Chapter 3: The Woman Who Knew Too Much
I stared at the paper.
I read the words again.
Then again.
But they didn’t change.
Beneficiary Change Request.
Approved.
“What is this?”” I asked.
Nobody answered.
The silence was louder than the wedding music still playing softly in the background.
My mother took a step closer.
“Marcus, before your father died, he created a trust for you.””
I frowned.
“My father?””
I barely remembered the details of my father’s finances. He died suddenly when I was young. Most of what he left behind had gone to my mother.
Or at least, that was what I believed.
“There was one condition,” my mother continued.
Nia shook her head.
“Evelyn, stop.””
My mother looked at her.
“No. He deserves the truth.””
I turned to Nia.
“Why are you telling her to stop?””
Nia’s eyes moved around the crowd.
Looking for an escape.
That scared me more than anything.
Because Nia was not someone who usually looked afraid.
“What condition?”” I asked.
My mother handed me the document.
“Your father wanted you to receive everything when you turned thirty.””
I scanned the page.
My birthday.
The account information.
The legal signatures.
Then I saw the date of approval.
Two weeks before my wedding.
My stomach twisted.
“Why was this changed two weeks ago?””
My mother didn’t answer.
She looked at Nia.
And that was enough.
I turned slowly.
“Nia?””
She wiped away a tear.
“Marcus, I was going to tell you.””
“When?””
She stayed quiet.
“When were you going to tell me?””
“I didn’t know how.””
I laughed bitterly.
“You knew how to plan a wedding. You knew how to choose flowers, venues, dresses, invitations. But you didn’t know how to tell me about this?””
She flinched.
Andre stepped forward.
“This isn’t fair.””
I looked at him.
“Nothing about today has been fair.””
His jaw tightened.
“You don’t understand.””
“Then explain.””
Andre looked at Nia.
She shook her head.
A warning.
But it was too late.
The truth had already started breaking through.
“She was never trying to marry you for love,” Andre said.
The entire crowd reacted.
“Nobody asked you,” Nia snapped.
Andre’s face hardened.
“You were going to let me take the blame for everything?””
My eyes moved between them.
“What are you talking about?””
Andre looked exhausted.
“I made mistakes. I admit that. But Nia planned this.””
Nia’s expression changed.
“Shut up.””
“No.””
Andre pointed at the envelope.
“She knew about the trust.””
My heart sank.
“How?””
My mother answered.
“She found out when she searched through your financial documents.””
I looked at Nia.
“Is that true?””
She didn’t deny it.
That was worse.
“When did you start planning this?”” I asked.
Nia’s voice became softer.
“I loved you.””
I almost believed her.
Almost.
Then she said:
“But I also knew you were finally about to become wealthy.””
The words hit harder than the hose hitting my mother.
I felt embarrassed.
Not because of the money.
Because I had ignored every warning sign.
My mother had tried to tell me.
My friends had tried.
And I had defended Nia every single time.
“Marcus,” Nia whispered, “it wasn’t supposed to happen like this.””
I looked at the destroyed flowers around us.
The soaked wedding decorations.
The guests watching.
“Then how was it supposed to happen?””
She didn’t answer.
Andre did.
“She was going to marry you, wait until the trust transferred completely, then leave.””
My chest tightened.
“No.””
Nia started crying.
“Marcus, listen—”
But then my phone rang.
Everyone looked at me.
The screen showed an unknown number.
I almost ignored it.
Then I saw the voicemail notification.
One new message.
Recorded twenty minutes ago.
Before the wedding started.
I pressed play.
A woman’s voice came through the speaker.
A voice I didn’t recognize.
“Marcus, if you’re hearing this, it means Evelyn gave you the envelope. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, but I was scared.””
I looked at my mother.
Her face changed.
She knew the voice.
The recording continued.
“Your bride isn’t the only person who has been hiding something from you.””
My blood ran cold.
The woman paused.
Then she said:
“Your mother knows why your father really died.””
May you like
I looked up.
And for the first time that day, my mother looked afraid.
