Chapter 13: The Man I Never Told Him About
The phone kept ringing.
Michael’s name glowed on the screen.
Daniel stared at it.
I could see the questions forming in his eyes.
Not anger.
Not yet.
Just confusion.
“Emma,” he said quietly.
“Why is Michael calling you?””
I looked at the phone.
Then at Daniel.
Because after everything Patricia had done, I never expected the next battle would be about a person from my past.
I answered.
“Hello?””
A man’s voice came through.
“Emma?””
My throat tightened.
“Yes.””
“I know you probably don’t want to hear from me.””
Daniel watched every expression on my face.
I walked away from the table.
“Michael, why are you calling?””
A long pause.
“Because I found out what Patricia did.””
My eyes widened.
“How?””
“I was contacted by someone who used to work with her.””
I looked back at Daniel.
He was listening.
“What does this have to do with me?””
Michael sighed.
“Everything.””
I closed my eyes.
“Michael…”
“I know what you think.””
“What?””
“That I’m the secret Patricia is using against you.””
I said nothing.
Because he was right.
“I’m not calling to hurt your marriage.””
Daniel stood.
“Who is it?””
I covered the phone.
“It’s Michael.””
His face became unreadable.
I returned to the call.
“Tell me why you’re involved.””
Michael spoke slowly.
“Because Patricia found me before she found the documents.””
My stomach dropped.
“What?””
“She contacted me months ago.””
Daniel heard that.
He stepped closer.
“She contacted you?””
I put the phone on speaker.
Michael continued.
“She wanted information about Emma.””
Daniel looked furious.
“What kind of information?””
Michael answered.
“The kind that could make you hate her.””
Silence.
I looked at Daniel.
He looked at me.
Michael continued.
“She asked me to tell her things about Emma’s life before marriage.””
Daniel frowned.
“And you did?””
“No.””
Michael’s answer was immediate.
“I refused.””
I believed him.
Because Michael had always been different.
He was my college friend.
The person who helped me when my father passed away.
The person who knew my darkest moments.
But he was never my husband.
That was the line I had protected.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”” Daniel asked.
I looked at him.
“Because I didn’t think it mattered.””
Michael spoke.
“She never wanted to know the truth about Emma.””
Daniel looked at the phone.
“What did she want?””
“She wanted a weakness.””
My hands tightened.
Michael continued.
“She asked about a mistake Emma made years ago.””
Daniel looked at me.
“What mistake?””
I took a breath.
“I lost a business.””
He waited.
“I invested in a small company with friends after college. It failed.””
Daniel nodded slowly.
“I knew about that.””
“Yes.””
“But Patricia made it sound like something else.””
I looked at him.
“Because she changed the story.””
Michael said:
“She wanted Daniel to believe Emma was hiding a dangerous past.””
Daniel looked down.
The pieces were finally connecting.
Then Michael said something that changed everything.
“She also asked me about one more thing.””
“What?””
“Your father.””
Daniel froze.
“My father?””
“Yes.””
The room went silent.
“My father died years ago,” Daniel said.
“I know.””
Michael’s voice became serious.
“But Patricia didn’t want anyone looking into his death.””
My heart started racing.
“Why?””
Michael didn’t answer immediately.
Then he said:
“Because your father left something behind.””
Daniel stepped closer.
“What?””
“A letter.””
Daniel’s face changed.
“My father never wrote me a letter.””
Michael replied:
“Your mother made sure you never received it.””
Nobody moved.
The silence felt impossible.
Daniel whispered:
“Where is it?””
Michael answered:
“I have a copy.””
My breathing stopped.
Daniel grabbed his phone.
“Send it.””
A few seconds passed.
Then Daniel’s phone buzzed.
He opened the file.
And we saw the first line.
A handwritten letter.
Addressed to Daniel.
The final sentence at the bottom was visible.
“If you are reading this, it means your mother failed to hide the truth.””
Daniel looked at me.
Then back at the letter.
And for the first time…
he looked afraid of Patricia.
May you like
Not because she had lied.
But because he realized she had been lying for much longer than any of us knew.
