The Man They Never Knew

2

Jenny stared at Ethan. She had never seen him look at her like that. There was no anger in his eyes anymore, no pleading, no warmth. Only a cold, unbearable emptiness.

“Ethan…”

He turned away from her.

Jenny’s heart tightened. “What are you doing?”

Ethan didn’t answer. He walked toward the door.

“Ethan!”

He stopped.

Jenny pushed herself upright despite the weakness in her body. “You can’t just walk away after saying all those things!”

Ethan slowly turned around.

Jenny’s eyes were red. “You’re blaming me for everything as if I wanted this to happen!”

“You chose to give your blood to David.”

“I told you why!”

“And our child died.”

Jenny’s face twisted with disbelief. “So what was I supposed to do? Let David die?”

Ethan stared at her.

“You were sixteen weeks pregnant.”

“I didn’t know donating blood would cause this!”

“The doctor said there were risks.”

Jenny froze.

Ethan’s jaw tightened. “He told you, didn’t he?”

She looked away.

That tiny movement was enough.

Ethan’s heart sank even further. “You knew.”

“I…”

“You knew there were risks.”

Jenny swallowed. “I thought everything would be fine.”

“You thought.”

His voice was dangerously calm. “You thought everything would be fine, so you decided our baby was worth risking.”

“That’s not what I said!”

Jenny’s voice rose. “You’re being completely unreasonable!”

Ethan’s eyes hardened. “Unreasonable?”

“Yes!”

She glared at him through her tears. “You’re acting like I deliberately killed our child!”

Ethan remained silent for several seconds.

Then he asked quietly, “Whose child was it?”

Jenny froze.

“What?”

Ethan looked directly into her eyes. “Whose child was it, Jenny?”

Her face went white.

“Ethan…”

“Was it mine?”

Her lips trembled. “How can you even ask me that?”

“I’m asking because I don’t know anymore.”

“You think I cheated on you?”

“I think I don’t know my wife.”

Jenny stared at him as if he had slapped her. “I have never cheated on you!”

“Then why did you hide the pregnancy?”

“I told you! I was going to tell you!”

“When?”

“I don’t know!”

“Why did you give David your blood?”

“Because he needed it!”

“Why were you with him all the time?”

“Because he saved my life!”

Her voice broke. “You know what happened all those years ago!”

Ethan’s expression flickered.

Jenny clenched the blanket beneath her fingers. “I was dying.”

Her voice became softer. “I was terrified. Everyone had given up on me.”

She looked at him through tear-filled eyes. “David was the one who saved me.”

Ethan said nothing.

“I promised myself I would repay him.”

“You repaid him with my child?”

“No!”

Jenny shook her head frantically. “That isn’t what happened.”

“Then explain it.”

“I was only trying to help him!”

Ethan closed his eyes.

For one brief moment, he desperately wanted to believe her. He wanted to believe that there was some explanation that would make all of this hurt less. He wanted to believe that the woman he had loved since childhood had not betrayed him.

Then, the emergency room doors suddenly swung open.

A doctor rushed into the corridor. “Where is Jenny Perry’s husband?”

Jenny’s entire body stiffened..

The doctor looked around the corridor again. “Where is David Herman?”

Ethan froze.

For a moment, he thought he had heard wrong. “Who?”

The doctor frowned slightly. “David Herman. Jenny’s husband.”

The world seemed to stop.

Ethan slowly turned his head toward Jenny. “Her… husband?”

Jenny’s face had gone completely white.

The doctor looked between them, confused by the sudden silence. “Yes. Mr. Herman. We were told that he was her husband when he was brought in for the emergency transfusion.”

Ethan stared at Jenny. His lips parted, but no words came out.

Then he laughed. It was a quiet, hollow sound. “Her husband?”

Jenny’s fingers tightened around the blanket. “Ethan…”

He looked at her.

There was no rage in his eyes. That somehow made it worse.

“You told the hospital David was your husband?”

Jenny swallowed. “I…”

Her voice failed her.

Ethan took a slow step toward the bed. “Answer me.”

“I only…”

Jenny’s breathing became uneven. “I only said that because…”

“Because what?”

