#tdatb

Hayley did not what came over her. All she could think about was the child she had lost. After sending everything to her phone and covering her tracks, she waited for her husband to get out of the shower. When he was dressed and about to kiss her good night, she didn’t know why—nor she planned it—but she smacked him across the face, the look of hurt and betrayal on her face.

Ernest stumbled back, shocked and hurt as well “Hayley? May I know why have you smacked me so suddenly?”

“Don’t play games with me, Sinclaire, I know everything.” She spitted.

“Know what?”

Hayley couldn’t find the right words.

“Know what, Hayley?”

“THAT YOU HAVE A SECRET CHILD WITH YOUR FUCKING EX WHOM YOU TOLD ME YOU HATED.” She screamed, so hard that she even shocked herself.

Ernest at first was shocked. Then, he slumped his body in defeat, sitting on the bed “I understand that you’re angry, but please, please, sit down and let me explain.”

Hayley stood there, arms crossed and the look of interrogation on her face “Oh, you will explain yourself, alright.”

He sighed, explaining everything “As you know, Roselyn and I were university sweethearts. Our dorms were close, and we were close ourselves, though not as close as I am with you.” He could notice her glare of getting to the point “The thing is, I soon discovered her cheating with a family friend and confronted her about it, and she admitted it in tears. I broke up with her on the spot. Days later, she texted me that she needed to tell me something important, but when the time came for her to come, she didn’t show up, and I was too angry to analyse why. Years passed, and a month ago, she came to visit me with something shocking…”

A month ago…

Ernest had been cleaning the kitchen after making himself some pasta before heading to bed, for Hayley had a night shift. As he passed the door, someone knocked on it. He frowned, suddenly alert. Someone knocking on the night was never good news. He opened the door, ready to defend himself… when he saw his ex, Roselyn, and a blond boy of about five years, smiling at him. He looked up at Roselyn and stammered before asking “W-What are you doing in my house at this hour, Roselyn? After all these years?”

“There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

“Are you my Papa?” The boy asked.

To say that he was confused was an understatement. He nevertheless let them in and prepared some cocoa for the kid and tea for Roselyn. When she sent her son to play somewhere, Ernest asked “Why are you here, Roselyn?”

Roselyn swallowed “Well… as you see, I have a son, and… I think it might be yours.”

Ernest choked on his tea, coughing violently before looking widely at his ex “Are you—are you sure?”

“Yes. At first I though it was… his. Then, I remembered that, on the week he had been conceived, I had been with you too and… now I’m not sure.”

Ernest cleared his throat “Roselyn… are you asking me for a paternity test?”

Roselyn bit her lip and nodded, and Ernest put his head on his hands. Many thoughts came to him. His own wife, having just lost their child. Her grief. How he was going to look into her eyes and tell her. He looked at the boy, who was distracted with a book. Could he be his truly? He didn’t know. He was confused, very confused, and didn’t know what to do.

“I know that you are married, and are expecting a child… so, I’m willing to make it a secret until I’m sure. All I’m asking is a small piece of DNA and I’ll do the rest. I don’t even want your money anymore. I just want a father for my son.”

Ernest nodded, dumbfounded, and agreed that they’d meet up at a private and discreet clinic and, when the results came, he’d tell Hayley, no matter the result.

“And now, I’m still waiting, talking with her in case the child is mine… I understand if you’re angry.”

Hayley shook her head “While I was grieving for our child, you were planning to replace them with some… some…” A sob came, and she dropped to her knees. Ernest quickly knelt before her and lifted her chin.

“Never, my love! I was grieving our child as well, and the reason I kept it a secret was so it wouldn’t make any damage. You have to believe me; I was about to tell you. I promise you.”

“I don’t even know what to believe anymore.” She declared, picking up a bag and starting to take stuff.

“W-Where are you going in the middle of the night?!”

“My father’s house!” She declared, packing the essentials and slamming the door behind her.

