Chapter 2

Karly Chandler POV:

The next morning, Jerrold tried to act like everything was normal. He brought me a cup of coffee, brewed just the way I liked it, placing it on my nightstand. He even made Leo pancakes, an unusual Sunday treat. The scent of maple syrup filled the air, a sickeningly sweet attempt at normalcy. His eyes, though, were shadowed and pleading. He was trying to buy forgiveness with domestic gestures.

I didn't touch the coffee. I didn' t even look at him. My gaze was fixed on Leo, who was happily devouring his pancakes, oblivious to the chasm that had opened in our home.

"Karly," Jerrold began, his voice soft, "can we talk? Please?"

I finally looked at him, my expression blank. "Yes, we can talk," I said, my voice flat. "But first, I want to know about your first marriage. Everything. The real story this time."

He hesitated, his gaze flickering nervously. He shifted from foot to foot. "What do you mean, 'real story'?" he mumbled, avoiding my eyes.

"I mean, why did you two actually break up?" I pressed, my voice gaining a hard edge. "You always said it was 'irreconcilable differences,' that she just 'wanted out.' Was that another lie, Jerrold?"

His shoulders slumped. He sighed, a long, drawn-out sound of resignation. "It was... a difficult time. She was going through a lot. The stress of being a new mom, my work hours were crazy."

"So, you neglected her?" I cut in, a cold suspicion forming. "Is that what you're saying? You left her hanging when she needed you most?"

He flinched. "No, not exactly. It was complicated." He paused, then looked up, meeting my eyes with a desperate plea. "I swear, Karly, I didn't cheat on her. Not physically."

"Not physically?" I echoed, a bitter laugh escaping my lips. "So there was an emotional affair, then? Is that what you mean by 'complicated'?"

He shook his head vigorously. "No! It wasn't an affair. It was... I was just confused. Lost." He looked down at his hands. "She said she couldn't take it anymore. She wanted a divorce."

"She wanted a divorce?" I repeated, my eyebrows raising. This contradicted everything he had ever told me. He had always painted himself as the wronged party, the one left behind.

"Yes," he said softly, almost a whisper. "She said she needed to be free. She said she didn't love me anymore."

"And what did she ask for?" I asked, my voice laced with a newfound cynicism. "During this freeing, unloving divorce?"

He hesitated, twisting his hands together. "She... she just asked for the house. And for me to pay for it. The mortgage."

A wave of ironic understanding washed over me. The house. The mortgage. The very thing he was still paying, five years later, at our family's expense. "So, you agreed to pay her mortgage. For a house she owned outright once it was paid off, while you rented with your new family?"

He nodded, avoiding my stare. "I felt like I owed her. For everything. For my shortcomings."

"Did your parents know about this 'obligation'?" I asked, my voice rising.

He swallowed hard. "Yes. They knew."

My laugh was sharp, devoid of humor. "Of course, they did. A whole family in on the secret. What a wonderful display of loyalty."

"They thought it was the honorable thing to do, Karly," he said, trying to defend them. "To make things right."

"To make things right for whom, Jerrold?" I snapped, pushing myself off the bed. "Certainly not for your current wife and son, who were living on scraps while you played the benevolent ex-husband!"

I walked into the bathroom, splashing cold water on my face. His presence, his attempts at reconciliation, felt like a suffocating shroud. I needed to be alone.

He was still there when I came out, leaning against the doorframe. "Karly, I love you," he pleaded, his voice thick with what sounded like genuine emotion. "I swear. I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how."

"You love me?" I scoffed, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. "You showed that love by building our life on a foundation of lies? By letting me struggle, letting Leo do without, while you secretly propped up your ex-wife?"

"It wasn't deliberate deception," he insisted, stepping closer. "It was... an omission. I just didn't bring it up."

"An omission?" I stared at him, incredulous. "When I asked you directly about our finances, about your salary, about why we were always so tight for money-you lied. Repeatedly. That's not an omission, Jerrold. That's a lie. A calculated, cruel lie."

