Page 159 of Broken Destiny

I glanced down at the screen.

A picture of Caleb with my children eating funnel cake filled the display.

Back at thehotel that evening, I couldn’t stop replaying Harper’s words in my head.

Was he right?

Was I chasing something that no longer existed?

I stood near the window of my hotel room, staring out at the city lights. After everything Caleb had said to me, after the anger in his eyes and the distance in his voice, I no longer knew what to believe.

I called Elle.

“I don’t agree with him, Jiya,” she said firmly over the phone.

“Really?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t. I agree with Jack and your mother. You need to clear your name. Your truth needs to be heard. Why should everyone think that you are a thief and some kind of schemer when you’ve done nothing but try to protect and save them—not once, but twice?”

That was exactly what I had been debating in my head. I felt like I was doing the right thing, but Harper had confused me. But why?

“I think Harper is a nice guy,” Elle continued, then sighed softly. “But I’m sorry, I think he has an ulterior motive. I think he said what he did so that he can patch things up and get back with you.”

I had known Harper for a long time. I didn’t believe he was capable of such a move. If he had any feelings for me, he would have told me. He wouldn’t try to manipulate me. He wouldn’t do that to me. Not after everything I told him.

“Do you think there is a relationship left to salvage between Caleb and you?” Elle asked.

“I thought there was,” I replied, pacing slowly across the room.

“Thinking and being sure are two different things, Jiji. And right now, you need to be sure of the outcome.”

I thought long and hard about what she had said, and for the first time, I admitted something to myself—I didn’t know if Caleb wanted to be with me anymore.

If he still wanted me, he wouldn’t be getting married. If the truth could change his decision, surely he would have given me a sign... something... anything that left no room for doubt.

There had been moments, glances, conversations and silences that felt heavy. But there had also been anger, accusations, and hurt. And I no longer knew which version of Caleb was real.

Would that anger turn into love just because he learned the truth?

Yes, it would make him upset with his mother—definitely. But would it make him come back to me? Would it erase the fact that I had hidden his daughter from him?

I didn’t know.

I had tried relentlessly to talk to him, but somehow things never worked out. After Harper said what he did, I had almost convinced myself to walk away and leave things as they were. After all, he was a man, and hearing a man’s perspective had made it easier to justify giving up—but Elle’s words pushed me forward.

Caleb deserved to know the truth before he walked down the aisle.

And I was going to try to tell him—no matter how difficult it would be—during our double date.

On Friday, I got dressed and waited for Harper to pick me up.

My phone rang.

It was Harper.

“Hey, I’m here,” he said.

“I’ll be right down.”