Five Lost Angels: My Husband's Fatal Deception novel Chapter 71

Holding my breath, I waited for Bright to spill the beans, he spoke seriously.

"Laura, please check your emails."

This prolonged suspense twisted my guts, I picked up my cell phone with trembling hands to see the latest tornado hitting my world. My heart thumped as I clicked the very first email, a detailed message from a reputable news agency turned my world upside down.

"This email is to inform you that based on our resources, we are publishing a dark secret of your life, Miss Laura.

As a responsible media company, we believe in transparency and truth delivered to the public. That’s why, please accept our invitation to a live TV show on our channel …"

I couldn’t read the time and place of the invite as Bright’s doubtful tone made me flinch, he asked me seriously.

"Laura, who is the father of Jane?"

Bright’s direct approach wasn’t just a question, but an initiation of a bombshell of revelations. I found out that ‘my illegitimate daughter’ was trending across all the social media platforms.

After commenting on Leo’s topic at length, people fixated their attention on my personal life, targeting me as a single mother. This news ruined the booze, immediately activating our defensive stance, Henry spoke on my behalf.

"Please give me a moment, Bright. I will explain everything in detail."

My brother made some calls to handle the situation, but I was riveted to my spot, buried deep under the weight of pain and desolation.

The decision of having a child through IVF wasn’t easy for me, the consequences such as slut-shaming and public humiliation were there when this idea came to my mind.

But thankfully, Jane was the special blessing of nature, filling my life with rainbows of love. I never faced a moment of discontent after her birth, let alone regret my decision. But this sudden shift of public interest left me at a loss for words.

I was carefully picking appropriate words to share the news of Jane’s paternity, when I received a phone call from a private number.

"Aren’t you fond of displaying evidence in public, Miss Laura?"

The threat concealed in that malicious tone paralyzed my body, its menacing aura held me captive in a tightening grip as that man said,

"I have the record file of your illicit daughter, Miss Laura. In the next five hours, I will send this file to the TV channels who have broadcast this news before.

Get ready, Miss so-called honorable lady Laura. Soon, everyone will see your true face."

Although Henry broke this news in a subtle way, explaining the whole background, Bright was pissed, his initial reaction was quite predictable. He flipped out, not believing a word, until Henry showed him the file in question. Bright was aghast by this revelation.

He kept asking irrelevant questions impulsively,

"How? Why?"

Waiting for him to process this shock, I was struck speechless, standing like a criminal. It was so difficult to face him now. Whereas, Bright stared blankly in the air, his expressionless face didn’t let me guess what he was thinking.

Henry got a call from his assistant, so he excused himself, leaving us alone. The privacy of the room forced Bright to speak his mind.

"After my girlfriend’s death in a car crash, I haven’t really ever thought that one day I will have a family too."

His voice was laden with grief as he walked towards the window, lighting a cigarette.

"Business, money, my family’s expectations, there was so much on my plate that the idea of marriage never crossed my mind, let alone having a child of my own.

And now, I am a dad all of a sudden."