Chapter 5: The Marriage I Didn’t Know
I didn’t listen to the recording until Lily was asleep.
I sat alone in my car outside the house, staring at the USB drive.
For five minutes, I did nothing.
Because some part of me still hoped Vanessa had an explanation.
A misunderstanding.
A reason.
Anything that would allow me to wake up from this nightmare.
But deep down, I already knew.
The woman I married was not the woman I thought she was.
I plugged the drive into my laptop.
The audio file appeared.
No title.
No date.
Just one file.
I pressed play.
At first, there was only silence.
Then Vanessa’s voice.
“I told you this would work.””
My entire body went still.
A man’s voice answered.
“Are you sure?””
“Yes.””
I didn’t recognize him.
“You’ve been living with him for years.””
“I know.””
“And he still hasn’t figured it out?””
Vanessa laughed softly.
“No.””
I stopped breathing.
“Figured what out?”” the man asked.
Vanessa replied:
“That he’s exactly what I needed.””
My hands curled into fists.
“What does that mean?””
The man laughed.
“You mean you don’t feel bad?””
“Why would I?””
There was a pause.
Then Vanessa said:
“Michael needed someone to save. I gave him that.””
My blood turned cold.
“I became the perfect wife. The perfect stepmother.””
The recording crackled.
“And now?””
Vanessa answered:
“Now everything belongs to me.””
I slammed the laptop shut.
I couldn’t listen anymore.
Not yet.
Not without knowing who that man was.
My phone buzzed.
A message from Mason.
*Dad, where are you?*
I replied:
*Home. Are you okay?*
His response came quickly.
*No. Mom came into my room. She knows I told you.*
My heart dropped.
*What did she say?*
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Finally:
*She said I ruined everything. She said she should have gotten rid of me years ago.*
I jumped out of the car.
I ran inside.
“Mason!””
He was standing in the hallway.
His face was pale.
“She said that?””
He nodded.
“She told me you’ll leave her because of me.””
I pulled him into a hug.
“I’m not leaving you.””
He broke down immediately.
“I’m sorry.””
“For what?””
“Because I caused this.””
I stepped back.
“Mason, look at me.””
He looked up.
“You didn’t cause anything.””
“But if I stayed quiet—”
“No.””
My voice became firm.
“You protected your sister.””
He wiped his eyes.
“I should’ve done it sooner.””
“You were a child.””
“I’m seventeen.””
“You were still her child.””
Before he could answer, we heard footsteps.
Vanessa.
She walked down the stairs slowly.
“You two are really bonding over hating me now?””
I moved between her and Mason.
“Stay away from him.””
Her face hardened.
“You’re choosing them over me?””
“I’m choosing the truth.””
She laughed.
“The truth?””
“Yes.””
She looked at Mason.
“You have no idea what he’s going to think when he learns everything.””
I narrowed my eyes.
“What does that mean?””
Vanessa smiled.
A cold, confident smile.
“You really want to know?””
“Yes.””
She walked toward the kitchen.
Then stopped.
“I kept records too.””
“Of what?””
She turned around.
“Of every time you failed your daughter.””
The words hit me.
Because she knew exactly where to attack.
My guilt.
“You think I don’t know I worked too much?”” I said.
“No.””
She shook her head.
“I think you don’t know how much Lily suffered because of it.””
I felt anger rising.
“Don’t you dare use my mistakes to justify yours.””
For the first time, her smile disappeared.
“You’re going to lose everything.””
I stared at her.
“Is that a threat?””
“No.””
She picked up her purse.
“It’s a fact.””
“Where are you going?””
“To protect myself.””
She reached the door.
Then looked back.
“Oh, Michael?””
“What?””
Her eyes moved to Mason.
Then to Lily’s bedroom.
“You should ask yourself why Rachel waited so long to tell you.””
The door closed.
I stood there.
Confused.
Because she was right about one thing.
Rachel had waited years.
Why?
I walked back to my laptop.
I opened the recording again.
This time, I listened all the way through.
The man’s voice returned.
And then Vanessa said something that made my entire world collapse.
“I didn’t marry Michael because of him.””
A pause.
“I married him because of his daughter.””
I stopped the recording.
My hands went numb.
Vanessa hadn’t chosen me.
She hadn’t chosen our family.
She had chosen Lily.
May you like
And I finally understood why.
Because the next sentence revealed the truth I was never supposed to hear.
