Wife confronts husband over secret school project dinner — Then text messages reveal the daughter never even asked him to hide it
Chapter 9 — The Full Confession
Jordan looked down at the dark grain of the wood.
His hands rested flat against the surface of the dining table.
The phone next to him remained silent for a moment.
“I didn’t meet up with a friend from the gym,” Jordan admitted.
His voice dropped to a low register.
“I didn’t go to the hardware store either.”
Clara stood still beside him.
Her arms remained crossed over her maroon sweater.
“I know,” Clara said.
“The teacher’s email proved that.”
“I met with a former business associate,” Jordan continued, his eyes fixed on the table.
“His name is Wesley.”
“You haven’t worked with Wesley in three years,” Clara said.
“Why are you meeting him now?”
“We were talking about a financial loan,” Jordan said.
“A private loan?” Clara asked.
“For what?”
“For a new venture,” Jordan muttered.
“I needed capital.”
“And you thought you could just hide a massive financial decision from me?” Clara demanded.
“You knew how I’d react,” Jordan said.
“We agreed we wouldn’t take on any more personal debt after the home renovation.”
“So you decided to lie about it?” Clara asked.
“You used Harper’s school project as a cover story.”
Jordan flinched slightly at the mention of their daughter.
“I needed a block of time where you wouldn’t question where I was,” Jordan confessed.
“I knew Harper wanted to make that display board.”
“You used our daughter,” Clara whispered.
The accusation hung heavy in the quiet kitchen.
“You used a little girl’s school project as a convenient alibi so you could go talk about money behind my back.”
“It started as a coincidence,” Jordan pleaded, looking up at her with a desperate expression.
“She really did ask for both of us.”
“And you twisted it,” Clara said.
“You manipulated her request so you could sneak off.”
Jordan lowered his head back down.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered.
“I was a coward.”
Clara looked down at the dining table between them.
The display board pieces lay scattered near the edge.
