Chapter 1424

Finnegan drove Esther safely home, and when he parked at their gate, Esther was still curled up in the passenger seat. Her face was red, and she was mumbling under her breath, clearly having had too much to drink. Gently, Finnegan unbuckled her seatbelt. Esther wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "I have a secret to tell you, but you must promise not to tell anyone else." At first, Finnegan thought she mistook him for James and felt a bit annoyed. However, he patiently responded, "What's the secret?" "You have to first promise me you won't tell anyone. Especially James. Never, ever tell him," Esther insisted, her words slurred. Realizing she knew it was him, Finnegan nodded. "Don't worry, I promise." Encouraged, Esther began, "Nobody knows why I didn't accept his proposal or marry him. The truth is…" Her voice trailed off as sadness took over. "I once had a child." As she spoke of the child, tears streamed down her face. "But I lost the child because James refused to