Chapter 13 - Ethan's Choice
I went to see him.
Not because I forgave him.
Because I needed to hear the truth from his mouth once.
Police stood outside Ethan’s hospital room.
His left arm was bandaged.
A bruise covered half his face.
He looked smaller than the man I had married.
Daniel stayed outside.
I entered alone.
Ethan started crying immediately.
“Claire.”
“Don’t.”
He wiped his eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“Tell me about the tea.”
He stared at his hands.
“My mother gave me drops.”
“Margaret.”
“Yes.”
“What did she tell you they were?”
“A natural sleep aid.”
“And you put them in my tea without telling me?”
He nodded.
My anger became cold.
“Why?”
“Because you weren’t sleeping.”
“That’s not why.”
He looked up.
I waited.
Finally he said, “She told me you were becoming paranoid.”
I laughed bitterly.
“About Samantha?”
He looked away.
“She said you were checking my phone.”
“I was.”
“She said if you slept better, you’d calm down.”
“So you drugged your pregnant wife to make your affair easier.”
“I didn’t know it was dangerous.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“No.”
“For how long?”
“Three weeks.”
My chest tightened.
“Three weeks.”
“I stopped.”
“When?”
“Five days ago.”
“Why?”
“You got dizzy on the stairs.”
I remembered.
I had nearly fallen.
Ethan caught me.
He spent the rest of the evening acting concerned.
“You knew.”
“I got scared.”
“Did you confront Margaret?”
“Yes.”
“What did she say?”
“That I was weak.”
I looked toward the window.
“And the labor-inducing medication?”
“I didn’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes.”
He started crying again.
“I swear.”
“You have lied to me for six years.”
“I know.”
“You slept with Samantha before we met.”
“Yes.”
“You married me because of my family.”
His face tightened.
“At first.”
“That doesn’t help.”
“I fell in love with you.”
“Did you?”
“Yes.”
“You knew your mother planned to use our baby.”
“I knew she wanted access to the trust.”
“And the accident?”
His face collapsed.
“I found out two months ago.”
“You stayed.”
“I was trying to stop her.”
“You stayed.”
“I didn’t know how to get out.”
I leaned closer.
“You could have told me.”
“I would have lost everything.”
There it was.
The truth beneath every lie.
Money.
Status.
Company.
His mother’s approval.
Everything except me.
“You were willing to risk me because telling the truth cost too much.”
He sobbed.
“Yes.”
I stood.
“Thank you.”
He stared.
“For what?”
“For finally telling one honest sentence.”
I turned to leave.
“Claire.”
I stopped.
“I signed a statement.”
I looked back.
“About everything.”
“Why?”
“Because Margaret tried to kill Howard.”
“That changed your conscience?”
“No.”
He looked at my stomach.
“You did.”
My heart didn’t soften.
Not enough.
He continued.
“I gave police account passwords. Records. Emails. Everything.”
“Good.”
“I’m going to prison.”
“Maybe.”
“I deserve it.”
I said nothing.
He swallowed.
“I want you to know one thing.”
“What?”
“Our daughter…”
My body went rigid.
“I know she’s mine.”
I stared.
“Did you test her?”
“No.”
“Then how?”
“Because the DNA test Samantha found was mine and Howard’s. My mother lied about Daniel because she wanted me angry at you.”
He took a shaky breath.
“I believed her because believing her was easier than admitting what I had become.”
I opened the door.
“Claire.”
I looked back one last time.
“I did love you.”
I held his gaze.
“Maybe.”
His face broke.
“But love without honesty, safety, or respect is just another excuse.”
I left.
Daniel waited in the hallway.
He didn’t ask what happened.
He simply walked beside me.
Two hours later, police arrested Ethan.
Conspiracy to commit fraud.
Financial crimes.
Tampering with medication.
Forgery.
Investigators expected more charges.
Margaret faced far worse.
Attempted murder.
Conspiracy.
Fraud.
Evidence tampering.
Possible charges connected to my mother’s death.
Samantha entered a cooperation agreement.
Howard gave a full statement.
And I thought the worst was finally over.
Then Dr. Foster called me at 2:11 in the morning.
“Claire, you need to come in now.”
I sat up.
“Why?”
“Your daughter’s heart rate changed.”
My blood turned cold.
“Is she okay?”
A pause.
May you like
Then the words every pregnant woman fears.
“We may need to deliver tonight.”
