Chapter 4: The First Lie
Rebecca moved faster than I had ever seen her move.
She crossed the living room and grabbed Nathan's arm.
“Outside.””
Nathan pulled away.
“No.””
“Nathan.””
“I said no.””
I closed the front door behind him.
Nobody sat down.
Nobody seemed capable of it.
I looked at my brother.
“Talk.””
Nathan rubbed both hands over his face.
Rebecca stood beside the fireplace, arms folded tightly across her chest.
Mom remained near the stairs.
“Danny,” she said, “I can give you privacy.””
“No.””
Rebecca laughed bitterly.
“Of course she stays.””
I didn't look at her.
“Mom stays.””
Nathan swallowed.
“This didn't start Tuesday.””
I felt my heartbeat in my throat.
“How long?””
“Dan—”
“How long?””
He looked at Rebecca.
She shook her head.
Nathan looked back at me.
“Before Emily and I separated.””
My mind started calculating automatically.
Emily had moved out four months ago.
“So five months?””
Nathan said nothing.
“Six?””
Still nothing.
I stepped closer.
“How long?””
“Eleven months.””
Mom gasped.
I stared at my brother.
Eleven months.
Last Christmas.
My birthday.
Our anniversary.
Family dinners.
Eleven months of Nathan sitting across from me at tables, laughing, drinking beer, asking about work.
Eleven months of Rebecca kissing me goodnight.
“No,” Rebecca said suddenly.
“He's making it sound worse than it was.””
I turned.
“How exactly does an eleven-month secret between my wife and my brother sound better?””
“We weren't having an affair for eleven months.””
Nathan closed his eyes.
Rebecca pointed at him.
“Tell him.””
Nathan didn't move.
“Tell him!””
He looked at me.
“It wasn't physical the entire time.””
I nearly laughed.
“That is your defense?””
“No.””
Rebecca snapped, “We kissed once.””
Nathan's head turned.
“Rebecca.””
“What?””
“Stop lying.””
Her face tightened.
I looked between them.
“What happened?””
Nathan exhaled.
“The first time was after your company Christmas party.””
I remembered that night.
Rebecca had complained of a headache and left early.
Nathan had offered to drive her home.
I stayed another hour because my boss wanted to discuss a promotion.
When I got home, Rebecca was asleep.
Nathan had texted me:
*Got her home safe. Great party, bro.*
I could see the message in my mind.
“What happened that night?””
Nathan stared at the floor.
“We kissed.””
Rebecca immediately said, “He kissed me.””
Nathan looked at her.
“You kissed me back.””
“I was drunk.””
“So was I.””
I raised my hand.
Both stopped.
“What happened after that?””
Nathan swallowed.
“We started texting.””
“How often?””
“Every day.””
The room seemed to become smaller.
“Every day?””
“Yes.””
“Did Emily know?””
“No.””
“Did she find out?””
Nathan's eyes changed.
There it was.
Another secret.
“Is that why she left you?””
He didn't answer.
“Nathan.””
“Yes.””
I turned toward Rebecca.
She looked away.
I remembered Emily crying in my kitchen three months earlier.
She had come to pick up some mail Nathan had left at our house.
I'd asked whether she was okay.
She had hugged me.
Actually hugged me.
Then she'd said, “I hope someday you understand I never wanted to hurt you.””
At the time, I thought she was talking about Nathan.
Now I understood.
“She knew.””
Nathan nodded.
“Emily knew about Rebecca?””
“She found messages.””
“And nobody told me?””
“I wanted to.””
Rebecca laughed.
“No, you didn't.””
Nathan snapped, “I tried twice.””
“When?””
“The fishing trip.””
I remembered.
Nathan and I had driven three hours north in May.
He'd been quiet all weekend.
At one point he'd said, “Dan, if someone you loved made a terrible mistake, would you want to know?””
I'd thought he was talking about Emily.
I'd told him marriage required forgiveness.
The memory made me sick.
“And the second time?””
“My birthday.””
Rebecca stepped toward him.
“You promised me.””
“I know.””
“You promised you wouldn't destroy his life.””
Nathan looked at her with disgust.
“We already did.””
That shut her up.
Mom began crying quietly.
I turned toward her.
“Mom?””
She wiped her cheek.
“I'm sorry.””
“Why are you apologizing?””
“Because I knew something was wrong.””
“You couldn't have known this.””
“I knew enough.””
Rebecca suddenly exploded.
“This is exactly what she wanted!””
Everyone looked at her.
“She has hated me since the day we met.””
Mom stared at her.
“I never hated you.””
“You never thought I was good enough for Daniel.””
“I welcomed you into this family.””
“You judged me.””
“When?””
“All the time!””
“Give me one example.””
Rebecca opened her mouth.
Nothing came.
Mom stepped closer.
“When you lost your father, I stayed with you for three nights because Daniel was overseas for work.””
Rebecca looked away.
“When you had surgery, I cooked meals for two weeks.””
“Stop.””
“When your mother refused to come to your wedding, who helped you choose your veil?””
“I said stop.””
“I loved you, Rebecca.””
Rebecca's eyes filled.
For the first time that evening, her anger disappeared.
But only briefly.
“You loved the version of me you could control.””
Mom shook her head.
“No. I loved my son's wife.””
That landed harder than shouting.
Rebecca sat down.
Nathan looked at me.
“Dan, there's more.””
I stared at him.
“Of course there is.””
“The affair ended.””
Rebecca's head lifted.
“What?””
Nathan continued.
“Two months ago.””
I looked at Rebecca.
“Is that true?””
She hesitated.
“Yes.””
“Why?””
Neither answered.
“Why did it end?””
Nathan said, “Because I told her I wanted to tell you.””
Rebecca stood again.
“That isn't why.””
Nathan looked at her.
“Then tell him the real reason.””
Her jaw tightened.
I was exhausted now.
Not physically.
Something deeper.
“Rebecca.””
She looked at me.
“Why did it end?””
“Because it was a mistake.””
Nathan laughed.
She turned on him.
“Shut up.””
“No.””
“You've done enough.””
“So have you.””
I stepped between them.
“What aren't you telling me?””
Nathan reached into his jacket.
Rebecca's face changed instantly.
“Nathan.””
He pulled out a folded envelope.
“Nathan, don't you dare.””
My brother held it toward me.
Rebecca grabbed his wrist.
He pulled free.
“Daniel,” she said, “if you open that, there's no going back.””
I stared at the envelope.
My name was handwritten across the front.
“What is it?””
Nathan's voice was barely audible.
“Something Emily gave me after she left.””
“Why does it have my name on it?””
“Because she wanted you to have it.””
“Then why didn't I?””
Nathan looked ashamed.
“Rebecca convinced me to hide it.””
I took the envelope.
Rebecca's breathing became shallow.
“Daniel, please.””
That was the first time all night she'd said please.
I opened it.
Inside were printed photographs and several pages.
I ignored the pages.
The first photograph showed Rebecca and Nathan entering a hotel together.
A date was printed beneath it.
Seven months earlier.
The second showed them leaving the next morning.
My hands began to shake.
Then I reached the final photograph.
It wasn't Rebecca.
It was Nathan.
Standing outside a medical clinic.
Beside him was a woman I didn't recognize.
She was holding Rebecca's purse.
I looked up.
“Who is she?””
Nathan went pale.
Rebecca whispered, “Don't.””
I turned the photograph over.
May you like
Emily had written one sentence on the back.
*Daniel, ask your wife what happened at this clinic on March 14.*
