Chapter Twelve
Mimi and Nancy were sitting in the living room rehashing what had occurred earlier in the week with Victor when Chloe reentered the room. She had just returned from the bathroom apparently she was still recovering from some bout of stomach flu. Other than that she was fine … well as fine as she could be considering her husband was missing.
"Sweetie, are you sure you're okay?" Nancy asked her for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Maybe I should call Craig and have him come check you out."
"Mother, I am fine. I told you this is just some strain of stomach flu that I got. I've already seen someone about it and I will be fine so stop worrying." She lied, not wanting Nancy to be any more worried than she already was. She sat down in a chair near Mimi.
"Well, if you think so . . ." Nancy started off saying.
"I do. Besides, I went to the doctor earlier this week and she said everything was normal. I probably got the bug from one of my patients before I was placed on leave." Well that much was true she had been to the doctor and had a full check-up and everything was completely normal. Chloe pulled her legs up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them in a semi protective stance.
"Since we're settled on that. I'd like to get back to the topic at hand. That being Philip. Have you heard anything from him since you talked to Victor last week? Has he told you where he really is?" Mimi asked her friend. She was worried about her from what Nancy had told her, Chloe was basically losing it with good reason, her foundation seemed to be crumbling both in her home and professional life in turmoil.
"Yeah, he called last night. Just like he has every night since he's been gone. He talks to the kids and then he talks to me. And never once has he mentioned where he really is. But then, I haven't asked either."
Shocked Nancy and Mimi looked at each other before they spoke together. "Why haven't you said anything to him?"
"Chloe honey, if you already know that he isn't in London like he says he's been. Then why haven't you said anything to him about it? I mean, I just don't understand what you are thinking here." Her mother finished.
Chloe, who had placed her head on her knees, looked up. "Why should I bother? If he is just going to come home to divorce me. If he doesn't want to tell me where his whereabouts then maybe I don't want to know. It's obvious he doesn't want me to know."
"Because he is the father of your children that's why. My god Chloe don't you even want to fight for your husband. I mean what's the point of not doing anything. I know you love him you know you love him. Shouldn't you at least try to fight for him?" Mimi asked Chloe. Normally, she wouldn't say anything because she didn't want to over step her bounds, as Chloe's friend but, Chloe obviously needed someone to wake her up.
"Chloe, Mimi is right. You shouldn't give up your marriage like this. And especially not over something Victor Kiriakis said. While he maybe your father-in-law, he knows next to nothing about the intricacies of the relationship you and Philip share. And if this is one rare occasion where Victor does possess insight remember. You are a fighter Chloe and you have to fight for your marriage. Particularly, if you want to remain married to Philip. Or maybe that is it? Do you not want to be married to Philip any longer? Is that why you aren't doing anything about it?" Nancy asked while adding her two cents to Mimi.
"No, Mom I love Philip. I would fight with my last breath to keep us together. But, I can't understand why Philip left and did not tell me where he was really going. I know he said that it was a business trip. Obviously, I know that it's not. The reason I have yet to tell him that I know he's not in London or on business is because I want to give him ample opportunity to come clean with me. So far he hasn't said a thing and he has not given me the vaguest clue that this isn't just another business trip. He hasn't shown any signs of telling me where he is going so that leaves me with only one conclusion." Chloe answered honestly. "So, maybe he is divorcing me. What else could he be doing that would involve so much secrecy?"
Chloe did have a valid point, Mimi thought. What on Earth could Philip be doing that he doesn't want her to know about. He shares everything with her. Mimi knew that Chloe was obviously scared with the possibly of a divorce hanging over her head. She clearly needed an extra push to get in the right direction of what she needs to do. "Chloe I've known Philip even longer than I've known you so I can say this with a depth knowledge. If he were going to divorce you, you would have been the first to know, not the second. And furthermore, even if he was going to divorce you would you let him do it so easily?"
"What do you mean would I let him? If he wants to divorce me he can do just that."
"What I mean is if you think that it could be a possibility. Are you going to let him just divorce you without fighting him on it? Are you going to give up your marriage so easily?"
Chloe thought to herself for a moment. "No, I won't let him go so easily. There is no way I would or could let him go like that without putting up a fight." She answered to her mother and Mimi's delight. But before I do that there is just one thing I need to do first."
"What? What do you need to do?" Nancy asked overjoyed but the look on Chloe's face as she started to rise.
"I need to find out who Jarod's father is."
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Belle rang the doorbell to her brother's house. She stood there with one hand holding Iris' and another wrapped around eleven month old baby Ian.
"Maybe someone will come and get the door and you can go play with your cousin Spencer, Iris." Belle said looking down at her daughter.
