Chapter 5: The Woman Everyone Believed
The next morning, Daniel and I sat across from each other at the kitchen table.
The same kitchen where my marriage almost ended.
The same kitchen where Patricia had tried to turn me into the villain.
Daniel looked different.
Not angry.
Not defensive.
Just tired.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
I stared at my coffee.
“I believe you’re sorry.””
He looked up.
“But?””
“But I don’t know if sorry fixes this.””
He nodded slowly.
“I understand.””
I wanted to forgive him.
I really did.
Because Daniel had been my best friend before he became someone who doubted me.
But trust is not a light switch.
You cannot turn it back on because someone finally sees the truth.
“Who took that photo?”” I asked.
Daniel looked at his phone.
“I don’t know.””
“Do you believe it?””
He hesitated.
“Yes.””
That answer surprised me.
“Why?””
“Because my mother has been acting strange for months.””
I leaned forward.
“Tell me everything.””
Daniel rubbed his face.
“She started asking about our finances.””
My eyebrows lifted.
“Our finances?””
“She wanted to know how much our house was worth. How much money we had saved.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Why?””
“I don’t know.””
But then his phone rang.
He looked at the screen.
His face changed.
“It’s Mark.””
He answered.
“Hey.””
A pause.
Then Daniel stood up.
“What?””
I watched his expression change.
“Send it to me.””
He ended the call.
“What happened?””
He turned the phone around.
A video had been sent.
“This is from Mark’s neighbor’s camera.””
We watched.
The video showed Patricia leaving our house three nights before the attack.
She was carrying a folder.
A large one.
Daniel frowned.
“What is that?””
I looked closer.
“I don’t know.””
The video continued.
A car stopped outside.
A woman got out.
She hugged Patricia.
Then Patricia handed her the folder.
Daniel looked confused.
“Who is that?””
I didn’t know.
But something about the woman felt familiar.
Then the woman turned slightly toward the camera.
And I recognized her.
My stomach dropped.
“No.””
Daniel looked at me.
“What?””
“That’s Patricia’s attorney.””
He froze.
“Attorney?””
I nodded.
“I met her once. At your father’s funeral.””
Daniel stared at the screen.
“Why would my mother need a lawyer?””
Before I could answer, the front door opened.
Patricia walked inside.
She was holding a cup of coffee.
And she looked completely calm.
Too calm.
“Good morning.””
Neither of us replied.
Her eyes moved between us.
Then she smiled.
“What happened?””
Daniel stood.
“Mom.””
She stopped.
“What?””
“Why do you have a lawyer?””
The coffee cup trembled slightly in her hand.
Only slightly.
Then she recovered.
“What are you talking about?””
Daniel showed her the video.
The color drained from her face.
For one second.
Then she laughed.
“That’s ridiculous.””
I watched her carefully.
She wasn’t surprised.
She was calculating.
“Mom,” Daniel said, “what was in that folder?””
Patricia looked at him.
Then she looked at me.
And slowly smiled.
“The truth.””
My stomach tightened.
“What truth?””
She placed the coffee cup down.
“The truth about your wife.””
Daniel frowned.
“Mom, stop.””
“No.””
Patricia’s voice became colder.
“You deserve to know who you married.””
I felt my heartbeat increase.
Because I knew that expression.
She was setting another trap.
Then she opened her purse.
And pulled out a stack of papers.
Daniel looked at them.
“What are those?””
Patricia handed them to him.
“Proof.””
I stepped closer.
“Proof of what?””
Patricia looked directly at me.
May you like
And said the one sentence I never expected to hear.
“Proof that Emma has been lying to you since the day you met her.””
