I Have Your Illegitimate Daughter, Husband

Those words cut straight through my heart. I glanced down at the baby in her arms. She was fair and delicate, and I could make out traces of Ryan in her eyes and brows. Without a flicker of emotion, I asked, "Where's Ryan Carter?" He was nowhere in the ballroom. But at a table in the corner, I spotted several familiar faces. They were distant relatives of the Carter family, people I had met once at my wedding six years ago. I had a good memory. I recognized the old man with the goatee and the heavyset woman wearing gold hoops at once. Ryan had far more nerve than I had ever imagined. He had openly presented this child to his relatives. He really had no shame. "Ryan went to the pier to pick up my in-laws. They'll be here soon." My heart sank as if something had yanked it down hard. Three days earlier, Ryan's mother had called to say that she and his father had booked a seniors' tour to Coral Bay. Worried that their pensions would not cover the trip, I had sent them 10,000 dollars for expenses. They had been in poor health for years, dependent on medication and unable to travel far. When they said they wanted a change of scenery, I was happy for them. I thought they had finally decided to enjoy life. All these years, I had treated them like my own parents. In public and in private, they always praised me for being thoughtful and devoted. They called me one in a million as a daughter-in-law. It turned out they were just like Ryan. The whole family had joined forces to make a fool of me. Ruby did not notice my expression. She led me to a table by the window and explained that it was for Ryan's crewmates. As soon as we approached, a middle-aged man whose face had been darkened by years at sea said to Ruby, "Ryan's one lucky guy. He's great at fishing, has an excellent taste in wives, and now he's got a beautiful daughter too." Everyone at the table chimed in. "Ruby, when you quit your job with the fisheries office and moved to the island to be with Ryan, I was worried about you. 5 or 6 years later, you're still crazy about each other, and now you even have a baby. I'm truly happy for you." Beneath the tablecloth, my hand curled into a fist until my nails dug into my palm. I had been married to Ryan for 6 years. And he had been with Ruby for at least 5 of them. The cruelest part was that he had called me that very morning. The call had barely lasted a minute. He said he was waiting offshore for clearance to dock, that he missed me, and that I should remember to pay our son's tutoring bill. Our marriage had been calm for 6 years. We had never even had a serious fight. Every month, he sent money home on time and claimed he kept only enough for cigarettes. He said he spent every year-end deep-sea bonus on pearl jewelry for me. I had an entire drawer full of necklaces and earrings. Two years ago, he had told me that deep-sea work paid nearly twice as much as coastal fishing. Our son would need money for school, a home, and eventually a family of his own. Ryan said he wanted to build up our savings while his body could still do the work. After thinking it over for a few days, I had agreed. Only now did I learn that he had never transferred to a deep-sea route. He had been living with Ruby in another coastal city.