Chapter 4: A Dangerous Bargain
“I don’t know, but I don’t trust it,” I said immediately. “Don’t go home. Not yet.”
“But what choice do I have?”
“You have me. Let me go with you. Let me be there when you talk to him. You don’t have to face this alone.”
She looked at me, her eyes searching mine. “You’d do that for me?”
“Of course. You’ve always been there for Daniel and me. It’s my turn to be there for you.”
A flicker of hope appeared in her eyes. “Thank you, Alex. I… I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
We drove back to the Mercer house in silence. The rain had stopped, but the air was still heavy with tension. As we pulled into the driveway, I noticed a sleek, black car parked in front of the house. A woman was getting out of it. A strikingly attractive woman, with long blonde hair and a designer handbag.
Karen gasped. “That’s… that’s Serena. His… friend.”
Robert was standing on the porch, waiting for us. He looked composed, almost smug. He offered Karen a tight smile. “Glad you’re back, dear. We were just about to have a little chat.”
He glanced at me, his eyes narrowing. “And who is this?”
“This is Alex, Robert. A friend of Daniel’s. He was kind enough to give me a ride.” Karen’s voice was surprisingly firm.
Robert’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “How… thoughtful. Perhaps you’d excuse us. This is a private matter.”
Karen looked at me, a silent plea in her eyes. I nodded. “I’ll be right here,” I said, my voice low. “Just call if you need me.”
She took a deep breath and walked towards the house, Robert and Serena flanking her. As they disappeared inside, I felt a cold dread creep over me. This wasn’t going to be a simple conversation. This was a showdown.
Chapter 5: The Price of Silence
I waited in the car, my hands clenched around the steering wheel. Ten minutes passed, then twenty. The silence was deafening. Finally, the door opened and Karen emerged, her face ashen. Robert and Serena were nowhere to be seen.
“What happened?” I asked, jumping out of the car.
She took a deep breath, her voice trembling. “He… he offered me a deal. He said he’d give me a generous divorce settlement, enough to ensure Daniel’s future, if… if I agreed not to expose his financial improprieties.”
“Blackmail,” I said, my voice tight with anger.
“Yes. And… and he showed me the evidence. Documents proving his illegal transactions. He said if I go to the authorities, he’ll ruin me. He’ll ruin Daniel.”
“Did you accept the deal?”
She shook her head. “No. I told him I wouldn’t be coerced. I told him I was going to the police.”
“Good.” I said, relieved. “That’s the right thing to do.”
“But then… Serena spoke up. She said she knew about everything. She said she’d been helping Robert cover his tracks. And she… she revealed something else.”
Karen paused, her eyes filled with tears. “She said… she said Robert isn’t Daniel’s biological father.”
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. I stared at her in disbelief. “What?”
“Apparently, years ago, before Robert and I were married, I… I had a brief affair. I never told Robert. And Daniel… Daniel is the result of that affair.”
I Booked a Secret Appointment to Discover My Husband’s True Job — What I Found Shocked Me
