afraid of?"

Katherine caught his hand and pouted. "I'm just scared of being apart from you."

He pinched her cheek. "How would we ever be apart? Mom and I have gone to all this trouble hiding it from her just so I could be with you. There you go, overthinking again."

"It's only that I've put you through so much. We can't be open about it, and you have to stay in that old house. Give it a few more years, once things are steadier, I'll move you into the empty villa."

I stood at the door, and my feet felt like they'd been filled with lead.

It was several minutes before I finally pushed the door open.

The moment Katherine saw me come in, her face froze.

I hadn't seen her once since the affair blew up back then.

Kerry had been feeding her the chicken soup my mother made. When he saw me, he stepped straight in front of her, as if afraid I'd hurt her, with no intention at all of explaining himself.

I smiled, my tone light. "Katherine, how could you have a baby and not tell me? I am your cousin, after all."

"So who's the father? Don't tell me you've gone and gotten yourself involved with a married man again. Having a child out of wedlock isn't exactly something to be proud of."

Kerry's brow creased, and he took a few steps toward me.

"Cora, do you have to be so nasty?"

I let out a cold laugh. "I'm being nasty? Then why don't you explain to me what you're doing here?"

Off to the side, Katherine looked about to cry.

"Kerry only came to check on me. He didn't dare tell you because he was afraid you'd be upset. Don't misunderstand." Her voice was thick with tears.

I looked around the room. It was packed with gifts of every kind.

One of the bags I'd happened to see in Kerry's car a few days ago. At the time I'd thought it was a surprise for me.

I raised my eyes to Katherine. On her wrist was my mother's bracelet.

Suddenly my head felt like it was splitting open, my body shaking so I couldn't stop it, a wave of nausea rising until I wanted to be sick.

Seeing this, Kerry dropped the badgering and came over to steady me.

"What's wrong?" There was worry in his voice.

He didn't wait for me to answer. He took me out of the room.

He brought me back to the car and said, a little anxiously, "Is it your condition again? I told you not to let your mind run wild. Don't you know by now how I treat you?"

"Then what about Katherine? Why are you with her? And whose child is that?" I asked.

"It's exactly because I was worried about your health that I never told you all these years. She married one of my business partners. He had something to deal with today and asked me to help look after her, that's the only reason I came." Kerry said.

Then he actually took out a photo of Katherine and some man to show me, as if he'd prepared it long ago.

He held my hand. "Stop thinking about it, all right? In a few days I'll take you in for a checkup."

Before I could react, his phone rang. He glanced at it but didn't answer.

"There really is something going on at the office. Let me have the driver take you home first."

Sitting in the car, I felt anything but calm. Halfway there I got out, and as if something were pulling me, I walked back to the hospital.

In the room, Katherine had her arms around Kerry, pouting. "Didn't you say you only love me? Then why do you care so much about her?"

"Sweetheart, of course I love you most. Haven't I given you everything good there is? She just has the title of Mrs. Sanchez, that's all." Kerry's voice held a tenderness I'd never once heard from him.

"Hmph. You'd better only ever love me." And with that, Katherine kissed him.

And now, I didn't even have the strength left to push that door open.