The CEO's Amazing Ex-Wife Is Back! by H. Dally

Chapter 217 Chapter 217 For a moment, the world seemed to stop. Kris stared at Rita, uncomprehending. He blinked, processing the words, but they didn't make sense.

"What... what are you saying?" he whispered, his voice barely audible, filled with confusion.

Rita looked down, guilt washing over her face. "I'm so sorry, Kris. But Tessa... she's not yours." Kris stared at her for a few seconds more before a curt chuckle escaped him, filled with disbelief.

"Where is this coming from, Rita? What are you even saying?" he questioned, his voice tight. "Tessa IS my daughter. She's my little angel. I've been there since the day she was born." "I know," Rita said, tears filling her eyes. "But... the truth is... you're not her biological father, Kris. Karen confessed it toherself." "Karen is a fucking liar!" Kris growled, shaking his head frantically. "She's making this up to hurt me." Rita shook her head, a tear sliding down her cheek. "No. In fact, she did everything she could to keep the secret hidden because she didn't want you to know." Kris staggered back, his breath catching in his throat. It felt like a punch to the gut, knocking the air right out of his lungs.

"No... no, that can't be true. Tessa is my daughter. There has to be a mistake somewhere. The dates match. She was conceived around the tI got drunk and woke up in bed with Karen." Rita's face paled as even more realizations dawned on her. Karen's deception truly ran deeper than she'd imagined.

"Kris, Karen was having a relationship with... another man around that time. She might have already been pregnant before whatever happened between you two that night... if anything happened at all." Kris's expression twisted, filled with a mix of emotions-confusion, disbelief, anger-but most of all, pain. The pain felt like it was squeezing the life out of him.

"She deceived me," he gritted out, gripping the duffle bag in his hand which contained the evidence against his mother inside. "She toldshe was pregnant and even threatened to abort the child if I didn't marry her. She forcedto marry her when she was deceivingall along." "Yes," Rita croaked out, her face burning with shame. "I'm so sorry, Kris. I'm so sorry. It bringsno joy to tell you this, because I know how much you adore my grandchild, and how much she adores you. I am so, so sorry." Two police officers passed by, escorting a handcuffed man, forcing them to temporary halt their conversation. "Why now?" Kris asked once the door had closed behind the officers. He didn't know how he could sound so calm, despite the storm of emotions raging inside him. "Why did Karen decide to reveal the truth now? Why not keep her mouth shut?" "I guess she thought she had no choice," Rita answered, then gestured to the bag in his hand. "I didn't want to tell you, but Karen cto hide the evidence in my house. I don't know how she got hold of it, but she was keeping it to ensure your mother wouldn't tell you the truth. After I found the bag, she..." "Wait... wait..." Kris's nostrils flared, his body tensing up even more. "What does my mother have to do with this?" Rita stared at him, her heart breaking all over again because she knew what she was about to say would crush him even further.

"Your mother knew the truth, Kris. I don't know how long, but she knew that Tessa wasn't yours." Kris staggered back again, feeling like he had just been stabbed in the heart. He knew his mother was capable of terrible things, so this shouldn't have shocked himo en But it did. And it hurt like hell.

She knew. His mother knew about Karen's deception and kept it to herself, likely for selfish reasons.

"There's one more thing you need to know," Rita whispered. It broke her have to deliver more news heart to of betrayal, but she knew she had to.

"What?" Kris asked through gritted teeth. At this point, he didn't know what else she could say that would hurt more.

"The man Karen was having a relationship with... the real father of Tessa...is Henry. Your friend. M "Henry. Kris repeated, the ncoming out like a sharp stab of betrayal. His mind reeled as he tried to piece it all together. Henry constantly berating Thalassa. Henry always defending Karen...

A hot, searing anger surged through him, and his hand shot up to clutch his head as pain seized it. How? How ve could he have been so blind and stupid? How did he not see that the people closest to him were the ones betraying him all along? The pain In his eyes made Rita wince, as though she could feel it too. Hesitantly, she placed a trembling hand on his arm. "Forgive me, Kris, Forgive me. This is all my fault for not raising my daughter the right way. I'm so sorry. I told you the truth because you deserved to know. You can do whatever you want with it." With that, she turned and hurried to her car, driving off.

Kris stood there, his breath heavy as a tidal wave of emotions crashed into him. Betrayal. Grief Rage.

al Grief Rage.

A He clutched his free hand to his chest. It felt like a billion weights were pressing down on him. He couldn't breathe. Tessa. He needed to see Tessa.