Chapter 7 - There Was Another Woman
Michael lunged for the door.
I stepped in front of him.
“No.”
“Move, Sarah.”
“Who is she?”
“This is ridiculous.”
Rachel laughed bitterly.
“No, what's ridiculous is that I thought I was special.”
Mom stared between them.
“Rachel, what are you saying?”
Rachel pulled out her phone.
“I went to the condo Tuesday because he stopped answering me.”
She showed me a photo.
A woman leaving the building.
Tall. Blonde. Mid-thirties.
I didn't recognize her.
Michael did.
His face gave him away.
“Her name is Vanessa Cole,” Rachel said. “She works at Michael's company.”
I looked at him.
“How long?”
He said nothing.
Rachel answered.
“Long enough that she has a key.”
Michael grabbed his coat.
I blocked the door again.
“You are not leaving until I understand what you did with our money.”
He pointed at Rachel.
“She has no idea what she's talking about.”
Rachel stepped forward.
“I found her clothes in the closet.”
Michael's mouth tightened.
“And,” Rachel said, “a sonogram.”
Everything stopped.
Mom sat down hard.
I stared at Michael.
“A sonogram?”
Rachel nodded.
“The name on it was Vanessa Cole.”
I felt like the floor shifted beneath me.
Michael finally spoke.
“It's not mine.”
Rachel gave a broken laugh.
“You told me the same thing about Sarah's second pregnancy until the test came back.”
I turned slowly.
“What did you just say?”
Rachel froze.
Michael's face changed.
That was not an affair secret.
That was older.
May you like
Much older.
“Rachel,” I said quietly, “what do you know about my son's paternity test?”
