09
Chris, true to his word, had unearthed the truth in a single night.
But whether or not there was a truth to uncover was beside the point.
I had given him a few recent photos of Aaron.
They were like spitting images of each other.
There was no way he could deny that Aaron was his son.
When I opened the door, Chris was slumped against the doorframe, utterly dejected, surrounded by a trail of cigarette butts.
He looked a decade older, his beard unkempt, his eyes bloodshot.
“Amber… I don’t know, I didn’t know Aaron was my child. I thought…”
He grabbed the hem of my skirt, begging for forgiveness.
My heart remained untouched.
“You thought he wasn’t your child? Didn’t you even bother to investigate? Just assumed he wasn’t yours?” His eyes were filled with regret. “I was afraid, afraid of the results of the investigation… afraid that the chil really Troy’s.”
“I was afraid you’d run off with Troy, so I decided not to come clean, to keep you and the child by my side.”
I frowned.
Worried I’d run off with Troy?
What a joke. Didn’t he love Sharon?
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I said.
Aaron was gone. No truth or remorse could bring him back.
“Amber, please forgive me. I’ll do anything you want. Marry me if you must, or take my life…”
9:56 AM
