𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐂𝐘: Bronny James

41

Jeanie's POV:

The hospital room was dim except for the soft glow of the TV mounted on the wall. Taylor was lying on the bed, her eyes fixed on the show playing across the room, though it was obvious her mind was somewhere else. I sat in the chair beside her, holding her hand and brushing my thumb across her knuckles.

"She's strong, Taylor," I said softly, trying to reassure her. "Julie's gonna be just fine."

Taylor gave me a weak smile but didn't say anything. I knew she was worried, but I didn't want her spiraling.

The door opened, and Dr. Avery walked in with her usual calm, professional demeanor. Taylor sat up a little, her eyes darting to the clipboard in Dr. Avery's hands.

"How's Julie?" Taylor asked quickly, her voice trembling just a little.

Dr. Avery smiled. "She's doing really well," she said. "She's responding wonderfully to the care, and her vitals are steady. She's a fighter, just like you."

Taylor exhaled in relief and leaned back into the pillows.

"That's good," I said, squeezing Taylor's hand. "That's really good."

Dr. Avery stepped closer to the bed, her tone softening. "There's something else I need to discuss with you, Taylor."

Taylor's brows furrowed. "What is it?"

Dr. Avery hesitated, glancing between Taylor and me. "I need to ask you something, and I need you to be completely honest. Is Bronny the father of Julie?"

The room fell silent. The only sound was the soft murmur of the TV in the background. Taylor's eyes widened slightly, and for a moment, she looked like she couldn't breathe.

"Of course, he is," Taylor said finally, her voice firm. "Why would you even ask that?"

Dr. Avery nodded but didn't look convinced. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Yes," Taylor said, her tone growing more defensive. "He's her father. I don't know why you're even questioning it."

Dr. Avery pulled out a piece of paper from her clipboard and handed it to Taylor. "We ran some routine blood tests. Julie's blood type matches yours, but it doesn't match Bronny's. Based on the genetic markers, it's highly unlikely that he's the biological father."

Taylor stared at the paper, her face turning pale. "No... no, that can't be right. There's no way."

"I understand this is shocking," Dr. Avery said gently. "But we've checked the results three times. The findings are the same each time."

Taylor shook her head, her voice rising. "Then run them again! There has to be a mistake! Bronny is the father!"

Dr. Avery's expression didn't change. "Taylor, we've already checked multiple times. We're confident in the results. We need to know who the biological father is because it's important for Julie's care. Specifically, we need to rule out cystic fibrosis."

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. "What... what are you saying, Doctor?"

"I'm saying Bronny is not Julie's real father," Dr. Avery said softly. "I'll give you some time to process this."

She nodded politely and left the room, leaving an unbearable silence behind her.

Taylor's hands trembled as she crumpled the paper in her lap. "This... this can't be happening," she whispered.

I felt like I was in a dream—no, a nightmare. None of this made sense.

"Taylor," I said, my voice shaking. "Is this true? Is there something you're not telling us?"

Before Taylor could respond, the door opened again, and Bronny walked in. His face was tight with anger, his jaw clenched.

"Bronny," Taylor said quickly, sitting up. "I can explain—"

"Explain what?!" Bronny snapped, his voice low but furious. "Explain how you've been lying to me for months??"

Taylor's mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.

"I did some thinking," Bronny said, stepping closer to the bed. "Taylor, you were 11 weeks pregnant in the middle of August. That means you got pregnant at the end of May. We were still together in May. So tell me—who the hell is Julie's real father?"

Taylor's eyes filled with tears. "Bronny, please—"

"ANSWER ME!" he yelled, his voice echoing in the small room.

Taylor broke down, covering her face with her hands. "He's... he's a baseball player," she said through her sobs.

Bronny's expression didn't change. "A baseball player? That's who you cheated on me with?"

Taylor nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "He's in the MLB. He's who Julie got the green eyes come from... not my father."

Bronny let out a bitter laugh and ran a hand over his face. "Un-f*cking-believable. You lied to me. You tried to make me take care of a baby that wasn't even mine. Why, Taylor? Do you even realize how f*cked up that is??"

Taylor reached for his hand, but he pulled away quickly. "Because," she said desperately, "Julie's father refused to stay in my life and I didn't want to raise her alone. And... and you and I, Bronny, we were perfect together. Everyone loved us. We were a power couple. I didn't want to lose that."

Bronny shook his head, his eyes cold. "You're actually insane. You didn't even care about me. You just cared for the image. You used me."

"That's not true," Taylor said, tears streaming down her face. "I love you, Bronny! Please don't leave me."

"It's too late for that," Bronny said, his voice cold. "I'm done. I hope you have a great life with your baseball player, whoever the hell he is. But me? I'm out. And I hope I never see your a** again."

He turned and walked out of the room without another word.

I stood frozen in the corner, my hands over my mouth, still trying to process everything I just heard. Taylor collapsed face down onto the bed, sobbing uncontrollably.

The truth was out, and there was no going back.

END OF CHAPTER 41.