The husband, oblivious that his wife was still at home, let slip his secret during a telephone chat with his mother. From that moment I shall recount the rest in full, as I remember it now, with the benefit of hindsight.
Eleanor murmured with interest, brushing dust and cobwebs from her cheek. True chaos reigned in the cramped cupboard she had claimed as a hiding place.
Sitting in that cramped position was terribly uncomfortable: she felt a sneeze coming on, and her legs had fallen asleep. Yet she was willing to endure the ache if it meant uncovering Jamess true intentions.
James was speaking loudly on the phone, completely unaware that Eleanor was in the flat. He had just entered the flat, though he should have been at work. His voice carried so clearly that Eleanor, who happened to be home that afternoon, caught every word. He had no notion that she was hidden in the wardrobe.
Eleanor had come home specifically to retrieve a folder of documents that sixyearold Lucy the little troublemaker had tossed upstairs a week earlier. The child had been playing hide and seek with her mothers important papers as a joke, perhaps to draw attention from parents she seldom saw. Let them search together and then praise me, Lucy had decided.
The papers had become wedged between the wall and the cupboard, and now Eleanor had to move the heavy furniture to get them. She had repeatedly asked James to help, but he kept finding excuses: he was busy, he was tired, he would do it tomorrow.
Ill call my brother on my day off I cant manage on my own, James declared once more, displaying his childish approach to responsibility.
Eleanor, however, was of a different temperament active and decisive. When her boss demanded the contracts for the latest deals, she made the only sensible choice: drive home herself and sort the problem.
Ill bring them right now! she told her boss confidently and set off.
Long overdue! Youve been feeding me promises for a week now! the boss grumbled.
To Eleanors surprise she managed to shift the cupboard. Perhaps the strength came from her anger at James. Besides the folder, she uncovered several longlost items and a thick layer of dust.
Ill quickly vacuum, then head to work, she thought. Let James put the cupboard back this evening.
Her plans were interrupted by a sudden sound James had entered the flat while still on the phone, wholly absorbed in his conversation.
What is he doing here? Eleanor wondered, crouched with the folder in her hands.
Her curiosity grew when she caught snippets of the talk. James had deliberately taken the day off so nothing would disturb his delicate conversation.
What delicate conversation? she strained to hear.
Leaving her hiding place now would be reckless. She stayed concealed, determined to learn exactly with whom her husband was having these delicate talks.
Go ahead, dictate the number Im writing it down, James continued. Of course Ill call you later! How could I not report back? Yes, Ill tell everything!
After a short pause he spoke more formally:
Hello! Can I arrange a paternity test at your clinic?
Eleanor froze, shocked.
What?! she whispered, unable to believe her ears. Explain in more detail! What test is this? Whose paternity? Is he doubting that Lucy is his daughter? Or does he have someone else?
James pressed on:
Understood. And how much will it cost? And how fast will I get the results? That expensive? This is a ripoff! Im not a child who needs everything explained to me! How long does the procedure take? What materials are needed? Hold on, Ill write it all down
Eleanor held her breath, recording every word James uttered. She wondered whether to confront him then or wait until the end. His intentions seemed clear, but one crucial question remained: who was the subject? Could there truly be another child besides Lucy?
When the call with the clinic ended, James immediately redialed his mother. Now everything clicked the first call had been to Margaret. Jamess tone shifted to the apologetic manner he used with his stern mother, a reminder of his childhood under her strict hand. Though he loved Margaret, Eleanor sensed he feared her. And now, by all appearances, he was following her orders, coordinating every move with her.
Hello, Mum, Ive found out everything. Yes, I just called. They explained what needs to be done. But can you imagine the price they asked for? Im in shock! How can they rip people off like that? Were only trying to learn the truth. We have that right, James said, already feeling guilty.
After waiting for his mothers reply, he continued, Thank you, Mum! I knew youd help with the money. Without that, Eleanor would immediately suspect something amiss. Shed ask where I spent so much. And you know Im not good at lying.
Eleanors indignation rose.
Hes not good at lying! Truly! she whispered, barely containing herself. And who is this sly one that makes you suspicious? Spill your secrets, you scoundrel! Lay all your cards on the table!
She needed to know whom James suspected Lucy, their daughter, or a child born out of wedlock? The answer could change everything.
She recalled how she had met James. It had happened by chance in a pub where Eleanor and her friends were celebrating their law degrees. They were dancing with such bright energy that everyone cheered.
Ladies, hooray! Were now solicitors! they shouted, infecting the room with enthusiasm.
A modest young man, watching from the bar, asked Eleanor for a slow dance. From the first moment he charmed her with compliments, declaring he had never met a more beautiful woman.
From that moment their romance began. James wooed Eleanor with daily declarations of love, insisting he could not imagine life without her. Eleanor, however, was not in a rush to marry, so they wed two years later.
For her, family was not the main goal. She dreamed of a career, achievements, and financial independence. Yet a year after the wedding she discovered she was pregnant. Lucy was born, a little girl they both adored. James seemed even more attached to Lucy than Eleanor, spoiling her, forgiving mischief, and allowing almost anything. Their resemblance shocked acquaintances Theres no need for a DNA test, people would say.
So why, then, was James now doubting his paternity? Had these doubts haunted him since Lucys birth? Or was it not about their daughter at all?
Her head throbbed from the tension. She realized she knew nothing about the man she had spent years with.
Mom, you really came up with something clever with this test, James continued, outlining his intentions. Of course, before taking such a step, one must be certain that Tom is my son. I have no doubts about Lucy shes like a sister to me. But this boy He doesnt resemble me at all, and that raises concerns.
Traitor! When did you ever have such doubts? Eleanor, still hidden behind the cupboard, seethed.
So there really is a child on the side. Anna and Tom What an interesting life you have, James! And I thought you loved us me and our daughter.
Eleanor breathed deeply, striving to stay calm despite the boiling anger inside. Meanwhile James pressed on with his mother:
Yes, Mum, youre right. Before deciding to leave for Anna and the child I must be sure he is indeed mine.
Eleanor had long suspected that Margaret was meddling, trying to sow discord. The woman clearly harboured little love for her granddaughter Lucy, unlike her elder sons children. Lucy, sensing this, kept her distance from Grandma Margaret, preferring the company of her parents.
Realising that James was cheating and had fathered a child elsewhere was a true shock. His plans to abandon Eleanor and Lucy for a new family exceeded all her expectations.
Eleanor was so stunned that she feared moving. If James noticed her now, she would lose control. The only way out seemed to be to strike him then, but she needed to calm herself, gather her thoughts, and weigh her options before deciding how to take revenge on this traitor.
Mom, you know, after the incident with Simon from our department, when his wife claimed during the divorce that their son wasnt his, I began to treat this matter with caution. That was long ago. And its as if you read my mind. If everything is confirmed, a new life awaits me with a new wife and the son Ive always dreamed of.
With those words James left the flat, and Eleanor finally emerged from behind the cupboard, stretching her numb legs. In her hands she still clutched the folder of documents that needed to be delivered to the office. That was what she would now
