Page 23 of Trapped with My Rival Billionaire Grump

Part of me wanted to send her away and tell her to come back after she made an appointment, but I knew it would gnaw on me. I needed to know why she was here, and I wouldn’t rest until I found out. So, I pushed aside my work and said, “Let her in.”

As soon as I hung up the phone, I braced myself for her arrival. Jessica Gavin. It had been six years since we last saw each other, and even though our breakup had been painful, I wondered if she was doing well.

“It was an honest mistake, Ethan, I didn’t mean to cheat on you,” her words replayed themselves in my head, sounding just as absurd as they had six years ago. How do you accidentally cheat on someone? Well, at least she didn’t deny it. Not that she could deny it when I found another man thrusting into her while she moaned with pleasure on the very bed that was supposed to be ours. That day was still etched in my memory, but it no longer stung like it used to. Frankly, I was grateful I discovered her infidelity before we got married.

If that hadn’t happened, I might not be with Olivia now, and that would have been a great loss because I love being with Olivia. Olivia and I have been together for four months now and I could easily see a future with her. I’m happy, and in a way, I owe Jessica a small thank you for cheating on me. So, if nothing else, I wanted to meet her one last time.

I folded my hands beneath my chin and turned toward the door as it opened. She walked right in, and the first thing I noticed was her brown hair had become curlier and how slender she had become. It took me a moment to realize a little boy was standing at her feet, his curious eyes scanning my office. Butwhen I noticed him, I started to piece together Jessica’s reason for showing up.

I shook off the unsettling thoughts, reassuring myself that Jessica could simply be babysitting for one of her siblings. Moreover, the child looked nothing like her.

“Ethan,” she called out in a calm voice.

“Jessica,” I replied, not moving from where I was. I watched as she cautioned the little brown-haired boy not to touch anything, feeling my anxiety mounting. “Why are you here, Jessica?”

“Because of him,” she said, pointing to the little boy.

“Who is he?” I asked, my voice hard and angry.

“He’s Parker, my son,” she said, confirming my suspicions.

“Your son?” I gave the little boy a once over, trying to gauge his age. He appeared to be no older than five, but I didn’t want to jump to conclusions. So I stood up from my chair and walked toward the boy. Bending down to his level, I asked, “How old are you, Parker?”

Parker didn’t answer me. Instead, he took a few steps back and hid behind Jessica, looking up at her with uncertain eyes. And when Jessica gave him a reassuring nod, he said in a soft voice, “Five.”

“Fuck it!” I cursed, standing up.

“Language, Ethan,” Jessica snapped, covering Parker’s ears with her hands.

“Is he mine?” I asked, desperately hoping she would say he wasn’t.

“Yes,” she deadpanned, her face set. Then she turned to Parker, wearing a smile. “Why don’t you go sit with that nice lady outside while I Mommy talks to this man?”

“Okay,” Parker replied meekly, nodding his head slightly.

While Jessica led Parker out the door, I began pacing anxiously, worry etched on my face. The last thing I needed wasa woman claiming to have my child, and it was difficult to trust a woman like Jessica.

The moment Jessica stepped back into my office, she said, “Yes, he’s your son, Ethan.”

“What?” I snapped disbelief and anger in my voice. “You expect me to believe that he’s my son despite knowing about your infidelity. You think I’m that stupid.”

Jessica took a step closer. “You know I can’t lie to you about this, Ethan.”

I scoffed, trying to convince myself that there was no way I could have a child with a woman like Jessica. “If you can lie to me for three years while steadily cheating on me, then there’s nothing you can’t do, Jessica.”

“You’re making it look like I cheated on you throughout our entire relationship!” She shot back, her brown eyes filled with anger.

“And you didn’t?” I snapped.

“I told you it was a drunken mistake, an accident,” she yelled, sounding as unreasonable as she always did.

“Oh, let me guess, you were walking home one day and accidentally fell into his bed?” I couldn’t help but let the sarcasm drip from my voice. “More than once.”

Jessica’s demeanor softened, and she apologized, her eyes pleading for understanding. “I know I was wrong, Ethan, and I’m sorry. But Parker is your son.”

“And how do you know this?” Doubt crept in when I questioned her claim.

“I wasn’t sleeping with just you, but you were the only one I slept with without protection,” she explained.

---