?Chapter 14:
Jeff’s words ignited a fury in Sharon.
Ready tosh out once more, she seethed, “You disgraceful man! How could you father a child outside of our marriage? No surprise she pursued Katelyn’s husband. Clearly, she’s picked up your worst traits.”
Jeff, his face marred by scratches and blood, was both furious and exasperated as he shoved Sharon back. “Enough of your absurd ims! I’m being serious here.
Didn’t you sense a connection when you looked at her? I’ve never felt that with Katelyn.”
Sharon paused, her hand mid-air, struck by his words. Indeed, she had felt an inexplicable connection the moment she firstid eyes on Lise. She pondered this curious feeling.
Jeff continued. “You felt that connection, didn’t you? It might be dismissed as mere chance if it were only me feeling this way. But it’s not just me. You feel it too. This can’t be just a coincidence.”
Sharon, still hesitant, held up her hand, tangled with strands of hair freshly pulled from Lise’s scalp. “These strands are from that woman. Shouldn’t we confirm it with a paternity test?”
At the very least, she needed to unravel the mystery.
Jeff nced toward Katelyn’s room and dismissed his thoughts with a shake of his head. “Forget it. It’s too far-fetched.”
Despite his dismissal, the undeniable connection lingered in his mind, unshakable, like a bond of blood. Parents had this innate ability to recognize their own children.
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While Jeff wavered, Sharon reached a firm decision.
“Specting gets us nowhere. We need to take the test—both of us. Let’s keep this from Katelyn, though. She… might not handle it well.”
Jeff paused briefly before nodding in agreement.
Together, Sharon and Jeff collected strands of their hair,bined them with Lise’s, and sent them off for a paternity test.
Sharon was conflicted, a strange turmoil rising in her whenever she thought of Lise.
“What if she really is our daughter?” Sharon pondered aloud.
Jeff exhaled deeply and settled onto a nearby bench.
“We’ll know soon enough. Let’s just wait for the results.”
Katelyn stirred only after much time had passed, her head pounding as if besieged by swarms of bees. Flinching at the slightest movement, Sharon was immediately by her side.
“Kate, you’re awake.”
As she watched her, Sharon’s emotions were conflicted. The suspicion that Lise might be her biological daughter took root swiftly and grew overwhelming.
She examined Katelyn’s features but found no resemnce to herself, only to the other woman whose eyes mirrored her own.
Exhausted, Katelyn seemed oblivious to any tension. “It feels like a nightmare,” she murmured.
With a weary gesture, Katelyn massaged her temples. “Mom, what’s happening to me?”
She remembered trying to leave her bed earlier, only to copse once more.
Jeff approached with a conflicted heart and said, “The doctor mentioned you’ve been significantly stressed out. You’ll need to rest in theing days.”
At this, a wry smile touched Katelyn’s lips.
Neil, her husband and childhood love, had been unfaithful, defending the very woman who had undermined their union—a betrayal no woman could stand. Exhausted, she leaned back against the headboard and murmured, “I understand.”
Sharon looked on with empathy and gently touched her hand.
“Don’t dwell on it too much. Focus on getting better,” she encouraged.
Katelyn offered a weak nod. “I will recover.”
While her physical injuries were mendable, the emotional wound Neil had inflicted felt as though it had cleaved her heart in two. Time might heal the injury, but the scar would remain deep and raw.
A heavy silence filled the room, making the air feel dense and strange.
Interrupting the quiet, Jeff’s phone rang.
With a nce at the caller ID showing his assistant’s name, he felt a stir of anxiety.
He looked at Katelyn, then stepped into the corridor to take the call.
“Mr. Bailey, we have the results of the DNA test.”
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