She Trusted a Fake Lie Detector, So I Left Her the Truth novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: Front Row

Joanna stood on the clinic steps with her coat open and her hair wet from the fog.

She held a single sheet of paper in both hands, against her chest.

I opened the door and did not step aside.

"Five minutes," she said. "Please."

"You have the paper. Show me the paper."

She held it out.

It was a drawing in green and brown crayon, on school paper, with a name in a teacher's writing at the top.

Milo had drawn a stage with three trees on it, and the middle tree had a face and a gap where a tooth should be.

In the front row he had drawn two figures holding hands.

One had short brown hair and one had yellow hair.

Above them, in shaky letters, he had written: MOM AND DAD. FRIDAY. FRONT ROW.

"It was in his school folder," Joanna said. "The teacher wrote a note on the back. She asked if I would come to the play."

"You were asked three times."

"I know."

"He practiced his tree line in the bath for a week."

"Flynn, I'll do anything. I'll sign over the house. I'll put the company in a trust for his name. I'll go to every hearing. Let me hold him once, and let me start again."

"Start what?"

"Us."

I looked at her.

I had imagined this scene on the nights I couldn't sleep, and I'd always thought I would shout.

I wasn't going to shout.

"He drew you a chair in the front row," I said. "You gave it to Dane."

She made a sound and held the drawing against her mouth.

"Keep it," I said. "It was always yours. Hang it where you'll see it when you wake up."

"Please."

"I'm not forgiving you today, and I'm not forgiving you next year. You can stop asking."

"Then what do I do?"

"Tell the truth in court. All of it. Then leave me alone."

She nodded slowly, with tears running down her chin.

I closed the door.

I stood with my forehead against it until I heard her steps go down the stairs.

When I turned around, Sadie was leaning on the kitchen counter with her arms folded.

"That was a lot of mercy for a woman who hung up on you," she said.

← Chapter 16 · All chapters · Chapter 18 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend