Chapter 85: The Unveiling of Truth

Jenna stumbled into the dimly lit bar, her vision blurred with tears. The night had taken a turn she couldn't comprehend. Ethan—or the man she believed was Ethan—had broken her heart, confessing his long-buried feelings for Olivia. Her chest ached as she ordered another drink, hoping to drown the pain and confusion gnawing at her insides.

As the bartender slid the glass across the counter, Jenna took a deep breath and lifted it to her lips, but before she could take a sip, a voice interrupted her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Jenna froze and turned to see Olivia standing a few feet away, her expression soft but concerned. "What are you doing here?" Jenna snapped, setting the glass down harder than she meant to. "Here to gloat about stealing Ethan away from me?"

Olivia sighed and walked toward her. "Jenna, that's not what's happening."

"Oh really?" Jenna's voice was laced with bitterness. "Because from where I'm standing, it sure looks like it."

"Let's go," Olivia said gently, ignoring the insult. "You don't need to do this."

"I don't need to do what?" Jenna shot back, her voice breaking. "Be angry? Be hurt? What the hell do you want from me, Olivia?"

"I want to help you," Olivia said, her tone surprisingly calm. "Please, let's get out of here. You don't need another drink. You need answers."

Jenna hesitated for a moment, her anger still bubbling beneath the surface, but something in Olivia's eyes made her falter. With a sigh, she stood up, abandoning her drink. "Fine," she muttered. "But this better be good."

---

They arrived at Olivia's place, a quiet tension hanging in the air between them. The door swung open, and Jenna was greeted by unfamiliar faces. There were people she didn't recognize—Emma, Alex, and even Max—but it was the man with the mask sitting quietly in the corner that caught her attention. Next to him was an older man who appeared to be a doctor, his face filled with a serious expression.

"What the hell is this?" Jenna muttered, glancing around at the group. "Some kind of intervention?"

Olivia took a deep breath, guiding her toward the living room. "Jenna, I brought you here because I think you deserve to know the truth."

Jenna's eyes narrowed. "What truth? That you've been scheming to get Ethan back?"

At that, Olivia's eyes darkened. "You really don't know, do you?"

Jenna crossed her arms defensively. "Know what?"

"The man you've been living with," Olivia began carefully, "isn't Ethan."

Jenna's heart skipped a beat, her mind struggling to grasp what Olivia was saying. "What… are you talking about?"

The masked man shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and the doctor next to him nodded solemnly. Olivia's gaze never left Jenna's. "Jenna, the man you've been calling your husband—he's not Ethan. It's Patrick. Patrick had surgery to look like Ethan. He manipulated you… and me… and everyone else."

Jenna felt the room spin around her. "That's ridiculous," she spat. "Why would he do that? Why would anyone do that?"

"Because Patrick wanted everything Ethan had," Olivia explained, her voice filled with both anger and sorrow. "He wanted the life, the power, and most of all, *me*."

Jenna shook her head violently, her hands trembling. "No, no, that can't be. I—I've been with Ethan! He's changed, yes, but it's him! He's just been different since the accident."

"Think about it, Jenna," Olivia pressed, stepping closer. "Has he really been the same? The DNA test… it came back negative, didn't it? You told me he wasn't the Ethan you knew before. You've seen it. His habits, the way he started smoking and drinking out of nowhere. The way he suddenly started flirting with me right in front of you. That's not Ethan."

Jenna's knees weakened, and she slumped onto the couch, her mind reeling. Memories flashed before her eyes—his sudden distance, the way he started smoking after the accident, his strange obsession with Olivia since she had returned. Her voice cracked as she whispered, "But… how? Why?"

Olivia knelt down beside her, placing a comforting hand on her knee. "It was all a plan. Patrick knew about the will. He knew that if Ethan was out of the picture, he could take over everything. So, Martha helped him. She kept Ethan hidden… while Patrick took his place."

Tears streamed down Jenna's face as the pieces started falling into place. "But… Ethan… why didn't I see it? Why didn't I know?"

Olivia's eyes softened, filled with sympathy. "You were manipulated, Jenna. Just like I was."

Jenna looked up at Olivia, her expression shattered. "But why? Why would he pretend to love me? Why would Patrick do this to me?"

Olivia hesitated before responding. "He needed someone by his side to make it look convincing. And you… you were the easiest target."

Jenna sobbed openly now, her heart breaking all over again. "I loved him," she choked out. "I thought I was loving *Ethan*."

Olivia sat down beside her, wrapping her arms around Jenna in a hug that was surprisingly tender given their history. "I know," she said softly. "But you've been living with a lie."

Jenna wiped her eyes and pulled away slightly, looking up at Olivia with a renewed fire. "And where is the real Ethan? Where has he been all this time?"

Olivia glanced at the masked man, and the doctor stepped forward, his voice calm and steady. "I was the one who treated the real Ethan after his accident. He's been recovering for a long time, but… he's here now."

Jenna's eyes widened as she looked at the man in the mask, her heart racing. "No… no, that can't be."

The man slowly removed the mask, revealing Ethan's face—pale, but very much alive. His eyes were filled with pain and sadness as he looked at her.

"Ethan…" Jenna whispered, barely able to breathe.

"I'm sorry," Ethan said softly, his voice breaking the silence. "I'm sorry I couldn't come back sooner."

Jenna covered her mouth in shock, her whole body trembling. "How… how did this happen?"

"Martha," Olivia said bitterly. "She orchestrated everything. She kept Ethan hidden and let Patrick roam free."

Jenna's eyes filled with rage and disbelief. "That explains everything," she muttered, shaking her head. "The drinking, the smoking… the way he just—*changed*. And the way he treated me, Olivia. He flirted with you in front of me. He didn't care about our life anymore."

Olivia nodded sadly. "Because he was never Ethan to begin with."

Jenna collapsed back into the couch, tears flowing freely. "I've been living with a stranger," she whispered, her voice filled with heartbreak.

Olivia squeezed her hand. "You were manipulated, Jenna. But now, you know the truth."

Jenna closed her eyes, overwhelmed by everything she had just learned. The man she thought was her husband wasn't Ethan. He had never been Ethan. And the real Ethan, the man she had loved, had been kept hidden away this entire time.

As Jenna sat there, processing the devastation, Olivia spoke softly, "We're going to get through this, Jenna. Together. We'll bring Patrick and Martha down for what they did."

Jenna nodded, her tears still falling, but now her heart was filled with a new determination. She wasn't alone anymore. The truth was out, and she would fight alongside Olivia and Ethan to set things right.

As she glanced at Ethan, the real Ethan, she whispered, "I never stopped loving you." 

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Ethan smiled, "I never loved you or stopped loving Olivia".