Ethan’s hand dropped from her waist so fast it was almost ridiculous. “Claire,” he said, his voice tight, “what are you doing here?”
I tilted my head slightly. “Flying to Chicago. Same as you, apparently. Although I didn’t realize this was a family trip.”Family
The young woman took a shaky step back. “Wait,” she whispered, looking between him and me. “You said—”
“I know what he said,” I interrupted, still smiling. “That I was his sister? His unstable ex? A roommate from years ago? Go ahead, Ethan. I’d love to hear which version you gave her.”
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
That was when I noticed the envelope in his hand. Thick. Cream-colored. The edge of a medical logo peeked out from the top.
And then I saw a matching envelope in her purse.
My stomach dropped.
This wasn’t just an affair.
I stared at both envelopes, then at the panic on Ethan’s face, and suddenly every lie from the past two years snapped into place. The late-night “business trips.” The hushed phone calls. The way he shut down every conversation about starting a family.
I looked directly at him and said quietly, so only he could hear, “Tell me right now… why do both of you have fertility clinic records with your names on them?”
His lips parted.
The girl let out a broken gasp.
And Ethan said, “Claire, not here.”
That’s when I knew the truth would be worse than anything I had imagined.
“Not here?” I repeated, louder this time. A few people nearby turned to look. “You brought whatever this is to an airport, Ethan. So yes—here.”
The young woman looked like she might collapse. She clutched her purse to her chest and stepped farther away from him. “You told me you were divorced,” she said, her voice shaking. “You said the papers were being finalized.”
I laughed, but it came out sharp and bitter. “Divorced? That’s interesting, because I was at our house this morning packing his favorite travel pillow.”
Ethan dragged a hand down his face. “Claire, please. You’re making a scene.”
“No,” I said. “You made a scene the second you decided to be a husband to me and a future father to someone else.”
The girl whipped around to face him. “Future father?”
Continued on the next page
