Chapter 5: The Secret From Before Our Wedding
"Michael, is there something you haven't told us?""
My father's question hurt more than I expected.
I looked at him.
"No. Not that I know of.""
Sarah gave a small, bitter laugh.
"Of course you don't.""
I turned toward her.
"Stop speaking in riddles.""
She walked to the dining table and picked up the photograph of the handwritten rules.
"You want everyone to believe I'm controlling and dishonest. Fine. But nobody here knows what happened before we got married.""
My mother frowned.
"What happened?""
Sarah looked directly at me.
"Tell them about Rebecca.""
I took a breath.
"Rebecca and I were engaged seven years ago. We broke up. That's all.""
"That's not all," Sarah replied.
My father crossed his arms.
"Then explain the rest.""
Sarah pulled out her phone.
She tapped through several messages before placing it on the table.
There was a photograph of Rebecca standing outside a restaurant.
Underneath it was a message.
He'll never tell you what happened to the money.
My stomach tightened.
"What money?""
Sarah looked at me.
"The money Rebecca gave you.""
I shook my head.
"Rebecca never gave me money.""
"Really?""
"Yes.""
Sarah opened another message.
Michael took everything when I left. I had to start over.
I stared at the screen.
That was a lie.
During our engagement, Rebecca and I had shared an apartment. We had separate bank accounts and one joint savings account for wedding expenses.
When we separated, we divided what remained.
I gave her the furniture we'd purchased together. She kept the car because it was registered in her name.
There had been an argument about the wedding deposits, but we eventually settled everything through email.
Nothing was stolen.
"Where did you get this?"" I asked.
"Rebecca sent it to me.""
"Why?""
"Because she wanted to warn me.""
I almost laughed.
"Rebecca hasn't spoken to me in seven years.""
"She said you contacted her last year.""
I froze.
"What?""
Sarah showed me another message.
He reached out again. I told him I'm not interested.
I shook my head.
"I never contacted her.""
Jordan leaned forward.
"Sarah, when did Rebecca send you that?""
"Last spring.""
"How did she know your number?""
Sarah hesitated.
"I don't remember.""
I stared at her.
"How did you even meet Rebecca?""
She looked away.
My father noticed.
"Sarah?""
Finally, she answered.
"At a charity event.""
"When?""
"Last year.""
I tried to remember the events Sarah had attended.
She had volunteered at several local fundraisers, but I couldn't recall her mentioning Rebecca.
"Did you tell her we were married?""
Sarah nodded.
"Yes.""
"And what did she say?""
Sarah took a breath.
"She said you had a history of using women for money.""
My father immediately shook his head.
"That's a serious accusation.""
Sarah turned toward him.
"She showed me documents.""
"What documents?""
"Bank transfers. Emails. Pictures.""
I leaned forward.
"Show me.""
Sarah hesitated.
Then she opened a folder on her phone.
There were screenshots of bank transfers from Rebecca's account to mine.
The dates were from seven years earlier.
I studied them.
The amounts were familiar.
$2,500.
$1,800.
$3,200.
But the descriptions were missing.
I knew exactly what those transfers were.
"They were repayments," I said.
Sarah frowned.
"For what?""
"Rebecca borrowed money from me when she lost her job. She paid me back through those transfers.""
Sarah stared at me.
"That's what you told yourself?""
"No. That's what happened.""
I opened my old email account and searched for Rebecca's name.
The messages were still there.
I found the conversation from the week we separated.
One message included a complete repayment schedule.
Another contained Rebecca's confirmation that the outstanding balance had been settled.
I placed the phone in front of Sarah.
"Read it.""
She didn't move.
"Read it," I repeated.
She finally picked up the phone.
Her eyes moved across the screen.
Then her expression changed.
My mother leaned closer.
"What does it say?""
Sarah handed the phone back without answering.
I read the last message aloud.
Michael, I've transferred the final amount. Thank you for being patient with me. I'm sorry things didn't work out. I hope we can both move forward.
My father nodded.
"That sounds straightforward.""
Sarah stared at the floor.
"Rebecca told me something different.""
I felt exhausted.
"Why would you believe someone you've barely known over your own husband?""
She looked up.
"Because she said you were doing the same thing to me.""
"What thing?""
"Taking money from women and pretending it was shared.""
I pointed toward the bank statements.
"Sarah, I have transferred money to you every month for three years.""
"Because you lived here!""
"And you told me I couldn't eat the food I paid for.""
She flinched.
For a moment, I thought she might finally apologize.
Instead, she sat down and covered her face.
"I was scared.""
My mother softened.
"Scared of what, sweetheart?""
Sarah looked at her.
"Of losing everything.""
My father frowned.
"You already have a house, a husband, and a family.""
Sarah laughed through her tears.
"That's what you think.""
I stared at her.
"What does that mean?""
She wiped her face.
"Rebecca told me Michael had been planning to leave me.""
I shook my head.
"That's ridiculous.""
"She said he'd been looking at houses.""
I remembered something.
Three months earlier, I'd visited a real estate website because Jordan had asked me to help him find a smaller apartment.
I'd forwarded him several listings.
Sarah had seen one of them on my laptop.
She had asked about it.
I'd explained.
Apparently, she'd connected that innocent search to Rebecca's story.
But that still didn't explain the apartment.
Or the missing money.
Or the legal document.
I stood up.
"Sarah, even if you believed Rebecca, why didn't you talk to me?""
She stared at me.
"Because I needed to know what you were planning.""
"And what did you do?""
She looked at Jordan.
He slowly pulled his phone away from the table.
Sarah's voice dropped.
"I tried to protect myself.""
I shook my head.
"By opening another apartment?""
She didn't answer.
My father pointed at the financial statements.
"Where did the money go?""
Sarah looked at me.
Then she said something that changed the entire conversation.
"Daniel wasn't renting that apartment for me.""
I frowned.
"Then who was it for?""
She took a shaky breath.
"Rebecca.""
Jordan stood up so quickly his chair scraped across the floor.
"What?""
Sarah looked at him.
"She needed somewhere to stay.""
I stared at my wife.
"You've been paying for my ex-fiancée's apartment?""
Sarah nodded.
"She said she had nowhere else to go.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Why would you do that?""
Sarah's voice cracked.
"Because she promised to tell me everything about you.""
My father slowly sat down.
"Sarah, what exactly did Rebecca promise?""
Sarah looked at me.
Then she opened her phone and played a voice message.
Rebecca's voice filled the dining room.
"Sarah, once you get Michael to sign those papers, we'll finally be able to tell him what really happened to the money. But you need to understand something first...""
The recording ended abruptly.
I looked at Sarah.
"Where's the rest?""
She shook her head.
"I don't have it.""
Jordan stared at her.
"You're telling me you gave Rebecca money for eight months because she promised to reveal some secret?""
Sarah nodded.
I felt a strange mixture of anger and disbelief.
Then my phone vibrated.
An unfamiliar number.
A message appeared.
Michael, this is Rebecca. Sarah has been lying to you, but not about everything. I need to see you before she destroys the evidence.
A second message arrived.
And whatever you do, don't let Jordan leave with that blue folder.
I looked toward my brother.
May you like
His face had gone completely white.
Because the blue folder was sitting inside his jacket.