"Oh goody, Tink Spendsir wa' let me play wit his toys?" Iris responded as the door opened to reveal her older cousin Conrad.
"Oh hey! Aunt Belle come on in. Rena's still upstairs playing with Rocky. Do you want me to get her?
Belle shut the door behind herself and Iris. "No sweetie, just tell her I'm down here when she's ready to go. Where's your mom?" Belle placed Ian on is feet and as she walked over to the couch to sit down holding both of her children's hands.
"She's at Aunt Chloe's"
"Oh," Belle sighed. She really wanted to see Mimi but that could wait. Belle watched as her nephew practically pranced around the room as though he were anxious to return to his video games. Which she knew had to be the reason since both he and Jarod were obsessed with them. When she was about to tell him he could go on upstairs Iris walked over to him and pulled on his pants leg.
"I wanna play wit Spendsir, take me!" She demanded all the while smiling up at him.
Conrad looked down and smiled back at his impish little cousin. "Sure thing, come on I'll take you." He looked at Belle for a nod of approval before he lifted her up into his arms. "Alright, I'll drop her in Spence's room to play. Are you sure you don't want me to tell Rena anything?" He asked again as she headed toward the staircase his arms full with Iris.
"No, just tell her I'm here. And ready to go whenever she is. There is no rush. Look I'm going to take Ian and go back and see your Dad." Conrad nodded and continued up the stairs. "Well since we are here we might as well go see Brady, since Mimi is with Chloe." She said as she leaned down to pick Ian back up. "Come on baby." She headed toward Brady's office in back of the house.
When she arrived in the doorway to the office she her Brady on the phone. She was going to knock but she didn't as she heard part of the conversation on the phone.
"… Look Philip, I understand what you're saying. But, you need to get back now." He paused for a moment. "So you think you've got what you've came for. Did you find––," he was interrupted yet again and was silent. "So you have one more lead to follow and then you come home whether it pans out or not, right? … Okay then, I'll cover for you one more week and then you'll need to hightail your ass back here with Shawn in tow." Brady paused once more and begins to turn his chair around so that it faced the desk. "Alright then … bye." Brady finally with his chair turned to the open doorway hung up his phone and looked up to see Belle standing there with a stoic expression on her face.
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Chloe was on a role. Having decided to find Jarod's natural father she had become very enthusiastic. Mimi and Nancy were just happy to see her in a better mood.
"Well honey, I 'm glad to see you in a better mood. But how are you going to find Jarod's father if you can't remember being pregnant with him?" Nancy asked Chloe who was pacing the floor but stopped to respond to the question.
"I've been thinking about that. And well I came up with," she paused and thought for a minute. "Okay, since Jarod was born in May that means I must have been pregnant with him in September. Right?" Asked to no one in particular. "That was a week before Philip and I married." She walked to the bookcase and picked up her wedding photo. As she stared at it a thought suddenly came to her. One that surprised her immensely. "Philip has to be Jarod's father." She paused. I'm sure of it." She put the picture back in its place before turning to her mother and Mimi in excitement. "Jarod just has to be Philip's son. There would be no other explanation for it."
Although both Nancy and Mimi were trying to follow her wave of thought it was clear that they were confused as they watched Chloe begin to pace again only this time she was talking to herself.
"Why didn't I figure it out before? Jarod is just like him in ever way except for looks. He got those from me well then except for his blonde hair he obviously got those from Philip. And maybe his eyes too, no … they are shaped a little more like mine… my color too. But it all makes sense now, everything."
"Ahem …Chloe why don't you clue in me and Nancy as to what you are talking about. I'm afraid you've completely lost us." Mimi said to her rambling friend.
"Well it's simple really. Jarod is Philip's son, you know biologically. I never thought about it before because Jarod looks so much like Dominic I basically disregarded it because everyone says that Dominic resembles me. And it was staring me right in my face everyday." Nancy and Mimi exchanged lost looks again, so Chloe stopped pacing and calmly put her revelation into words. "Okay here it is Jarod looks like Dominic and Dominic looks like me right?" Both women nodded. "Even though Dominic resembles me, he's got Kiriakis blood running through him. And that only enhances his features… so does Jarod. So it only makes sense to me that Jarod is Philip's son too. I mean hello I was getting married the only man I was sleeping with was Philip. But, you guys didn't really need to know that."
"Well … it's about time you figured it out." Nancy said. "Frankly, I was beginning to worry about you. So now what are you going to do?"
"I'm going to prove Jarod is Philip's biological son with some proof so valid that no one will ever question his paternity again." And with that Chloe left the room with a new sense of determination in her every step.
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