Chapter 3: The Secret Behind the Necklace
I didn’t answer the phone.
Not immediately.
I stood there staring at the screen while the ringing echoed through the silent house.
Ethan came behind me.
“Dad?””
I quickly turned the phone away.
But he had already seen my face.
“What happened?””
I looked at my son.
And I realized something.
For months, I had been trying to protect Ethan from painful truths.
But he had been protecting me from them.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A man’s voice came through.
“Daniel Hayes?””
“Who is this?””
A pause.
Then a quiet laugh.
“You really don’t know, do you?””
My jaw tightened.
“Tell me your name.””
The man ignored my question.
“You were never supposed to see that video.””
I looked toward Victoria’s abandoned belongings.
“You were with her.””
Another pause.
“Yes.””
“Who are you?””
The man’s voice became colder.
“Someone who knows Victoria better than you ever did.””
I gripped the phone.
“Did you help her fake the pregnancy?””
A laugh.
“That was the smallest part of the plan.””
My stomach dropped.
“What plan?””
The man didn’t answer.
Instead, he said:
“Ask her about the night your wife died.””
My entire body froze.
Ethan looked at me.
He saw my expression change.
The call ended.
I stood completely still.
For years, I had accepted my wife’s death as an accident.
A rainy road.
A lost driver.
A tragedy nobody could change.
But now someone connected Victoria to that night.
And I needed answers.
I found Victoria two hours later at her sister’s apartment.
She opened the door and immediately knew why I was there.
“You talked to him.””
It wasn’t a question.
I stepped inside.
“Who is he?””
Victoria looked terrified.
“Daniel, listen to me.””
“No.””
My voice stopped her.
“For once, you’re going to listen to me.””
She looked down.
“His name is Marcus.””
“What does he have to do with my wife?””
Her face changed.
And that was all I needed.
She knew.
“Answer me!””
She started crying.
“I didn’t want this.””
“That doesn’t answer my question.””
She covered her mouth.
“I met Marcus years ago.””
“When?””
“Before I met you.””
“And my wife?””
Victoria looked away.
“He knew her.””
The room felt smaller.
“How?””
“I don’t know everything.””
“Then tell me what you do know.””
She sat down.
“Marcus told me your wife discovered something before she died.””
My heart pounded.
“What?””
“He said she found out about financial fraud.””
“Whose fraud?””
Victoria stayed silent.
“Whose?””
Finally, she whispered:
“Your business partner.””
I felt the air leave my lungs.
My business partner, Richard, had been my closest friend for twelve years.
He was the man who stood beside me at my wife’s funeral.
The man who helped me rebuild my company afterward.
“You’re lying.””
Victoria shook her head.
“I wish I was.””
“Why fake the pregnancy?””
She wiped her tears.
“Because Marcus said you would never trust me without a reason.””
I stared at her.
“So you planned to trap me?””
She didn’t deny it.
“I was scared.””
“You destroyed my family because you were scared?””
“No.””
She looked at me.
“I did it because Marcus promised that once you married me, everything would belong to us.””
The words made me sick.
Everything.
My house.
My company.
My life.
I stepped back.
“You never loved me.””
Victoria’s silence answered.
I turned to leave.
Then she said something that stopped me.
“Daniel.””
I looked back.
“You think the pregnancy was the biggest lie?””
Her eyes filled with fear.
“It wasn’t.””
I didn’t move.
“What do you mean?””
She whispered:
“Marcus didn’t just plan your wedding.””
A cold chill ran through me.
“He planned your son’s disappearance.””
My heart stopped.
“What?””
Before she could explain, a loud crash came from outside.
We both turned.
Through the window, I saw a black car speeding away.
On the passenger seat was Ethan.
My son.
My world went silent.
I ran outside.
But the car was already disappearing down the street.
Victoria stood behind me, shaking.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message appeared from an unknown number.
A photo.
Ethan sitting inside the car.
And below it, one sentence:
“Now you understand why the boy was the real problem.””
I stared at the screen.
May you like
Because the wedding lie was over.
But the nightmare had just begun.