He fell silent, his eyes fixed on the floor.

"How old was Sam when you and Jackie separated?" I asked, changing tack, a new, unsettling thought forming in my mind.

He hesitated for a long moment, then mumbled, "He was... three."

Three. Just like Leo. My son. The irony stung. "And how often do you see Sam?" I asked, a bitter taste in my mouth.

Another long silence. "Not... as often as I should," he admitted, his voice barely audible. "Maybe every other weekend. Sometimes less."

"So, you send $2,500 a month to a house your child lives in every other weekend, but you fight me on getting Leo that extra science class he wanted, claiming we can't afford it?" I demanded, the unfairness of it all a crushing weight. "You prioritize a house you don't live in over the actual needs of your son with me?"

"That's not fair, Karly," he protested, his voice weak. "I do it for Sam. For his stability."

"No," I hissed, taking a step towards him. "You do it for your guilt. You do it for your image. You do it because you can't let go of your past, and you're dragging us down with it."

I turned away, the conversation feeling like a dead end. I needed to escape, to breathe. "I'm going out."

"Where are you going?" he asked, trying to block my path. "Please, Karly. Don't leave."

"I need space. I need to think. Don't follow me." I pushed past him, grabbing my keys.

As I reached the door, he called out, his voice desperate, "I'm not still in love with Jackie, Karly! I swear!"

His words made me pause. "Are you still in contact with her, beyond these payments?" I asked, my voice flat. "Do you talk? Text? Any secret messages?"

His face went pale. He averted his gaze, a tell-tale sign. "No, not really. Just about Sam. Necessary things."

"Show me your phone, Jerrold," I commanded, my hand outstretched. "Show me your messages with Jackie."

He stammered, fumbling for his phone. "Karly, it's nothing. Just little things." He tried to hide it, his body stiffening.

"Show me!" I yelled, my patience completely gone. "Now!"

With a sigh of defeat, he handed it over. My fingers flew through his messages. I scrolled and scrolled. Nothing from Jackie. No recent conversations. Until I clicked on a hidden folder, one I didn't even know existed. A folder labeled "Sam's pics."

It was filled with hundreds of photos of his son, Sam. Pictures from school events, birthday parties, holidays. All recent. All sent by Jackie. And under many of them, short, loving replies from Jerrold. "So proud of him," "He's growing so fast," "Wish I could have been there."

Then I saw it. A quick scroll further down, past the pictures. A message from Jackie, just two days ago. "Sam's fever is still high. Doctor says it might be serious. I'm worried." And Jerrold's immediate reply: "I'm coming over. On my way."

My breath hitched. He had gone to her. While I was struggling with Leo's own ear infection, he was rushing to Jackie's side.

"You said you weren't in contact," I whispered, my voice trembling with suppressed fury. "You said you only saw Sam every other weekend. But you rushed to her when her child was sick. You barely noticed when Leo had a fever last week."

He started to speak, but I cut him off, my voice sharp with accusation. "You always put them first, didn't you? Always. Even now, even after all this time."

I needed a clear head. I needed to talk to someone, someone who would understand and help me navigate this wreckage of a marriage. There was only one person for that.

I pulled out my phone and dialed Diana. "Hey," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "It's Karly. I need your help. I found out Jerrold has been hiding money from me for five years, paying his ex-wife's mortgage. I need to know about properties. Public records. Everything."

Diana' s voice was instantly serious. "Karly, what are you talking about? Are you okay?"

"I will be," I said, my jaw set. "I just need to know what I' m up against. Can you help me dig?"

"You know I will," she said, her voice firm. "Don't you worry about a thing. I'll get started right away. Meet me at my office later today."

As I hung up, a cold knot settled in my stomach. The information Diana found could confirm my worst fears, or uncover even more layers of betrayal. I braced myself for whatever was coming. This was just the beginning.