“Hes not your husband,” said the ex, handing over a photo from the hospital.
“Hes not your husband,” said Victoria, sliding the picture across the table to Emily. “Look at the baby. Really look.”
Emily flinched, nearly dropping her coffee cup. They were sitting in a little café near Covent Garden, the same one where they used to meether, Victoria, and Oliver. Back then, it was simple: childhood friends, the same social circle, no secrets.
“What are you talking about, Vic? What baby?” Emily kept her voice steady, but it trembled anyway.
“My baby. Olivers.” Victoria placed the photo between them. “Born three weeks ago. Want to know why I kept quiet all these months?”
Emily didnt want to touch it, but her hand moved anyway. A tiny, wrinkled face, closed eyes, a tuft of dark hair. Just another newborn, nothing special. But something in those features made her chest tighten.
“Vic, I dont get what youre saying…”
“Im saying your precious Oliver played me for six months. Promised hed leave you, swore I was the only one he loved. Then he vanished when he found out I was pregnant.” Victoria spoke softly, but bitterness laced her words. “Stopped answering calls, changed his number. And you had no idea, did you?”
Emily pushed the photo away like it burned her. Her throat went dry, words sticking.
“Youre lying. Oliver wouldnt… Weve been trying for a baby. Ive been to the doctor”
“Trying?” Victoria smirked. “Did he tell you it was an accident with me? That he never loved anyone but you? But when it came down to it, your perfect husband chose to pretend none of it happened.”
Emily stood so fast her chair toppled. A few heads turned, but she didnt care. She needed to run, to escape, to unhear every word.
“Where are you going?” Victoria called after her. “Were not done.”
“I have nothing to say to you. If youve got issues with the father, sort it out yourself. Olivers my husband, and I trust him.”
“You trust him?” Victoria stood too. “Then ask him where he was last May 12th. Thats the first time we Or better yet, ask why my numbers saved as Dave the Mechanic in his phone.”
Emily froze at the café door. May 12th. Last year, Oliver had disappeared all daysaid it was an emergency at work. Came home late, exhausted, with flowers and apologies. Shed believed him.
“You stalked us?”
“I loved him, Emmy. Just like you do now. Maybe more, because he was forbidden. My best friends husbandknow how thrilling that is? Know how wild he gets when hes risking everything?”
Emily turned and walked out. Victoria didnt follow, which was good. One more second, and she mightve hit her. Or maybe not. Maybe Victoria was right, and all those years of friendship every secret, every trustwere just an act.
At home, Oliver was at the kitchen table, typing away on his laptop. He smiled when she walked in, kissed her cheek.
“How was your day? Whereve you been?”
“With Victoria.” Emily watched his face closely.
Oliver didnt even blink. “Havent seen her in ages. Hows she doing? Still at that salon?”
“She had a baby. A boy.” Emily placed the photo next to his laptop.
Now he froze. Fingers hovering, eyes locked on the picture. The silence stretchedtoo long for an innocent man.
“And?” he finally said, voice weaker than usual.
“She says its yours.”
Oliver shut the laptop, leaned back in his chair. Rubbed his face and sighed.
“Em, I can explain”
“So its true?” Emilys legs gave out. She sank into the chair across from him. “You slept with my best friend?”
“It wasnt like that. Not how shes making it sound.”
“Then how, Oliver? How was it?”
He stood, paced the kitchen, stopped by the window with his back to her.
“Remember when we fought last year? You went to your mums for a week, said you needed space. I was angry, hurt. Vic showed up with wine, said she wanted to fix things between us”
“And you let her fix them in our bed?”
“No! Never our bed. It was at hers, just once, drunk. We regretted it by morning.”
“Once?” Emily glanced at the photo. “Then again, and again, for six months?”
Oliver dropped his head. The silence said more than words ever could.
“I tried to end it. Honestly, Em. But sheshe knew how to keep me hooked. Threatened to tell you, cried about loving me. Then she got pregnant.”
“And you ran.”
“I panicked. I love you, our life, our plans. I wanted it all to just… disappear.”
Emily picked up the photo, studying the babys face. Slowly, the familiar features emergedthe nose, the eyes, even the expression.
“He looks like you,” she whispered.
“Em, Im sorry. Im a fool, a coward, call me whatever. But I love you. It was just a moment of weakness.”
“Six months of weakness?”
“Ill fix this. Pay child support, be in his life, whatever it takes. Just dont leave. We wanted kids, we wanted happiness”
Emily stood, walked to him. Looked into his eyesfull of guilt, fear, begging.
“You know the worst part, Oliver? Not the cheating. Not the baby. The worst part is I believed you. Every excuse, every lie. And you looked me in the eye every day and lied.”
“I didnt want to hurt you”
“You didnt want consequences. Theres a difference.”
She grabbed her bag, headed for the door.
“Where are you going?”
“To my mums. I need to think.”
“For how long?”
“I dont know. Maybe forever.”
Oliver grabbed her arm. “Emmy, dont throw us away over one mistake!”
“One mistake?” She gripped the photo. “You have a son, Oliver. A real person wholl grow up without a dad because Daddy calls him a mistake.”
“Ill do better, I swear! Ill be the husband you deserve”
“And if you dont? If theres another Victoria who hooks you? How many mistakes are we talking?”
She left without waiting for an answer. Oliver stood alone in the kitchen, staring at the photo of a child who was his.
At her mums, Emily talked, cried, listened to advice until dawn.
“Men are weak, love,” her mum sighed. “But if hes truly sorry, maybe give him a chance?”
“Mum, he has a child! With my best friend! How do I live with that?”
“How do you live without him? You still love him?”
Emily stayed quiet. She did. Despite everything, her heart ached for Oliver, for their shattered plans.
“That Victorias no saint either,” her mum muttered. “Some friend, stabbing you in the back like that.”
“Shes right about one thinghe has to take responsibility.”
“He does. But you decide if you can share him with his past.”
The next morning, Emily went home. Oliver hadnt slept, still sitting at the table with the photo in front of him.
“Whats his name?” she asked.
“Jacob.” Oliver looked up. “Ive been staring at him all night. He really does look like me.”
“No doubts, then.”
“None. I called Victoria. Meeting her today to see him, talk things out.”
Emily nodded. Sat beside him, took his hand.
“Oliver, I dont know if we can go back to how things were. Trust doesnt fix overnight.”
“I know. Ill wait as long as it takes.”
“And I dont know if I can accept your son. Every time I look at him, Ill remember.”
“He didnt ask for this, Emmy.”
“I know. But knowing doesnt make it easier.”
Oliver kissed her palm. “What do we do?”
“We try. Not the life we planned, but we try. Youve got responsibilities now. And Ive got the right to honesty.”
“So youre staying?”
“For now. But one more lie, one tiny secretIm gone for good.”
They sat in silence, hands clasped, staring at baby Jacobs photo. Dawn broke outsidea new day, uncertain, full of choices. Emily knew one thing: shed never be the trusting woman she was yesterday. And maybe that wasnt a bad thing.
