“Until seven months later when he showed up with his wife at my practice. I was her doctor and it took me by surprise to walk into the exam room that day. Christopher was handsome as ever, but he was with the reason we couldn’t have more. Her.” Jin lets out a sad laugh. “By then, I was obviously pregnant. Somehow, Christopher knew it was his. I tried to play it cool, but I think my eyes gave it away. After work, he was waiting outside for me. Alone. I told him it was his baby, but I was fine with raising the child alone.”
Obviously, that didn’t happen, because Penny is two and they’re still very much involved.
“He didn’t like that,” Jin says with a sigh. “He wanted to help me. Went to a few doctor appointments, brought me stuff for the baby, and even took me to dinner a few times to check in on me.” Jin bites on her lip and her eyes shine with tears. “Andthen it happened again. We had sex. I knew he was married and continued to sleep with him because I was selfish.”
“You weren’t the only one in the wrong, Mom,” Mei says, coming to her mother’s defense.
“He’s no longer married, is he?” I ask.
Jin shakes her head. “They got divorced not long after Penny was born.”
Mei stiffens. “The postpartum depression…”
“Was more complicated than just that,” Jin admits. “I hated myself for destroying his family.”
“So, if you love him, why aren’t you with him?” Mei’s question is one I want the answer to as well. “Why all this?” She waves a hand around indicating this house and me.
“It’s a scandal,” Jin explains through gritted teeth. “Christopher is on track to become the sheriff when McMahon retires. If anyone finds out, and does the math, they’ll know I slept with him while he was married to Amanda. Not only will this town drag him through the mud and ruin his chances for sheriff, but they’ll destroy my practice. I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am.”
I thread my fingers with Mei’s ignoring Jin’s critical stare. Just like we knew Christopher was Penny’s dad, she knows we’re together. All secrets come out tonight. All of them.
“So, marrying me wasn’t just for saving Carol’s house?” I ask. “It was for optics? For you and Christopher’s careers?”
Jin chugs down more wine. “No one has to suffer that way.”
Mei scoffs. “Mom,yousuffered.Pennysuffered. You’re with Owen, playing pretend, but you want to be with Christopher. Who cares about what people say or think?”
Unfortunately, Mei is being naïve, because it’s not that simple. It’s a gray area. I get it.
“I’m barely holding onto my clinic and patients as we speak,” Jin admits shakily. “Add in a public scandal, and I’ll lose it all.”
Mei releases my hand and walks over to her mother. She kneels down beside her and puts her head in her mother’s lap. Jin’s eyes widen as she shoots me a panicked look. I arch an eyebrow, indicating she knows what to do. Awkwardly, Jin pats Mei’s head.
“Mom, if keeping your practice means you’re unhappy and living a lie, is it even worth it?” Mei looks up at Jin. “The truth will set you free.”
Jin blinks back tears but one sneaks free, racing down her cheek. “You’ve always been too smart and good. I’ve never deserved you.”
Mei starts to cry as she crawls into her icy mother’s lap. “I never needed you to deserve me, Mom. I just needed you.”
As if she sheds a shell of ice, Jin hugs Mei to her and sobs loudly. I quietly slip out of the living room to give them their space. Jin’s secrets are in the light and aren’t as bad as she thought. Maybe she can move past the stress of it and actually have a relationship with her oldest daughter before it’s too late.
And while this answers so much, I’m still left wondering why that guy is following us. My thoughts direct me back to Leah each time. Somehow, she must’ve figured out that Christopher is Penny’s father and Jin’s secret lover. She’s been stacking up the evidence to take me down in court.
I make a quick call to Dane, my attorney.
I’ll be damned if I let Leah destroy my life again.
I’m done letting her get away with this shit.
Chapter 14
Mei
Two months later…
His ex-wife is terrifying. It’s hard to believe Owen not only put up with a woman like her, but also had three children with her. She reminds me of a panther, crouched low and ready to pounce. Evil glimmers in her eyes as she stares down my man.
That’s right. Mine.
