Who really killed Wanda Day! - Wedding Bells (DAY! Series Book 2)

Chapter 25 - A Confession, A Clue, And CAUGHT!

Chris was just a fresh-faced 20-year-old when he stumbled upon the discovery of his infertility. It all started with a routine check-up at the doctor's office, where an examination revealed an asymptomatic chlamydia infection. The doc promptly prescribed some antibiotics to clear it up, but then dropped the real bombshell - since Chris had no idea how long he'd been carrying this little 'gift,' the doc recommended he get a fertility test.

Chris, ever the optimist, decided to take the infertility news in stride. In a twisted way, it actually came as a relief - at least now he didn't have to worry about accidentally knocking someone up.

When he met Ashley in 2010, just three short years later, he decided to keep that little tidbit of information to himself, scared that she might not see 'the real man' in him. Weeks turned into months, months into years, and before he knew it, Chris had let so much time pass that the perfect moment to break the news had come and gone. It wasn't until a week before the wedding that the reality of his situation hit him. But being the smooth operator that he was, Chris decided to just roll with it. He'd get tested again, act all surprised when the results confirmed his swimmers were on permanent vacation, and then suggest adoption to Ashley.

Five years into their marriage, Ashley decided it was high time they started working for a baby. And after just one cycle, she came waltzing in, positively beaming with joy, to announce the pregnancy to her dear husband. Now, Chris could have tried to act all surprised, but honestly, he didn't have to -The look of pure, unadulterated shock on his face was absolutely real.

At that moment, something deep within Chris shattered. Even through the haze of shock and disbelief, he had known in his heart that Ashley just wasn't the right one for him. But at least she fit the 'perfect disguise' mold that Wanda had always preached about. Still, the fact that Ashley was cheating on him stung like a thousand tiny needles.

Little Lysanne was born, and Chris treated her as if she were his own flesh and blood. But inwardly, he started to distance himself more and more, from both Ashley and the child. It was as if he was slowly building an emotional fortress around himself, brick by brick. For the outside world, though, Chris played the part of the loving family man to perfection. He doted on Ashley, he was the epitome of a devoted husband and father.

Just when he thought he had his emotional rollercoaster under control again, fate decided to throw him another curveball - another pregnancy, just two years after Lysanne's arrival. This new development completely threw Chris for a loop. He was present for Devon's birth, playing the part of the proud papa. But on the inside, he felt like a hollowed-out shell, utterly lost and wondering whose son he was holding in his arms.

But Chris swallowed it all down like a bitter pill. He trusted Colin blindly but was too darn ashamed to let his best friend in on his little secret. It was a downward spiral. He would often lie awake at night, staring at the ceiling while Ashley snored peacefully beside him. He longed for the kind of connection that Colin and Wanda shared, but deep down, he knew it was a pipe dream he'd never achieve. Chris turned into a wind-up toy, mechanically going through the motions, his soul slowly withering away like a neglected houseplant.

Then, one sunny day, he stumbled upon Suzie down by the river. At first, their conversation was the usual trivial small talk. But before long, things took a decidedly deeper turn before it became a fiery affair. Chris was, of course, deeply ashamed of his indiscretion. But then he remembered that his wife had been unfaithful as well, and he had been longing for the attention that Suzie gave him.

In the most fateful week of his life, October 2023, his world was turned upside down. First, his dear friend Wanda passed away, setting off a chain of events that completely derailed his carefully constructed life. But amid the chaos, Chris finally found the courage to confide in his best friend, Colin. With a heavy heart, Chris confessed his long-held secret of infertility, as well as his torrid affair with Suzie. It was like ripping off a Band-Aid - painful, but ultimately liberating. And then he took matters into his own hands, killed Ashley's affair partner, left her cheating ass, and filed for divorce.