Ernest chased her, but she was quicker and took her motorbike. She roared it so hard, Ernest had to step back, and she left to her father’s house. She could make out him screaming, begging her to come back.

It had been days since Hayley had left to her father’s house, and she still didn’t eat anything, just images reeling on her head. Ernest hugging the boy and calling him son. They playing in the park. Smiling at Roselyn. Holding hands with Roselyn. Their lips almost touching--.

“Hayley!” Her grandmother called, and she shook her head “You’ve barely ate these last days!”

“I’m not hungry.”

Edmund narrowed his eyes “What happened? Did you and Ernest argue?”

She bit her lip. Edmund expressed his condolences and Hayley, sick of being stared at, left the room, not having touched a single toast or drank anything. She needed to clear her head, and tell someone who’d understand what she was going through. She was quick to call Bart and Yusuf and beg them to come and ride with her in Edgewater.

By the afternoon tea, they were already there, a look of concern in their eyes. Hayley simply focused on riding the horse as far from the house as she could. When they reached the middle of the forest, Hayley stopped and nodded. Henrietta wouldn’t eavesdrop here.

“Hayley, what’s going on?” Bart asked, now concerned for her. Yusuf followed suit and Hayley sighed.

“Do you remember his ex, the French one who cheated?”

“Roselyn, yes. Why?”

She scoffed “She got knocked up and the child may be his.”

Yusuf’s mouth was a wide ‘O’, meanwhile Bart commented on smacking his head for it. Several times. Hayley hadn’t cried ever since. Neither she screamed. She just… stood in silence, a painful and eerie silence. Bart was quick to hug her, but she stood there motionless. Yusuf them wondered what it’d be for them both…

Ernest had been notified that Hayley was alright in Edgewater, and that her friends were coming to see what happened. Good, at least she wasn’t alone. Meanwhile, he waited inside the clinic, waiting for the results. He had sent his DNA to them weeks ago, and now it was time. It was the most accurate clinic of all England, and he had come in disguise so no one would recognise him, for Hayley’s sake. The doctor called him and handed him the papers. Roselyn joined him and they both left, not wanting to call more attention.

They went to a cafeteria, where no one would disturb them.

“Is it alright if you read them?”

Ernest nodded “Of course.” He opened… to see it was positive. He looked further, reading everything… “What?!”

“What is it?”

“This isn’t our test, Roselyn.”

Hayley had been called by her old boss, who said it was important and needed her back in London. At last, she could go back to work! She kissed her father goodbye and promised to call daily if she could.

When she arrived at the station, she saw that everything was filled with food, and as if it was someone’s birthday. She looked for her boss, and was surprised to see him in his office without someone important.

The man greeted her and motioned her to sit down with her, and she obliged “How have you been, mija? I trust that you’re better after… well, everything?”

“Yes,” she lied “all is as well as it can be.”

He sighed “As you know, I am an old man, and every day I can do less to do my job properly. That is why, I have decided to retire, and someone have been named in my stead…”

Hayley frowned “And who is that, sir?”

The door opened, and a man in his early fifties, with already white hair and piercing blue eyes came in and greeted her “Ah, the famous Detective Parker! What a pleasure to finally meet you!”

“Hayley,” her boss announced “this is Tristan Richards, your new boss.”

Hayley placed a smile and greeted him “Pleasure to meet you, boss. Would you like me to show you around?”

“I won’t say no to a pretty girl like yourself.”

Her boss laughed “I’m afraid this one’s taken, Richards.”

His smile twitched “Of course she is.”

As she showed him around and introduced him to everybody, her mind drifted back to Ernest. She had asked a friend to follow him around and see how they were doing. As Richards spoke with the crew, she called him and asked “Did you hear anything?”

“Even better, my friend, I have the test on my hands!”

“And?!”

“…It’s negative, Hayley. The kid isn’t his.”

Before Hayley could say anything, she dropped on the floor, suddenly the world went black.