Whispers of Deceit.

Chapter 10

The next morning, the tension from the night before lingers like a fog, thick and unspoken. Jared is still asleep, sprawled across the bed with one arm draped over his eyes to block out the sunlight streaming through the curtains.

I had to force him off the sofa and come to bed last night when I woke up at two am. My neck as stiff and I was sweating under the weight of him.

I move quietly through the room, trying not to disturb him as I get dressed. Last night’s confrontation with his mother plays over in my mind, the words heavy, like stones being tossed into calm water, each one leaving ripples in its wake.

I head downstairs, the soft clink of mugs and the smell of brewing coffee grounding me for the day ahead. Breeze rubs against my legs, her green eyes blinking up at me as if asking for reassurance. I bend down to stroke her, feeling the warmth of her fur beneath my fingertips. “At least you’re always on my side,” I whisper, giving her a little smile.

The sound of footsteps behind me interrupts my moment of peace. Jared appears in the doorway, his hair tousled, eyes still a little groggy. “Morning,” he mutters, heading straight for the coffee pot. He pours himself a mug, leaning against the counter as he takes a long sip.

“Morning,” I say, watching him carefully, unsure if he remembers last night’s conversation or if the alcohol has left it in a haze.

He glances at me over the rim of his mug, and I can see the tension still there in his eyes. “I remember,” he says quietly, as if reading my thoughts. “I remember everything.”

I nod, feeling the weight of the words between us. “I didn’t mean to ruin your night. I just couldn’t keep it from you.”

He sets the mug down on the counter and walks over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist. “You didn’t ruin anything. She did. And I’m going to talk to her today.”

I look up at him, my heart beating faster. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to feel like you have to pick sides.”

“I’m not picking sides,” he says firmly. “But she needs to understand that this… the way she treats you… it can’t go on. I’m tired of it, and I’m tired of her thinking she can walk all over you.”

His words stir something deep inside me, a mixture of relief and fear. I know Jared means well, but confronting Helen is like trying to tame a storm. She’s not one to back down easily, and I can already imagine how the conversation will go—her sharp words, her biting accusations, her inevitable tears.

“Just… be careful,” I say softly. “You know how she can be.”

He presses a kiss to the top of my head. “I know. But this time, I’m not backing down.”

We eat breakfast in a comfortable silence, the weight of what’s to come hovering over us, but unspoken. As Jared clears the plates, his phone buzzes on the counter. He glances at it, his expression shifting from neutral to tense in an instant.

“It’s her,” he says, showing me the screen. Helen’s name flashes across it like a warning.

“Do you want to answer?” I ask, my heart skipping a beat.

He hesitates for a moment, then shakes his head. “No. I’ll go see her later. Face-to-face is better.”

I nod, though my stomach tightens at the thought of that inevitable confrontation.

Jared grabs his jacket and keys, ready to head out. “I’ll be back soon,” he says, pressing another quick kiss to my lips before walking out the door.

The moment he leaves, I feel a knot of anxiety begin to form. I trust Jared, but I also know his mother—and Helen has a way of twisting things to her advantage. I try to distract myself, cleaning up the kitchen and moving around the house, but the unease lingers, a dull ache at the back of my mind.

Hours pass. I check my phone, waiting for a message from Jared, but there’s nothing. Breeze watches me from her perch by the window, her gaze following me as I pace back and forth, the silence growing heavier with each minute.

Finally, the door creaks open. Jared walks in, his face tight, his eyes stormy. He tosses his keys onto the table with more force than usual, the metallic clink ringing out in the stillness.

“How did it go?” I ask, bracing myself for the answer.

He exhales slowly, running a hand through his hair. “It didn’t go well.”

I bite my lip, watching him closely. “What happened?”

“She… she just doesn’t get it,” Jared says, his voice filled with frustration. “No matter how many times I tried to explain, she turned it back on you. Said you were manipulating me, that you’re trying to cut her out of my life.” He shakes his head, pacing in front of me. “It’s like she refuses to see reason.”

I feel a sharp sting of anger rising inside me. “Jared, that’s not true. You know that, right?”

“Of course I know that,” he says quickly, stopping to face me. “But nothing I say gets through to her. It’s like talking to a brick wall.”

I step closer, placing a hand on his arm. “You did what you could. She’s the one who refuses to change.”

Jared’s eyes meet mine, a mixture of exhaustion and determination in them. “I told her I’m done with this. If she can’t respect you, she’s not welcome in our lives.”

The words hang heavy between us, but they also bring a sense of finality, a decision that’s long been coming. I pull him into a tight embrace, feeling the weight of everything we’ve been through in that moment.

“We’ll get through this,” I whisper. “Together.”

Jared nods, holding me close. “Yeah. We will. Also, now that we are trying for a baby, she is the one who will be missing out on her grandchild’s life.”

My heart dropped but I just stayed silent. A small part of me hoped that everything going on with his mum, he would forget all about the baby part. I was gravely mistaken.