Chapter 4: The Secret In The Envelope
I didn’t turn around immediately.
For a few seconds, I just stood there with Ethan’s letter in my hand, staring at the words that had already changed the way I saw my own marriage.
“She’s been hiding something about why she came into our lives in the first place.””
Those words repeated in my head.
Slowly, I faced Lauren.
She was standing in the doorway with one hand resting on the frame.
Her expression was calm.
Too calm.
“What are you doing in here?”” she asked.
I held up the envelope.
“What is this?””
Her eyes moved toward it.
Then back to me.
“You went through his things?””
I almost laughed.
The accusation was unbelievable.
“My son wrote me a letter because he was afraid to talk to me.””
Lauren crossed her arms.
“And you think that makes breaking into his room okay?””
“This is his room.””
“And?””
“And I’m his father.””
The silence between us stretched.
Then Lauren walked inside.
“You’re really going to let a sixteen-year-old boy destroy our family?””
I looked at her.
“No.””
Her face softened slightly.
“Good.””
“I’m going to find out why my son felt like he had to run away from it.””
The softness disappeared.
Lauren sat on Ethan’s bed.
“You don’t understand what’s happening.””
“Then explain it.””
She looked down.
For the first time in years, I saw something I couldn’t identify.
Was it sadness?
Fear?
Or guilt?
“Ethan has never accepted me.””
“That’s not true.””
“Isn’t it?””
She looked up.
“His mother died, and I came into his life. Do you think he wanted another woman telling him what to do?””
I didn’t answer.
Because there was some truth in that.
Ethan had struggled when Lauren and I got married.
But struggles were normal.
They weren’t excuses.
“Lauren, he was a child.””
“And I was trying to be his mother.””
“No,” I said quietly.
“You were trying to be his mother. There’s a difference.””
Her eyes narrowed.
“You’ve changed since you heard that recording.””
“No.””
I looked at the letter.
“I’ve started listening.””
That sentence seemed to hit her.
She stood up.
“You think I’m the villain.””
“I think I don’t know the truth yet.””
She walked closer.
“Then maybe you should ask yourself why Ethan waited until now.””
I stared at her.
“What does that mean?””
“It means he’s not innocent.””
Before I could respond, she walked past me.
At the doorway, she stopped.
“You should ask him why he never told you what happened with his biological mother’s family.””
My heart skipped.
“What does that have to do with anything?””
Lauren didn’t answer.
She just walked away.
And that was when I realized something.
She had done it intentionally.
She had dropped a name into the conversation.
A mystery.
A distraction.
Something that would make me chase another answer.
But I couldn’t ignore it.
Because Ethan’s mother, Rachel, had died when he was five.
Her family had disappeared afterward.
At least, that’s what I believed.
I found Ethan in the backyard that evening.
He was sitting on the old wooden swing he had outgrown years ago.
“Can I sit?””
He nodded.
For a while, we just listened to the wind.
Then I asked:
“What did Mom mean about your biological family?””
His face changed.
Not surprise.
Fear.
“You talked to her?””
“She mentioned them.””
Ethan looked away.
“Of course she did.””
“What does that mean?””
He rubbed his hands together.
“Dad, there are things you don’t know.””
“Then tell me.””
He was quiet for a long time.
Finally, he said:
“After Mom died, Grandma Rachel tried to contact us.””
I frowned.
“My sister told me nobody came.””
“Because Lauren stopped them.””
My stomach dropped.
“What?””
Ethan looked at me.
“She told you they didn’t care about us.””
I stood up.
“That’s impossible.””
“I know.””
His voice became smaller.
“Because Grandma sent letters.””
“What letters?””
Ethan looked toward the house.
Then whispered:
“She kept them.””
I felt a cold wave move through me.
“Who kept them?””
He didn’t answer.
He didn’t need to.
I already knew.
That night, after Lauren fell asleep, I searched the office.
Not because I wanted to.
Because I had to.
And after thirty minutes, I found a locked wooden box behind old tax documents.
Inside were letters.
Dozens of them.
All addressed to Ethan.
The oldest one was dated eight years ago.
My hands shook as I opened it.
The first sentence read:
“Dear Ethan, I don’t know why your father hasn’t answered any of my messages, but I need you to know we never stopped loving you.””
I turned the page.
And then I saw the signature.
Rachel.
Not my son’s mother.
Her mother.
Ethan’s grandmother.
Someone Lauren had told me had abandoned us.
But there was something else.
A small note attached to the bottom of the letter.
Written in Lauren’s handwriting.
“He can never know.””
I stared at those four words.
Then I heard footsteps behind me.
“You weren’t supposed to find those.””
I turned.
Lauren was standing in the doorway.
May you like
And this time…
She wasn’t pretending.
