Chapter 2: The Secret I Kept
I didn't sleep.
Not because I regretted my decision.
Because for the first time in years, I felt awake.
I sat on the edge of our bed watching the clock move past midnight.
The room looked exactly the same.
Jake's expensive watch sat on the nightstand.
His jacket hung over the chair.
His shoes were by the door.
Everything looked normal.
But nothing was normal anymore.
Around 1:30 in the morning, the front door opened.
Jake stumbled inside, still laughing.
"Emma?""
I didn't answer.
He walked into the bedroom.
"There you are.""
His voice was cheerful.
Like he hadn't destroyed something hours earlier.
"You missed the cake.""
I looked at him.
"I wasn't hungry.""
Jake sighed.
"Are we seriously still doing this?""
Doing this.
That phrase.
Like my pain was an inconvenience.
"I almost drowned.""
He rolled his eyes.
"Emma, come on. You know I would never let anything happen to you.""
I stared at him.
"You pushed me into water knowing I was scared.""
"I pushed you into a pool.""
"You did it to make people laugh.""
Jake sat down beside me.
"You always take things too seriously.""
There it was.
The same sentence.
The same excuse.
For three years.
I stood up.
"Do you remember our first anniversary?""
He looked confused.
"What?""
"You told me you would always protect me.""
Jake smiled slightly.
"Yeah.""
"I believed you.""
The smile disappeared.
"Emma...""
"No. I really believed you.""
I walked toward the closet and removed a small box hidden behind my clothes.
Jake watched me.
"What is that?""
I opened it.
Inside were documents.
Copies.
Records.
Everything I had quietly collected.
His expression changed.
"Why do you have those?""
"Because I stopped trusting promises.""
He stood.
"Are you threatening me?""
I laughed softly.
"No, Jake. I'm preparing.""
His face hardened.
"You wouldn't actually leave.""
That sentence told me everything.
He didn't think I could.
He thought I was too loyal.
Too forgiving.
Too afraid.
I looked at him.
"You really believe that, don't you?""
He didn't answer.
The next morning, Jake woke up like nothing happened.
He made coffee.
He checked his phone.
He even hummed.
Then his phone rang.
It was his assistant.
He answered casually.
"Hey, what's up?""
I watched his face change.
"What do you mean the meeting was canceled?""
Silence.
His eyes moved toward me.
"Who authorized that?""
I already knew.
Daniel had started.
Jake ended the call and stared.
"Did you do something?""
I calmly drank my coffee.
"Good morning.""
"Emma.""
His voice became sharper.
"What did you do?""
I placed my cup down.
"I made a decision.""
His jaw tightened.
"You are being ridiculous over a joke.""
"No.""
I looked directly at him.
"It stopped being a joke when you realized everyone was laughing except me.""
Jake stepped closer.
"You think leaving will hurt me?""
I stayed quiet.
That bothered him more.
"You have no idea what you're doing.""
I smiled.
"Actually, I do.""
A few hours later, Daniel called.
I answered immediately.
"Emma, we have a problem.""
My stomach tightened.
"What happened?""
He lowered his voice.
"Jake discovered something.""
"What?""
"He accessed one of the old financial files.""
I stood up.
"What did he find?""
Daniel paused.
Then said something I wasn't prepared for.
"Not what he was looking for.""
I frowned.
"What does that mean?""
"It means Jake just found out you know more about his business than he ever realized.""
I looked out the window.
Across the street, Jake's car was parked.
But he wasn't inside.
He was standing near the sidewalk.
May you like
Looking directly at my house.
And he wasn't laughing anymore.