She lowered her eyes. “The hospital was refusing to proceed quickly.”

Ethan stared at her.

Jenny forced the words out. “David needed the procedure immediately. They needed authorization from a family member, and I told them I was his wife so they would process everything faster.”

Silence.

Ethan looked at her as though he no longer recognized the woman lying in front of him.

“So you lied.”

“I was trying to save his life.”

“You told an entire hospital that you were married to another man.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“How else was it supposed to mean?”

Jenny opened her mouth but nothing came out.

Ethan’s eyes dropped briefly to her pale stomach.

Their child was gone. And suddenly, every detail felt unbearable.

She had hidden her pregnancy. She had donated blood to David. She had known there were risks. She had lied about being his wife.

And their baby had died… All for David.

He laughed bitterly. “I was the fool.”

“Ethan, please—”

“I was the only person in this marriage who didn’t know I wasn’t the most important person in your life.”

Jenny’s eyes filled with tears. “That isn’t true.”

Before Ethan could respond, footsteps sounded from the hallway.

A man appeared at the entrance. It was David Herman.

He looked weak. A hospital gown covered his body, and an IV line was still attached to his arm. His face was pale, making him look almost pitiful.

But the moment he saw Ethan and Jenny together, a faint glimmer flashed through his eyes. He quickly lowered his head.

“Ethan…”

Ethan looked at him.

David’s expression immediately became apologetic. “I’m sorry.”

He took a shaky step forward. “I never wanted things to become like this.”

Jenny immediately looked toward him. “David…”

David shook his head. “Jenny, don’t.”

His voice was soft and sorrowful. “You’ve already suffered enough.”

Ethan watched them silently.

David lowered his gaze. “I never asked Jenny to lie.” His expression became even more pitiful. “She only did it because she was desperate to save me.”

Ethan’s lips curled slightly. “So you admit it.”

David hesitated. “I…”

“You heard everything.”

David looked uncomfortable. “I didn’t mean to listen.”

Ethan stared at him.

For some reason, David’s performance only made everything clearer. He looked like a victim. Jenny looked like she was trying to protect him. And Ethan? He suddenly felt like an outsider watching someone else’s marriage.

David stepped closer. “Ethan, I know you’re angry.”

He lowered his head. “If I had known she was pregnant, I would never have accepted her blood.”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed. “Never?”

David nodded quickly. “I swear.”

Jenny looked at him with gratitude.

That small exchange did not escape Ethan. He simply looked at them, then he laughed. “You two really are something.”

“Ethan…”

He raised a hand. “Don’t.”

Jenny fell silent.

Ethan turned his attention back to her. “There is one thing I want to know.”

Jenny looked at him nervously. “What?”

“The baby.”

Her expression changed.

Ethan’s voice remained calm. “I want a paternity test.”

Jenny froze.

“What?”

“I want a paternity test.”

Her face immediately turned red with anger. “How dare you?”

Ethan didn’t react. “I want to know whether that child was mine.”

Jenny stared at him in disbelief. “You’re asking for a paternity test after I just lost our baby?”

“Yes.”

“You think I cheated on you?”

“I think I have the right to know the truth.”

“You’re humiliating me!” Jenny’s voice shook with fury. “You’re a controlling tyrant, Ethan!”

Ethan’s expression remained blank.

“You have absolutely no respect for me!” She pointed at him with trembling fingers. “And you don’t even respect our child!”

Ethan stared at her and for several seconds, he said nothing.

Then he let out another quiet laugh, a laugh filled with nothing but pain.

“Respect?”

Jenny’s anger faltered.

Ethan looked at her with hollow eyes. “Was losing our child an act of respect?”

Jenny froze.

Ethan continued, his voice painfully calm. “You were sixteen weeks pregnant. You knew there were risks.”

Jenny’s lips parted.

“The doctor warned you.”

She couldn’t answer.

“You still donated your blood to David.”

“Ethan, I—”

“You risked our child’s life for another man.”

His eyes reddened. “And now you’re telling me that asking whether the child was mine is disrespectful?”

Jenny’s face went completely pale.