Chapter 10: The Test She Wanted Me To See
The paper shook in Ethan’s hands.
Not because he was afraid.
Because he was confused.
And somehow, confusion was worse.
Fear meant you understood the danger.
Confusion meant someone had changed the rules without telling you.
I stared at the document.
A DNA test.
My name.
Ethan’s name.
A percentage.
A conclusion.
I couldn’t breathe.
“Mom…”
His voice was quiet.
Too quiet.
I looked at his face.
Not angry.
Not accusing.
Just searching.
“What does it say?””
He didn’t answer immediately.
Instead, he handed me the paper.
My fingers trembled as I took it.
I read the first line.
*Relationship tested: Mother and child.*
My heart dropped.
Then my eyes moved lower.
The result.
The words I had spent eighteen years knowing without needing proof.
The words that suddenly felt like they were being questioned.
*Probability of maternity: 99.99%.*
I exhaled.
A sound somewhere between a laugh and a sob.
Ethan watched me.
“She wanted you to think it was fake.””
I nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
He sat down.
“So she sent proof that you’re my mother?””
I looked at the document.
“No.””
I swallowed.
“She sent proof because she knew I would panic.””
Ethan frowned.
“But why?””
I looked at him.
“Because she wanted us to believe she had something.””
The realization settled between us.
Chloe didn’t need the truth.
She needed fear.
She needed one moment where I doubted myself.
One moment where Ethan looked at me differently.
One moment where our bond cracked.
And for a few hours…
she had succeeded.
My phone buzzed.
A message.
From Chloe.
I didn’t want to open it.
But I did.
Funny how quickly people doubt what they know.
I stared.
Then another message appeared.
That’s what I wanted you to understand.
I showed Ethan.
His jaw tightened.
“She’s admitting it.””
“Not enough.””
“We can use this.””
I looked at him.
“Ethan…”
“No.””
He shook his head.
“I’m done protecting people who don’t protect us.””
The sentence surprised me.
Not because it sounded angry.
Because it sounded final.
That night, Ethan and I sat in the living room going through everything.
Every message.
Every email.
Every document.
We weren’t looking for revenge.
We were looking for the truth.
Because truth was the only thing Chloe couldn’t control.
Around midnight, Ethan found something.
“Mom.””
I looked up.
“What?””
He turned his laptop toward me.
“Look at the date.””
It was an email.
From Chloe.
Sent eight months earlier.
The subject line:
*Next Step.*
My stomach tightened.
The message was short.
The DNA issue didn’t work. We need another angle.
I stared.
The DNA issue.
“What does that mean?””
Ethan scrolled down.
There were attachments.
The first was a copy of an old hospital document.
The second was a message from Marcus.
The third was a note written by Chloe.
My eyes moved across the screen.
And then I saw it.
A sentence that made my blood run cold.
If Ethan won’t choose me willingly, we’ll make him believe Angela is the reason he can’t have a normal family.
I closed my eyes.
“She never wanted a relationship with me.””
Ethan looked at me.
“No.””
His voice was soft.
“She wanted my relationship with you.””
I nodded.
Because that was the truth.
Chloe didn’t want to be loved by Ethan.
She wanted to be the only person left.
The next morning, we met Rebecca again.
She had found more files.
“This is everything I could recover.””
She placed a hard drive on the table.
“Are you sure you want to see it?””
Ethan looked at me.
Then nodded.
“Yes.””
Rebecca opened the first folder.
Videos.
Recordings.
Photos.
Then she clicked one.
A security camera image appeared.
A hallway.
Marcus’s office.
Chloe walking inside.
The timestamp was from three weeks before graduation.
“What is this?””
Rebecca answered.
“She came to his office.””
The video played.
No sound.
But we could see their body language.
Chloe was angry.
Marcus looked uncomfortable.
Then she placed something on his desk.
Rebecca paused the video.
“Zoom in.””
She enlarged the image.
A folder.
On the front was a title.
*Angela Hayes.*
My name.
I felt cold.
“She had a file on me.””
Rebecca nodded.
“She had one for years.””
Ethan looked sick.
“How long?””
Rebecca hesitated.
“Since shortly after she married your father.””
I looked at the screen.
Years.
She had spent years collecting pieces of my life.
Waiting.
Planning.
Preparing.
The video continued.
Marcus opened the folder.
Chloe pointed at something inside.
Then Marcus shook his head.
He looked upset.
Chloe leaned forward.
And even without sound, we knew exactly what she was doing.
Pressuring him.
Manipulating him.
Then something happened.
Marcus stood.
He threw the folder back at her.
For one second, I felt hope.
Maybe.
Maybe he had finally refused.
Then the video changed.
Five minutes later.
Marcus picked the folder up.
And placed it in his desk drawer.
Ethan looked away.
“He knew.””
I whispered.
“Yes.””
The pain was different now.
Because I had spent years believing Marcus was weak.
But weak people accidentally hurt others.
Marcus had made choices.
The afternoon passed slowly.
Then Ethan received a call.
He answered.
“Hello?””
His expression changed.
“Who is this?””
He looked at me.
Then stood.
“Okay.””
He ended the call.
“What happened?””
He hesitated.
“It was the school.””
My heart tightened.
“Why?””
“They want to talk.””
“About graduation?””
“No.””
May you like
He looked at the phone.
“About Chloe.””
