As I gazed at his self-assured demeanor, a recollection surfaced in my mind. Harlan had previously mentioned that we were being observed by someone at the cafe that day.
It dawned on me that the individual who had been covertly observing me and Zoe at the cafe was sent by Caleb.
“You are utterly contemptible,” I seethed through clenched teeth, consumed by anger.
“If I hadn’t been despicable enough, how would I have unearthed the secret you were so keen on hiding?” Caleb uttered, devoid of expression.
I found myself unable to utter a single word, struck into silence.
Despite my abhorrence for his despicable act of spying me, I reluctantly acknowledged that following this revelation, I no longer had a need to conceal Elena from Caleb. For the time being, he would not attempt to separate me from my daughter.
The crucial stroke of luck was that Elena wasn’t present at the kindergarten that day. Otherwise, the moment Caleb laid eyes on her, he would have realized that she was his own daughter.
“Debra, I invited you here today to witness how long you would continue deceiving me. Does it bring you pleasure to lie to me?” Caleb asked with a sarcastic smile.
Angela’s Library
“What did I lie to you about?” I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Don’t feign innocence, Debra. Did you believe that you could exploit our reunion for personal gain? Is that why you concealed the truth about you and Harlan having a daughter? Do you genuinely think I’m so easily deceived?” Caleb asked.
“I cannot tolerate you having a bastard child with another man, Debra. Our relationship is over.”
Debra’s POV:
“Shut up!” When I heard Caleb refer to Elena as a bastard, my anger overwhelmed any other considerations. “Caleb, I will not allow you to utter such words about my daughter! She is not a bastard!”
Nevertheless, his venomous words persisted. It seemed as though he had lost all sense of sanity as he continued his tirade.
“She was the result of a one-night stand! Naturally, she’s a bastard!”
“You jerk!”
I seethed with anger, overwhelmed by an impulse to strike him, but he tightly gripped my wrist, preventing me from doing so.
“What? I am right, am I not? You’re mad at me because I’m right!” His eyes filled with disdain, he cast a condescending gaze upon me.
“Now I understand why your health has deteriorated. It appears you couldn’t wait to lay with Harlan and conceive after losing our own child.”
With a lowered head, he advanced toward me, a chilling smile playing upon his lips.
“No wonder you concealed your surgical procedure from the doctor at the hospital. The truth is utterly repugnant. Debra, is it impossible for you to exist without relying on men? You couldn’t wait to sleep with another man and give birth to his child. What sets you apart from a prostitute?”
His words dripped with disdain, piercing my heart like a barrage of needles, leaving me wounded and filled with aching emptiness.
Consumed by rage, my entire being trembled uncontrollably. Unable to contain myself any Longer, I succumbed to the impulse and delivered a resounding slap across his face.
In the wake of the resounding slap, the world fell into an eerie silence, as if holding its breath for the repercussions of our clash to unfold.
“Caleb, you have truly let me down,” I uttered, my voice tinged with disappointment and resentment.
