Something was wrong.

Samuel sensed it the moment he entered the room. She had been sitting on the bed with her purse on her lap, staring into nothing. When he asked what was wrong, Kali said nothing. She told him she only wanted to go home. So they got in the car and headed home.

Throughout the trip, she had been quiet. She only spoke when he spoke to her. Otherwise, she remained silent, looking out the window. Each time he asked what was wrong, he got the same answer. He reasoned that she was waiting to get home before she told him what was wrong.

"Are you ready to talk to me now?" He asked and sat on the coffee table to be closer to her. "You have been acting strangely since morning. Do you plan on telling me what's wrong or remain silent?"

"Silent." She scoffed, shaking her head with a mirthless laugh. "Interesting word, isn't it."

"I guess. Babe, what's wrong with you."

She leaned forward, resting her elbow on her knees as she held his gaze intensely.

"I am guessing you want the truth."

"Yes."

"After we met, you took me to your apartment one day and wouldn't let me leave. You made me stay and tell you everything about my deal with your mom. Then you told me your side."

Samuel felt the skin of his neck prickle, and he swallowed nervously, looking at his feet. He didn't need to hear more to know where she was going. Shame wouldn't let him look at her.

She'd found out. Somehow, she found out.

"Look at me. Look at me the same way you've been looking at me all this time." She spat.

He raised his head, painfully looking at her as a solitary tear slipped from her lashes.

"Kali. I never meant to lie."

She laughed. "When I mentioned Richard, I saw your face. I saw the little flinch, a hint of your anger. It was quick to pass, but I noticed it. Silly me, I thought it was because you found out your mother had a lover. How was I to know it was because he was your dad."

Samuel closed his eyes and turned away.

"Look at me!" She demanded again. When he didn't, he felt her fingers on his chin. She snapped his head back and seethed. "Look at me. Why did you lie?"

"I can't explain it."

"Because you wanted to protect her." Kali corrected, answering her question. "You thought if you said something then, I'd never agree to the marriage. It was one thing to marry her son. It was another thing to marry his, too. You thought I wouldn't go through with it and put Flora in danger."

"I am sorry." He dropped to his knees and cupped her face, feeling the wetness of her tears on his fingers. "I am so sorry."

"I don't blame you. I even understand why you kept quiet after we were married. I was saying how I wanted to find something on your mother that I could use against her. Look, there you were. Her biggest secret, looking right in the face."

"That never came to my mind."

"Oh please. You must have thought I would have broadcast the news to the world the second I found out. Right? So you had to protect yourself. Your family image."

"No." He shook his head. Then he repeated, enunciating each word, "That never came to my mind."

"I don't blame you for keeping quiet then. But what of when we became friends? Did you have no loyalty to me? What happened to your reason for asking me for the truth? You said you wanted to make sure your mother couldn't surprise us. Us. That implies two, and you left me to drown after I told you everything."

"It wasn't my intention."

She threw his hand away and stood from the chair. Samuel could only imagine what his mother had said. He didn't have any idea when she even had the time to speak to Kali. And he hated himself for allowing what he feared the most to come true.

"And when we started our relationship, you still said nothing. What were you waiting for? This! Where was your loyalty to me? Where was you putting me first, at least with your mother."

"I was a coward, okay? I didn't know how to say it. Each I thought to do it, I'd talk myself out of it."

"So you just left me in the cold. I told you everything, and the one thing you had to say to me, you kept to yourself. All this time, how could you? I can't even imagine what you have been thinking of me."

He frowned. "What do you mean."

"Did you ever think I compared you with him? With your dad?"

"No. I never thought that. Why would you ask that."

"It's what your mother said to me, and I can't get it out of my head. I can't get it out of my head, and I don't want to believe those things are running around in yours."

"They are not."

"Why wouldn't they, though? You kept asking me if I still felt something for him. You did it anytime I mentioned that he had come to see me."

"Not for that. I only asked because I wanted to know how you felt." He reached for her and wrapped her in his arms, not allowing her to pull away.

"I don't know how to believe you."

She tried to move away, and he held her against the wall and himself, holding her head in his hand as he spoke, trying to make sure she heard every word he said.

"Listen to me. Not once, do you hear me? Not once, in any of the times since we were together, and even before then, did I ever wonder if you compared us. I swear it."

She shook her head, and he kissed her. She felt stiff against him for the first time. Her hands remained glued to her side, her lips unmoving. Just as he accepted the loss, he felt her fingers brush against his side. She kissed him back tentatively, touching his face softly, but it was better than nothing.

When he pulled away, she was still crying, but she no longer tried to keep him back. He brushed her hair away from her face and wiped her cheeks with the back of his hand until the stain of tears was gone. He was scared she'd have a panic attack, so while she allowed him to be close, he tried to keep her calm.

"I am sorry." He whispered. He kissed her cheek and forehead, trying not to crush her as he held her close. "Please believe me. I have never thought about anything she said, not once. I didn't even think of him or what he might think. I have only ever been with you. My mind, my thoughts were only on you."

Kali bowed her head, and he drew her to his chest. He held her until she had enough, and he had to let her go. She seemed calmer, but obviously, there was still a lot on her mind.

"Does he know?"

"Who?"

"Richard." the pain in her eyes was slowly replaced with anger. "Does he know you are his son, or did Ysabel keep it from him as well?"

"He knows."

"For how long?"

"Since I was born. Even before then."

"And why aren't you with him? Does your dad...does Timothy know?"

"Yes." he replied, then added, "and he is my dad."

She forked her fingers through her hair, hyperventilating with frustration. "I don't understand what is going on here. What is this? What is happening in this family? Explain it."

"Richard didn't want me, but my mother needed to make sure he kept his end of the deal when it came to his silence. My mother's pays him to keep his mouth shut and stay in line, like..." he tried to find the words. "Child support, but without the child."

Kali laughed manaically. "Oh my God."

"I wanted to tell you. Everything, because I didn't want her to hurt, and I failed. I am so sorry. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want to face what you'd think if you found who he was."

"But I did. And not from you. From her. You gave her that power."

"I am sorry. It was what I feared most, and I know I failed you by letting it happen."

Kali nodded. She walked away, and he watched her, dumbfounded. When he saw

"Where are you going."

"The amount of anger inside me won't let me stay here. I don't want to say something to you that I would regret. But there is someone else I need to talk to. Someone who has a few things to clear up for me."

"Don't go to him, please." He begged, immediately knowing who she meant. "Don't hurt yourself more."

"That is impossible." She grabbed the keys but stopped at the door. She didn't turn to look at him when she said, "I wish you'd told me. yourself."

The door slammed, and he collapsed on the chair. He pulled at his hair, yanking hard until it hurt as he screamed out in anger. She had done it again. For the second time, his mother had decided to ruin something that mattered to him. And he blamed himself for not seeing it coming.

It was his fault that Kali had to experience the truth in the most humiliating fashion. His dad had saved him from the same fate he left Kali to experience.

It was all his fault. He searched around for his phone as his helplessness gave way to anger.

"Where are you."

"That any way to speak to me?" His mom chastised him.

"Where. Are. You?"