Divorce With Benefits: A Second Chance At Love-Chapter 140: The Truth

Jared instinctively stepped in front of Jerica, shielding her as Lydia Sutherland entered the room. Her poised, graceful demeanor was undercut by the palpable tension that followed her presence. Arthur moved toward her, his expression softening into a smile that seemed oddly at ease. Jared frowned. Arthur wasn’t surprised to see her—no, it was as if he had asked her to be there.

Lydia approached the group, her gaze briefly lingering on Jerica before she nodded a greeting. Jerica hesitated but returned the nod, her lips pressed into a thin line. The air in the room grew heavy as everyone took their seats around the coffee table, the weight of unspoken words thick between them.

"So..." Jared finally broke the silence, his voice strained as he addressed Arthur. "The report was exchanged?"

Arthur nodded, but there was a flicker of something deeper in his eyes. "Yes," he began, then glanced at Lydia before looking back at Jerica. His expression was unreadable, a mix of anticipation and trepidation. "Also..." He paused for a moment, as though searching for the right words. "Jerica is our daughter."

Jerica blinked, the words not registering at first. She glanced at Jared, who returned her look with a small, knowing smile. Neither of them caught the subtle implication of the word our. They assumed Arthur was referring to Jerica being his daughter with Elizabeth Evans, Jerica’s mother.

Lydia’s voice, soft but trembling with emotion, cut through the moment. "I thought you died..." she said, her eyes fixed on Jerica.

Jerica turned to look at Lydia, her expression a mixture of confusion and shock. "What?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Jared’s brow furrowed as the pieces slowly began to fall into place. "Wait," he said, his voice rising slightly as he looked between Arthur and Lydia. "Did you just say... she’s your daughter? As in the daughter of both of you?"

Jerica’s eyes widened as the realization struck her like a lightning bolt. "You’re my..." she stammered, looking at Lydia, then back at Arthur, her mind racing to make sense of it all.

"Yes," Lydia said softly, tears brimming in her eyes. "You’re our daughter, Jerica."

Jerica’s breath caught, her chest tightening as though the air in the room had turned into a tangible weight pressing against her. Her hand instinctively moved to her abdomen, a protective gesture she hadn’t realized she was making. "But... my mother, Elizabeth... she..." Her voice faltered, the words catching in her throat as the ground beneath her seemed to shift. The world spun, disorienting her.

Arthur’s voice broke through the haze, steady but gentle. "She raised you, yes. But Lydia is your biological mother."

Jerica’s gaze snapped to Arthur and then to Lydia, her eyes wide with disbelief. Her emotions were a whirlwind—confusion, anger, betrayal, and a simmering resentment she couldn’t quite place. "Biological?" Her voice came out sharper than intended, laced with incredulity.

Her mind rebelled against the claim. Elizabeth hadn’t raised her in the nurturing, loving way most mothers did. No, Elizabeth had been a source of trauma, an absentee parent in every sense that mattered. Jerica had been left to fend for herself, to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. She had raised herself. But this wasn’t about Elizabeth’s failings as a mother. This was about everything she thought she knew about herself being torn apart.

"That doesn’t make sense," she said, shaking her head, her voice trembling as she fought to keep control.

"You were born in Lesotho," Arthur explained softly, his tone patient but firm, as though trying to anchor her to the truth. "Our daughter was born that same day, at the same time. There was a storm that night, and... the babies were accidentally switched."

Jerica blinked, her lips parting in shock. Her mind raced, trying to connect the dots, to make sense of this impossible revelation. Already reeling from the news of her pregnancy and the sudden reversal of her grim cancer diagnosis, she now found herself thrust into yet another life-altering drama.

She wanted to shout, to deny it outright. But deep down, she knew Arthur wouldn’t make such a claim lightly. He wasn’t the type to speak without proof. The blood test—he had her blood. He must have confirmed it.

Jared’s hand tightened around hers, his steady presence grounding her amidst the chaos. She turned to him, and his calm, concerned eyes reassured her in ways words never could. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "How?" Her voice was softer now, controlled, though the storm inside her had not abated.

Arthur continued, his words careful, measured. "There was confusion that night, with the storm and the chaos in the hospital. It was an honest mistake, but a devastating one. We only uncovered the truth recently." 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Jerica stared at him, her mind processing every word. Everything she had believed about herself was crumbling. Her identity, her history—it was all built on a foundation that had now been revealed as false. And yet... strangely, it didn’t hurt as much as she thought it would.

She had always been a solitary figure, someone who felt detached from the concept of family. The bond she had shared with her late brother was the closest thing to true familial love she had ever experienced, but even that had been complicated by his autism and her inability to connect more deeply. She had long since accepted that her family ties were fractured, and she had learned to live with it.

So this revelation, while shocking, didn’t devastate her. She had built her life on her own terms. Her family wasn’t defined by blood—it was Jared, the man who held her hand through every storm, and now the tiny life growing inside her. That was her family.

Jerica let out a soft scoff, a sound that was part disbelief, part bitter amusement. "Another story of an exchange? First, my medical reports get switched, and now I was switched at birth? What is this, some poorly written melodrama where the author only knows how to write one kind of twist?"

"Jerica..." Jared’s voice was low, a quiet plea as he squeezed her hand.

Jerica’s words had been sharp, cutting, and they landed like blows on Arthur and Lydia. Arthur’s expression remained composed, but there was a flicker of hurt in his eyes. Lydia’s face, however, was more open, her pain visible as she stared at Jerica, her lips trembling as though holding back tears.