Chapter 5: The Name Hidden in His Phone
The silence after I said her name was louder than any argument we had ever had.
Rebecca.
A name that meant nothing to me.
But everything to Ethan.
Patricia looked between us.
“Who is Rebecca?””
Ethan stood up.
“Nobody.””
I stared at him.
“Nobody?””
“Yes.””
The speed of his answer made my skin crawl.
People don’t react that quickly when something is innocent.
Daniel glanced at me.
“Do you know this name?””
I shook my head.
“No.””
Ethan stepped toward me.
“Sarah, this is getting out of control.””
I moved away.
“No. It’s finally becoming clear.””
He stopped.
I could see him searching for the right words.
The same way he always did.
Not looking for the truth.
Looking for the explanation that would make him look innocent.
“Rebecca was someone I worked with.””
I waited.
“That’s it.””
I looked at the documents.
“Then why did you transfer her money?””
His silence answered before he did.
“It was a mistake.””
A mistake.
Another mistake.
That word again.
I smiled sadly.
“You have a lot of mistakes, Ethan.””
His expression hardened.
“You’re making assumptions.””
“Then prove me wrong.””
He didn’t.
Because he couldn’t.
Patricia sat down slowly.
Her anger toward me had disappeared.
Now she looked exhausted.
“I don’t understand.””
Nobody looked at her.
“I spent years defending you,” she said quietly.
Ethan looked at his mother.
“Mom…”
“No.””
Her voice cracked.
“You told me Sarah was the problem.””
She looked at me.
“You told me she didn’t appreciate everything you did.””
My throat tightened.
Because those words were familiar.
Too familiar.
Ethan had built a story about me.
And everyone believed it.
Patricia wiped her face.
Not from soup anymore.
From disappointment.
“I thought I was protecting my son.””
I looked at her.
“You were protecting a lie.””
Nobody spoke.
Then Daniel’s phone buzzed.
He checked the screen.
His expression changed.
“What?””
I looked at him.
“What happened?””
He hesitated.
Then he turned the phone toward me.
It was an email.
From Lauren.
Attached were more documents.
Daniel opened them.
And my heart dropped.
Because there was a photograph.
A picture of Ethan standing outside a building.
With Rebecca.
Holding hands.
Patricia covered her mouth.
“No…”
Ethan immediately stepped forward.
“That picture doesn’t prove anything.””
I looked at him.
“You’re right.””
His eyes narrowed.
“See?””
I continued.
“It doesn’t prove everything.””
That made him uncomfortable.
Because I wasn’t screaming.
I wasn’t crying.
I wasn’t begging.
I was thinking.
And that scared him more.
Daniel scrolled further.
“There’s something else.””
“What?””
He looked at Ethan.
“These documents show regular payments.””
Ethan’s face changed.
“How did you get those?””
Daniel ignored the question.
“Sarah, according to these records, money from your joint account was transferred every month.””
I looked down.
The numbers blurred.
Not because I couldn’t see them.
Because I finally understood.
This wasn’t one bad decision.
This wasn’t one mistake.
This was a pattern.
Years of choices.
Years of lies.
I looked at Ethan.
“How long?””
He said nothing.
“How long have you been doing this?””
His jaw tightened.
“Sarah…”
“How long?””
Finally, he whispered:
“Two years.””
The room went completely still.
Two years.
Two years of trusting him.
Two years of sharing a bed with someone who was secretly destroying everything we built.
I closed my eyes.
For a moment, I remembered the beginning.
Our first apartment.
Our first Christmas tree.
The night he promised me:
“No matter what happens, I’ll always choose you.””
I opened my eyes.
And realized he had broken that promise long before tonight.
Daniel gathered the documents.
“We need to discuss legal options.””
Ethan suddenly looked at me.
“Sarah, wait.””
I turned.
For the first time, his voice sounded desperate.
Not angry.
Not confident.
Desperate.
“Please.””
I stared at him.
“What?””
He swallowed.
“There’s something you don’t know.””
I felt a chill.
Because every time Ethan said those words…
Something worse followed.
“What?””
He looked at the folder.
Then at Daniel.
Then back at me.
“I didn’t plan this alone.””
My heart stopped.
“What does that mean?””
Ethan looked toward the hallway.
Toward the room where Patricia’s coat was hanging.
May you like
And he whispered:
“Mom knew.””
