Chapter 8: The Truth at Last
738 Words
The next day arrived with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.
Camille stared at her phone for several seconds before finally dialing Ethan’s number.
He answered on the second ring.
“Hey, beautiful.”
A small smile appeared on her lips.
“Hi, Ethan. I just wanted to let you know I’ll be meeting an old friend today.”
“An old friend?” he asked.
“Yeah. Someone I haven’t seen in a long time.”
“Okay,” Ethan replied casually. “Have fun. Just text me when you get home.”
“I will.”
After ending the call, Camille released a nervous breath.
For some reason, her hands were shaking.
Maybe because she knew this meeting could change everything she thought she knew about her past.
⸻
An hour later, Camille arrived at a quiet restaurant.
John was already there.
He stood as soon as he saw her approaching.
“Thank you for coming,” he said softly.
Camille nodded before taking the seat across from him.
The waiter came to take their orders before leaving them alone.
Silence settled between them.
Neither knew where to begin.
John:
“I owe you the truth.”
Camille crossed her arms.
“Then tell me.”
John took a deep breath.
“The woman who called you… she is Sofia, and the baby on the picture was not really my daughter.
Camille stared at him.
“What?”
John nodded slowly.
“She’s not my daughter.”
“Then why did Sophia send those pictures?”
John rubbed his forehead.
“It’s a long story.”
“I have time.”
John sighed heavily before beginning.
“Years ago, while I was staying in the province for work, I attended a gathering with some friends. Sophia was there.”
Camille remained silent.
“We were all drinking that night. I got drunk.”
His eyes filled with regret.
“I made a mistake, Camille.”
The words hit her hard.
“After that night, nothing happened between Sophia and me anymore. It was a one-time mistake.”
John looked down at the table.
“A month later, Sophia told me she was pregnant.”
Camille’s heart sank.
“And you believed the baby was yours.”
“Yes.”
John nodded.
“I was shocked, but I was ready to take responsibility.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me?”
John’s face tightened.
“Because I was afraid.”
Camille laughed bitterly.
“Afraid?”
“I didn’t want to lose you.”
His voice was filled with regret.
“I thought if I handled everything quietly, we could stay together. I planned to support the child financially, but I made it clear to Sophia that I didn’t love her.”
Camille listened silently.
“I told her I would take responsibility for the baby, but I wasn’t going to be in a relationship with her because I still loved you.”
John swallowed hard.
“Sophia didn’t accept that.”
His gaze met Camille’s.
“She wanted us to be a family.”
Camille felt her chest tighten.
“For a year, I believed that little girl was mine.”
John’s voice broke slightly.
“I cared for her. I sent money. I tried to be there whenever I could.”
John let out a long breath.
“One day Sophia finally admitted the truth.”
Camille froze.
“The child wasn’t mine.”
“She confessed everything. She told me there was another man. She wasn’t sure who the real father was when she found out she was pregnant.”
Camille stared at him in disbelief.
“She lied to you?”
“Yes.”
John’s eyes darkened.
“For more than a year.”
The silence between them became heavy.
Everything Camille had believed for years suddenly felt uncertain.
“I spent all this time thinking you left me for another woman,” she whispered.
John’s expression filled with pain.
“I never stopped loving you, Camille.”
Her heart skipped a beat.
“Even after all these years?”
“Especially after all these years.”
Camille looked away, unable to hold his gaze.
A part of her wanted to believe him.
A part of her wanted to hate him.
But the most dangerous part of all…
Still loved him.
And that was the truth she wasn’t ready to face.
- Writer
