Chapter 9 - The Timeline Tyler Couldn’t Change
Brittany’s baby was due in seven weeks.
The affair had been ongoing for at least eighteen months.
Harper calculated backward.
Tyler had been seeing Brittany while Harper was pregnant with Ava.
He had attended birthing classes with Harper in the afternoon and met Brittany at night.
The memory made Harper physically ill.
She braced both hands against the desk.
General Hale quietly moved the trash bin closer in case she became sick.
Tyler attempted to regain control.
“You were never here.”
Harper looked up.
“I was home throughout my pregnancy.”
“You were emotionally absent.”
“I was carrying your daughter.”
“You cared more about your uniform than me.”
The accusation was so rehearsed that Harper realized Tyler had used it to justify everything.
The affair.
The debt.
The forged signature.
The fake DNA test.
Carol placed a hand on Tyler’s shoulder.
“He made mistakes because he felt abandoned.”
Harper turned toward her.
“You helped him tear a sample from Ava’s mouth.”
“I was protecting my son.”
“No. You were protecting what he promised you.”
Carol’s hand fell.
Harper had seen the temporary caregiving agreement.
If Tyler removed Harper from the home, Carol would move in permanently.
She would raise Ava while Tyler built a new life with Brittany.
Carol had convinced herself she was saving the baby from a military mother.
In truth, she was helping her son steal a child from the only parent protecting her.
General Hale’s aide inserted the memory card into a secured laptop.
The first recovered clip began playing.
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Carol appeared in the living room holding Ava while Tyler arranged the DNA report on the island.
👉 Then the camera recording captured Carol saying the sentence that destroyed her claim of innocent concern.
