Genevieve set the basket aside and slowly knelt down. With trembling hands, she slapped herself across the face. “I’m sorry. I was wrong. I shouldn’t have approached Paul knowing he had a wife.”
“Speak louder. I can barely hear you,” Kimberly said coldly, her heart burning with hatred. How could a few words possibly extinguish the fire raging inside her?
Kimberly had a temper, but she had always given everything to her family. She had known Paul was a bit of a flirt, but she never imagined he would go as far as having an affair with Genevieve-and to make matters worse, they even had two children together! The pain wasn’t just from the betrayal; it was a wound to her very soul, one so deep that words could never fully express it. Who could possibly understand the agony in her heart?
“I’m sorry. I was wrong. I am despicable. I shouldn’t have seduced a married man, and I shouldn’t have destroyed your family,” Genevieve said, her voice shaking as she slapped herself harder. The sharp sound of her palm striking her face echoed through the room.
No one in the Blake family stepped in to stop her. While nothing could undo what had happened, watching this scene brought them at least a small measure of satisfaction. After all, Genevieve owed Kimberly this much.
Within minutes, Genevieve had slapped herself more than a dozen times. Desperate to prove her sincerity, she didn’t dare go easy on herself. Her blows were forceful and unrelenting. At first, the pain was sharp, but soon her face went numb, replaced by a burning heat.
If it had been the old Kimberly, she would have sneered and continued to humiliate Genevieve without hesitation. But after her recent brush with death, she had gained a different perspective on life. Now, she simply watched Genevieve with cold indifference, as though the woman before her was nothing more than a stranger. Kimberly said nothing, and Genevieve dared not stop, continuing to hit herself mechanically.
“Enough. This all happened because of me. If you want to blame someone, blame me,” Paul said, storming into the room and grabbing Genevieve’s hand to stop her.
For the first time, Kimberly’s eyes flickered when she saw Paul. He wrapped his arms tightly around Genevieve, shielding her. In the past, Kimberly would have rushed over to tear the two of them apart, but now she no longer had the strength-or the will. Though Paul had spent over twenty years by her side, she realized now that his heart had never truly belonged to her.
Their marriage had likely been a calculated move on his part, a way to gain the Blake family’s power. After the wedding, he had played the role of the doting husband, but it had all been a facade. He had merely endured her temper while keeping up appearances.
Marriage, Kimberly thought, was supposed to be about two people building a life together. But she had chosen to turn a blind eye to the truth for so many years.
“So, you feel sorry for her now?” Kimberly asked, her voice icy as she glanced at Paul. Though they were already in the process of divorcing, only she knew how much she still cared for him.
“Kim, this is all my fault. I’ve been a terrible person, and I owe you an apology. But Zach is my son-I can’t just sit back and watch him go to prison. Please, for the sake of the years I’ve spent trying to make it up to you, let him go. You can punish me however you want.”
Paul, who usually wore a playful smirk, spoke with an unfamiliar seriousness, but his plea was not for Kimberly-it was for another woman’s child. His words cut deeper than any wound. Even someone as tough as Kimberly felt her heart shatter. There was a silent, invisible pain, as though she were bleeding inside.
“Your son? Your son? And what about Eric? Does he not count as your son?” Kimberly demanded through gritted teeth.
Paul stood frozen, his fists clenched tightly. His expression was conflicted, as though he were about to reveal something he had buried for years.
“Fine,” Kimberly said bitterly. “Since things have come to this, why don’t you just tell us the truth about everything? Go ahead-spill it all.”
Paul hesitated, but he had already decided. Magnus had been kept in the dark for so long, and it was only a matter of time before the truth came out. Better to say it now than to let Kimberly suffer even more down the line. Secrets, after all, could never stay hidden forever. With their divorce underway, it was time to lay everything bare.
“There’s something I need to confess,” Paul began, his voice heavy. “When you gave birth to Eric, there were complications. You were bleeding heavily, and the baby… he was stillborn. He wasn’t breathing when he was born.”
Kimberly’s eyes widened in disbelief. “What are you saying?”
“I knew how much you wanted that child. You risked your life to bring him into the world. I couldn’t bear the thought of you losing him, so I… I found another baby to take his place. Eric isn’t our biological son.”
“What?! You’re saying our baby… died?” Kimberly’s voice trembled, her entire body shaking as the weight of his words sank in.
The revelation hit her harder than anything else. Worse than Paul’s affair. Worse than the existence of his illegitimate children. Her husband was gone, and now even her son wasn’t truly hers.
“You monster!” Mr. Blake roared, grabbing Paul by the collar. “How dare you say such things? Eric grew up in this family-we’ve watched him grow. How can he not be Kimberly’s son?”
“If you don’t believe me, you can order a DNA test,” Paul said, his voice hollow. “I don’t want to hide this anymore. Kim, you deserve to know the truth.”
“I’d rather you lied to me forever!” Kimberly exploded, grabbing a pillow and hurling it at Paul. Her violent motion dislodged the IV needle in her arm, and blood began to seep from the wound. The pillow struck Paul squarely in the face, but he didn’t move, standing still as though accepting her wrath.
Genevieve was stunned. She had come here seeking forgiveness, but now she found herself caught up in the Blake family’s chaos. So Eric wasn’t Paul’s son? No wonder she had always thought Eric was different. His appearance, his demeanor-nothing about him resembled Paul or Kimberly. People had joked about it before, but no one had ever looked into it. Now, the truth was out, and it was far more complicated than anyone had imagined.
“Paul, tell us the truth! Is this some kind of sick joke?” Mr. Blake demanded, his voice shaking with anger.
Before Paul could answer, the door to the hospital room opened, and two more people walked in. Eric stood in the doorway holding a bouquet of flowers, with Emily clinging to his arm like a piece of gum stuck to his sleeve. The heated argument inside the room caused them both to pause.
“What’s going on here?” Eric asked, his voice calm as he adjusted his glasses.
“Eric,” Paul began, his tone resolute. “There’s something I need to tell you.”
“You will not tell him,” Kimberly interjected, her face pale as a sheet.
But before Paul could say another word, Eric stepped forward and spoke firmly. “If you’re about to tell me I’m not your biological son, don’t bother. I’ve known for a long time.”