“When did you talk to her?”
“This afternoon. Around noon.” Harper sank into one of the kitchen chairs, looking devastated. “She was frantic, Sam. Completely falling apart. She called you ‘Sean’ several times. She wasn’t listening to anything I said, just kept interrupting, talking about how you’d been lying and how you were moving out this weekend.”
“Why would Chloe think I’m moving out?” My voice rose.
“Because Jenna apparently told her that.” Harper’s expression was grim. “She went to Chloe’s clinic this morning with Leo.”
The room tilted. “She what?”
“I tried to tell Chloe it didn’t make sense,” Harper continued.
The words burst out of me, anger and desperation mixing into something ugly. “If you knew she was falling apart, why didn’t you—”
“Watch your tone.” Jack’s voice was sharp as he straightened from the counter, his body language shifting into something protective. “Harper tried to help. Don’t take this out on her.”
The rebuke hit me like cold water. I looked at Harper’s face, saw the worry and guilt there, and felt shame crash over me. “I’m sorry.” I sank into a chair, running my hands through my hair. “Harper, I’m so sorry. I know you tried. I just—”
“I know,” Harper said quietly. “You’re scared, hurting, and looking for someone to blame. Chloe lied to me. She told meshe’d hear you out. And then she hung up and left.” Harper’s voice cracked slightly.
Jack leaned against the counter, his expression dark. “This Jenna deliberately sabotaged your relationship. She went to Chloe’s clinic, manipulated the situation to make it look like you were choosing her over Chloe, and then Chloe ran before you had a chance to explain the truth. But why?”
“Jenna came to see me this morning,” I admitted, the pieces clicking into horrible place. “She wanted me to marry her. I refused.” I pulled out my wallet, extracting the folded paternity test results. “The test came back yesterday. 99.9% probability. Leo is mine. I had it all ready to show Chloe this afternoon. But Jenna…” I couldn’t finish the sentence.
“Jenna removed the competition,” Harper said quietly. “If she couldn’t convince you to choose her, she’d make sure Chloe was out of the picture so you’d end up with her by default.”
Jenna had played me perfectly. I’d been so focused on managing the situation, on keeping Chloe from getting hurt, that I’d created the perfect opening for Jenna to swoop in. “I had it all planned,” I said, my voice hollow. “I was going to apologize, explain everything. But Jenna got to her first.”
“And Chloe ran,” Harper said softly. “Because that’s what she does when things get overwhelming.”
“But I’m not Sean! I wasn’t cheating, I was just—”
“Lying,” Jack said bluntly. “You were lying, Sam. And from Chloe’s perspective, especially after whatever poison Jenna fed her, it looks the same.”
I couldn’t argue with that. Because he was right. “So what do I do?” My voice cracked. “How do I fix this when she won’t even answer my calls?”
Jack leaned forward. “Sam, you need to find Jenna and figure out exactly what she told Chloe. You need to know what you’re fighting against.”
“I know where she is.” I was already reaching for my keys when Jack caught my arm.
“Sam,” he said carefully, “you need to think about Leo. If you show up at Jenna’s motel room now, angry and confrontational, that’s not fair to him. Confronting his mother when he’s there isn’t going to help anyone.”
“But she spoke to Chloe–”
“You’re not thinking rationally,” Harper interrupted gently. “We’ve all tried calling Chloe multiple times - there’s nothing more we can do tonight. You need to take a breath and think this through. Emma’s already at Jack’s parents for the night. We’re staying with you.”
“I can’t just sit here doing nothing while Chloe thinks I don’t want her.”
“You’re not doing nothing. You’re regrouping.” Harper’s voice was firm but kind. “You can talk to Jenna tomorrow. But right now? Right now, you’re exhausted, you’re emotional, and you’re not thinking straight. The last thing Leo needs is to see his father having an angry confrontation with his mother in a motel room. That doesn’t help anyone.”
Jack nodded in agreement. “Harper’s right. I made plenty of mistakes trying to fix everything when I was running on panic and no sleep. Don’t repeat my errors, Sam. Let us help you think this through.”
I sank back into the couch, my hands shaking. “I just need to fix this. I need to make her understand—”
“Sam.” Jack’s voice was sharper now, cutting through my spiraling thoughts. “Stop. Just stop for a second and listen to yourself.”
I looked up at him, confused by his tone.
“This isn’t you,” Jack said, his expression a mix of concern and frustration. “The Sam I know doesn’t panic. He doesn’t lie to the woman he loves. He doesn’t hide from difficultconversations.” He leaned forward, his voice intense. “You’re the guy who told me that secrets destroy relationships. So what the hell happened to you?”
