Chapter 4: The Wedding That Never Happened
I stared at the photograph until my eyes began to burn.
It showed Daniel outside a courthouse, wearing the navy suit I'd helped him choose for our engagement dinner.
Beside him stood a woman in a white dress.
Me.
I recognized the dress immediately. It was the simple ivory gown I'd worn for a courthouse appointment four years earlier, when Daniel had told me he wanted to surprise me with something romantic.
He'd said we were going to sign paperwork for a joint savings account.
I'd signed several documents that afternoon.
Or at least, that's what I'd believed.
My phone vibrated.
*Unknown:* Do you remember March 17, four years ago?
I swallowed.
*Me:* Yes. Daniel took me to the courthouse.
*Unknown:* What did you sign?
I closed my eyes.
I remembered the marble hallway, the clerk behind the counter, and Daniel's hand resting on my back.
He'd kissed my forehead and said, "One day, we'll look back at this and laugh about how nervous we were.""
I'd laughed.
I'd trusted him.
*Me:* Financial documents. Something about the house.
The reply came immediately.
*Unknown:* Emily, you need to check the county marriage records.
My stomach tightened.
I opened my laptop and searched the public records database.
It took several minutes to find the correct page.
Then I saw it.
A marriage certificate.
Daniel Whitmore and Emily Carter.
Date: March 17, four years earlier.
My hands went numb.
We were already married.
Or at least, the government believed we were.
I called Daniel.
He answered on the second ring.
"Emily, thank God. Where are you?""
"Why does the county have a marriage certificate with our names on it?""
Silence.
Then he sighed.
"I was hoping we could discuss that calmly.""
"Calmly?""
"Listen, sweetheart. It was a temporary legal arrangement.""
I gripped the phone.
"There's no such thing as a temporary marriage.""
"Emily, we were going to have the proper wedding later. You know that.""
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
He lowered his voice.
"Because you wanted everything to be perfect. You were obsessed with the ceremony, the dress, the venue. I didn't want to ruin that.""
I laughed bitterly.
"You let me spend four years saving for a wedding to a man I was already married to?""
"It wasn't like that.""
"Then what was it like?""
He hesitated.
I heard a door slam somewhere in the background.
"Emily, please. Brianna is upset. She's making things difficult.""
I felt my heart pound.
"Put her on the phone.""
"She's not here.""
"Daniel, I can hear her.""
A muffled voice called his name.
Then the line went dead.
I sat motionless.
A few minutes later, another message arrived from the unknown number.
*Unknown:* Don't let him convince you that the certificate is harmless. Find the original application.
I searched the county records again.
The marriage certificate was legitimate.
But there was another document attached to the filing.
A marriage license application.
I opened it.
My signature appeared at the bottom.
Only it wasn't my signature.
The capital E was wrong. The final stroke of my surname was too short.
Someone had copied my signature from another document.
I enlarged the image.
There was another detail.
Under marital status, the application listed Daniel as previously married.
I read the name of his former spouse.
*Caroline Whitmore.*
I'd never heard of her.
I called Margaret again.
She answered immediately.
"Emily, I was expecting you.""
"Why didn't you tell me Daniel and I were already married?""
There was a long silence.
Then Margaret spoke carefully.
"Because I don't believe that marriage certificate is valid.""
"What?""
"Your mother brought me a copy four years ago. She was concerned that Daniel had submitted documents using your identity.""
"Then why is it still on the public record?""
"Because the application was never challenged.""
I stood up.
"Who is Caroline Whitmore?""
Margaret exhaled.
"Daniel's first wife.""
My mouth went dry.
"He's divorced?""
"That's what he told your mother. But the divorce decree he provided had inconsistencies.""
I stared at the screen.
"Are you saying he was married when he filed that application?""
"I'm saying you should not assume Daniel's legal status is what he claims.""
I heard a printer starting in Margaret's office.
"Come here tomorrow. I'll show you what your mother left.""
Before I could answer, the unknown number sent another photograph.
This time it showed a woman sitting beside my mother in a hospital room.
The woman looked directly into the camera.
Her message contained only five words.
*Unknown:* Emily, I'm Caroline Whitmore.
I stared at the photograph.
May you like
Then another message arrived.
*Caroline:* And I have a child with Daniel.
