Chapter 4: The Secret I Buried
I spent the entire night staring at the ceiling.
Not sleeping.
Not resting.
Just waiting for the morning to arrive so I could finally ask Wesley the question that had been burning inside me.
What did he know?
And more importantly…
What had I never told him?
By sunrise, I already knew.
There was only one thing Sterling could have discovered.
Something I had avoided talking about since the beginning of my relationship with Wesley.
My family.
My past.
The reason I had learned so quickly to judge people before they could judge me.
I met Wesley at a time when I had carefully rebuilt my life.
A new apartment.
A new job.
A new circle of friends.
A version of myself that didn’t come with explanations.
But there was a chapter I never opened.
Because I was ashamed.
When Wesley first asked about my parents, I had smiled and said, “We’re not very close.””
That was technically true.
It just wasn’t the whole truth.
At noon, Wesley called.
“Can we meet?””
His voice sounded exhausted.
“Where?””
“The park near your apartment.””
I knew immediately.
This wasn’t going to be a casual conversation.
When I arrived, Wesley was sitting on a bench, staring at the ground.
He looked like someone who hadn’t slept either.
“Wesley.””
He looked up.
“Hey.””
I sat beside him.
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Finally, he said, “My dad told me something yesterday.””
My hands tightened around my coffee cup.
“What?””
“He said he found out about your family.””
I looked away.
“Okay.””
His eyebrows pulled together.
“Okay?””
“What do you want me to say?””
“I want you to tell me why you never told me.””
The pain in his voice was worse than anger.
“I wanted to.””
“Then why didn’t you?””
Because I was afraid.
But saying that out loud felt impossible.
“I thought it didn’t matter anymore.””
Wesley looked at me.
“How could it not matter?””
I swallowed.
“Because I’m not that person anymore.””
“That’s not what I asked.””
The honesty hurt.
I looked down at the grass.
“My father left when I was sixteen.””
Wesley stayed silent.
“My mother spent years pretending everything was fine. She cared more about appearances than what happened inside our house.””
“Corinne…”
“I learned early that people can look perfect and still hurt you.””
The words came out faster now.
“I learned not to trust what people showed me.””
Wesley’s expression softened.
“But why hide that from me?””
I looked at him.
“Because your family is everything mine wasn’t.””
He didn’t answer.
“You talk about your father with so much respect. You admire him. I didn’t want you looking at my family and seeing a disaster.””
Wesley sighed.
“I wouldn’t have.””
“You don’t know that.””
“Yes, I do.””
I shook my head.
“No, Wesley. You don’t.””
The silence returned.
Then he asked quietly:
“Did you think I would leave you?””
The question broke something inside me.
I didn’t answer.
Because the answer was obvious.
Wesley looked away.
“My dad thinks you hide things because you’re calculating.””
My heart sank.
“And what do you think?””
He didn’t respond immediately.
“I think you’re scared.””
I looked at him.
“But I also think fear doesn’t excuse everything.””
The words were fair.
And somehow that made them harder.
“I’m sorry.””
“I know.””
“Do you still love me?””
Wesley closed his eyes.
“I don’t know.””
That sentence felt like the ground disappeared beneath me.
Before I could respond, his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His expression changed.
“Who is it?””
He hesitated.
Then turned the phone toward me.
The name on the screen made my stomach drop.
*Amanda.*
My best friend.
The same person who had received those messages.
Wesley answered.
“Hello?””
A few seconds passed.
Then his face went pale.
“What do you mean you found something?””
I leaned closer.
Amanda’s voice was faint but urgent.
“I need to talk to Corinne. It’s about her father.””
My breathing stopped.
Wesley looked at me.
Then back at the phone.
“What does her father have to do with this?””
There was silence.
Then Amanda said something that made Wesley stand up.
“What?””
I looked at him.
“What did she say?””
He ended the call slowly.
“Corinne…”
“What?””
His face was filled with confusion.
And concern.
“She said your father wasn’t the only person who knew your secret.””
My blood went cold.
“Who else?””
May you like
Wesley stared at me.
“Your father.””
