Chapter 4 – The Confession

Emily sat in silence after hearing the truth. The word daughter kept echoing in her ears. She wanted to scream, but no sound came out. The man she trusted most had broken her heart in a way she never imagined. Albert stood near her, his face full of guilt, but guilt could not fix what he had done.

He tried to speak. “Emily, please listen. It’s not what you think.”
She looked up with red eyes and said, “Then what is it? Tell me everything now. No more lies.”
Albert took a deep breath. His hands were shaking. “Before we got married, I had a girlfriend named Clara. We were together for some time, but we argued a lot and broke up. I didn’t know she was pregnant. She told me, but I didn’t believe her. I thought she was lying to keep me.”

Emily’s voice cracked. “And after we married?”
He lowered his head. “After some years, I found out she was telling the truth. I saw her once, and she showed me the child. I realized she was mine. I didn’t know what to do. I was already your husband. You were happy. I was scared to destroy our family. So I decided to help them secretly.”

Tears fell from Emily’s eyes, but her voice was calm. “You destroyed our family anyway, Albert. You didn’t trust me with the truth.”
Albert said softly, “I didn’t want to lose you.”
Emily said, “You already did.”

He sat down beside her. “Emily, I love you. That child doesn’t change my love for you. Please understand.”
She looked at him and said, “Love and truth cannot live without each other. You say you love me, but you chose lies over honesty.”

Albert’s eyes filled with tears. “I was wrong. I thought hiding it would protect you.”
Emily whispered, “You didn’t protect me. You just made me live a lie.”

There was silence for a long time. Emily’s hands were cold. She remembered every moment they shared, every promise he made. Now all of them felt empty. She said softly, “Does she know you are married?”
Albert nodded slowly. “Yes. She knows everything. She never wanted to destroy our life. She only wanted support for the child.”

Emily looked down and said, “And you gave her my husband.”
Albert said quickly, “No, Emily. It’s not like that. I never touched her again. I only help her because of the girl. Please believe me.”
She looked straight into his eyes. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

Albert moved closer. “I’ll do anything to make this right. I’ll stop seeing them if you say so.”
Emily shook her head. “It’s not that simple. There’s a child. She didn’t choose this. She doesn’t deserve to suffer. But I need time to understand everything. I need space to breathe.”

Albert nodded slowly. “Take all the time you need. I’ll wait.”
She whispered, “Don’t wait for me to be the same. I’ll never be the woman who trusted you blindly again.”

That night, Albert slept on the couch. Emily stayed awake, staring at the dark ceiling. Her mind was full of memories and questions. She thought of her children, her marriage, and the little girl she had never met. She didn’t hate the child, but she couldn’t forgive the lie yet.

In the morning, Albert tried to talk again. “Emily, please eat something.”
She replied softly, “I’m not hungry.”
He said, “I can’t lose you.”
She looked at him and said, “You already lost my trust. That’s harder to get back than love.”

He said quietly, “Then I’ll earn it again.”
Emily didn’t answer. She turned away, holding her tears. Deep inside, she wanted to believe that he could change, but the pain was too fresh.

For days, the house felt silent. Emily avoided him but didn’t fight. She spent more time with the kids. She told herself, I’ll face this with strength. I won’t let pain destroy me.

Albert watched her quietly, afraid to say more. He wanted forgiveness, but forgiveness cannot be begged—it must be deserved.

In her heart, Emily decided something. She said to herself, “I will meet Clara. I want to see the truth with my own eyes. I want to see the woman and the child he hid from me.”

She didn’t tell Albert her plan. She wanted answers, not more excuses. And deep inside, she knew this meeting would change everything—maybe her anger, maybe her heart. She didn’t know which one yet.