Chapter 79 The Wife—Tara
The Wife—Tara
“I want to go see Dad,” Lucas says for the tenth time. What is it with this kid? His dad gets arrested, and he still thinks he hangs the moon. I’m so tired of Chase being everyone’s darling.
“Let’s sit down. I wasn’t going to tell you this yet, but I think you have a right to know.”
His brow furrows as he pulls up a chair at the kitchen table.
“Your dad hit that young girl with his car and left her there to die.”
Lucas shakes his head. “You’re lying! Dad told me he didn’t have anything to do with that. He swears he only went to talk to her.”
I reach out to take his hand, but he snatches it back. “Lucas, listen to me. The police found her backpack in his home office. He had a phone where he was texting her, pretending to be you.”
Confusion fills his face. “No. That doesn’t make any sense. Why would he do that?”
It was all going to come out soon, so she may as well get it over with.
“There’s no easy way to tell you this. Something happened the night you were born.
There was another woman there that night.
She thought her baby died, but it turns out that our babies were switched.
The girl Dad was texting is your half sister. ”
I can see him trying to process my words, but I’m not sure they’re sinking in. He shakes his head. “Wait, you mean, you’re not my real mother?”
“Of course I’m your mother. I raised you, and I love you. But, no, I’m not your biological mother. Dad found out when you gave blood. Your blood type is incompatible with ours.”
The sixteen-year-old sitting across from me regresses to the child he used to be and begins to cry. I stand up and put my arms around him. “Dad and I love you. That’s never going to change.”
“Will I have to go live with someone else? I don’t want to!”
“No, I’ve spoken to her. She’s not going to pursue any legal action, and you’re old enough that the courts will respect your wishes. But she does want to meet you when you’re ready.”
“I don’t know.” He’s sobbing now. “I don’t know.”
“Shh, it’s okay.”
“I want to talk to Dad.”
I bite my lip before I can say something I’ll regret. “Okay. Go call your dad.”