Anniversary of a Lie

Harvey cut off all contact, so no one could reach him. The company was in chaos and scrambling to find someone to fill his role. Even with all the groundwork he had laid, the deal still collapsed in the end.

Once he had everything settled for Cassie's funeral, he came back days later with a little girl. She hid timidly behind him, looking both adorable and pitiful.

"Say hello to Mrs. Clarke," he said while smiling, his voice sounding softer than I had ever heard.

If we had children, maybe he would've been a loving father. But in all these five years, I showed no signs of pregnancy and even blamed myself, until the hospital discovered that the problem was his low sperm count.

For the family's pride, Wendy begged me to keep it a secret.

As I stroked the little girl's hair, she obediently slipped her arms around my leg and was so sweet that I couldn't help but smile. "So, where did she come from?"

Harvey hesitated before saying, "She's Cassie's daughter."

The smile froze on my face, while Harvey got up and wrapped his arms around my waist. "Let's adopt her, honey."

The two figures, one tall and the other small, held me close. We must have looked like the perfect family to anyone watching, but deep down, my heart had long turned cold.

"Is the child's father dead too?" I heard myself asking in a startlingly calm voice.

Harvey rubbed his nose and replied, "No, but Cassie's husband can't possibly raise her alone. A child needs motherly love too. If he remarries, who knows what her stepmother will be like? Her life will be miserable."

I once heard a love quote that went something like, "If you love someone deep enough, you plan for their future."

I couldn't relate much back then, but now, it hit me like a blow and broke me apart.

"Those are just your assumptions."

Harvey's gaze sharpened. "When did you become so cold, Jilian?"

Then, his voice softened as he continued, "Plus, we don't have children anyway."

I gave a short, bitter laugh. "Is it my fault that we don't? Her father is still alive, and since she's not related to me or you by blood, what right do you have to talk about adopting her? If you're so eager to care for a child, the orphanage is full of them. You've been there with me enough times to know that those left behind are the ones with disabilities; they need love the most.

"Is this really about us not having kids, or is it because she's your first love's child?"

The little girl's wide, watery eyes met mine. I couldn't bear to look into her gaze, so I gently pressed my hands over her ears. And with that, Harvey and I erupted into the worst fight of our marriage.