The Best Revenge It Wasn't Even Your Child novel Chapter 567

Harrell’s breath caught; a dry cough escaped him as he turned bright red, struggling to find his voice in his embarrassment, twisting away to hide his face.

“It’s not what you think!” Lorinda exclaimed before he could say a word. “I just want you to pretend to be Jasper’s dad. We can say we split up over an argument, but now we’re back together."

Harrell, still red-faced, could only stammer, “Why?”

Lorinda sighed. “I just moved back in with the Lees. They keep hovering, won’t let me do anything alone, and God forbid I reach out to Catherine. I need some way to earn a little freedom, don’t you think?” She’d racked her brain, and Harrell was the only one she could possibly use for the role. She was new to Eldervale, hadn't made any local friends, and couldn’t even come up with a believable excuse just to leave the house alone. There was no way she could actually cut off all contact with Catherine. She couldn’t handle it, and Catherine—well, she knew exactly how wild Catherine’s imagination could get.

“I could pass along any message you have for her,” Harrell offered.

“It’s not that simple. There are things you can only say face-to-face. A message just doesn’t express how you truly feel.” The thought alone sent a pang through Lorinda’s chest. Truthfully, she didn’t even have much to say—she just wanted to see Catherine, if only for a moment.

Harrell hesitated, then asked again, “You’re really sure about this?”

Lorinda nodded without hesitation, quick and determined. “Absolutely.”

He fell silent for a moment. “Alright. We’ll do it your way. What do we do next?”

“Let’s swap contact info. Wait for my message—I’ll find a chance to mention you, and then you can come by the Lee place.”

She pulled out her phone and added Harrell on a new messaging app; they traded numbers too.

“Keep this in mind: if you’re going to play Dad, you need to act like a dad. When you come to the Lees', treat Jasper differently—show you care.”

Be a dad? The thought made Harrell feel completely at sea. He’d never even considered such a role.

Even after he slid into the driver's seat, everything felt surreal, like he was drifting through a dream.

He dialed Lance.

“I’m gonna be a father,” Harrell blurted out.

He barely had the door open before a crystal tumbler came hurtling toward them.

Gavin reacted instantly, slamming the door shut; the glass hit with a loud crack and smashed to pieces on the hallway floor.

“Are you out of your mind?!” he shouted through the door. “One more stunt and I’ll have you locked up for the rest of your life!”

“Don’t try to fool me!” came Amanda’s raw, desperate voice. “You just want me to talk, to get the truth out of me! Let me go already!”

Catherine pushed the door open and walked inside. “If you know I’m here for the truth, then why can’t you just tell me?”

At the sound of her voice, Amanda, slumped on the sofa, went rigid.

“Catherine? Thank God you’re here!” Amanda wailed. “Please—tell them to let me go! Maybe I never did much for you and Lorinda, but I tried, I really did. I’m begging you…”