Chapter 5: The Woman Before Me
I read the message three times.
Not because I didn’t understand it.
Because I didn’t want to.
The woman before me.
Those words stayed in my head all night.
Daniel had a past.
Everyone did.
But this wasn’t about a college girlfriend or someone he dated years ago.
This felt different.
This felt like something that had been buried.
The next morning, I met Claire at a small café near the river.
She arrived ten minutes late.
Her face looked exhausted.
“I almost didn’t come,” she said.
I watched her sit down.
“Why did you?””
She looked at her hands.
“Because what happened to you wasn’t right.””
I stayed quiet.
People always had excuses.
I wanted facts.
“Tell me everything.””
Claire nodded.
“Daniel had someone before you.””
“Who?””
“Her name was Vanessa.””
The name meant nothing to me.
But Claire’s expression told me it should.
“She and Daniel were together for years,” Claire continued.
“How many?””
“Almost five.””
I swallowed.
“Then what happened?””
Claire looked out the window.
“Patricia happened.””
I leaned forward.
“What does that mean?””
“Vanessa wasn’t the kind of woman Patricia wanted.””
I almost laughed.
“Let me guess. Too independent?””
Claire nodded.
“She had her own career. Her own money. She didn’t let Patricia control her.””
A cold feeling settled in my chest.
“Like me.””
“Yes.””
Claire reached into her bag.
She pulled out an old envelope.
“I shouldn’t have this.””
I looked at it.
“What is it?””
“Something Patricia kept.””
I opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
Daniel.
Younger.
Smiling.
Standing beside a woman.
Vanessa.
They looked happy.
Real happy.
The kind of happy Daniel and I used to have.
My fingers tightened around the photo.
“What happened to her?””
Claire hesitated.
“She left.””
“Because of Daniel?””
“No.””
That surprised me.
Claire looked directly at me.
“She left because of Patricia.””
The café suddenly felt too quiet.
“What did Patricia do?””
Claire took a breath.
“She convinced Daniel that Vanessa was selfish. That she didn’t respect family. That she would ruin his future.””
“And he believed her?””
Claire nodded.
“He always believed his mother.””
I looked down at the photo.
A horrible thought appeared.
“Did Patricia do the same thing to me?””
Claire didn’t answer.
She didn’t need to.
The answer was obvious.
“She found you because you were different,” Claire said.
“What?””
“She liked you at first.””
I frowned.
“That’s impossible.””
“No. It isn’t.””
Claire leaned closer.
“Patricia thought you were easier to shape than Vanessa.””
My stomach turned.
“She chose me?””
“Yes.””
The words felt disgusting.
I thought back to the beginning of my marriage.
Patricia had been warm.
She brought me gifts.
She called me “the daughter she never had.””
I had thought I was lucky.
I had no idea I was being evaluated.
“She didn’t want a daughter,” I whispered.
Claire shook her head.
“She wanted obedience.””
I looked at the photo again.
Then something caught my attention.
A date written on the back.
I turned it over.
My heart stopped.
The date was three months before Daniel and I met.
But underneath it was another note.
Written in Patricia’s handwriting.
*“This cannot happen again.””*
I looked at Claire.
“What does this mean?””
Her face changed.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t ask.””
“Claire.””
She swallowed.
“Before Vanessa left, she found something.””
“What?””
“She found out Daniel wasn’t just planning to leave her.””
My blood ran cold.
“What was he planning?””
Claire looked toward the café entrance.
Like she was afraid someone was watching.
Then she whispered:
“Daniel wasn’t choosing between you and Vanessa.””
I stared at her.
“What are you saying?””
Claire lowered her voice.
“He was choosing between two women who knew too much.””
My heart pounded.
“Too much about what?””
Before Claire could answer, her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
Her entire face changed.
“What is it?””
She stood immediately.
“We have to leave.””
“Why?””
She showed me the screen.
It was a message from Patricia.
May you like
One sentence.
*“I know you told Emily.””*
