Chapter 7: The Marriage That Never Existed
I didn’t speak for several seconds.
The coffee shop noise disappeared.
The conversations around me faded.
All I could hear was the attorney’s voice repeating one sentence in my head.
*You may never have been married to Ethan at all.*
I looked at Patricia.
She was watching me.
And she knew.
That was the part that made my skin crawl.
She already knew.
“Emma?”” the attorney said.
I forced myself to answer.
“I’m here.””
“We need you to come to the office immediately.””
“What exactly did you find?””
A pause.
Then:
“The marriage license.””
My fingers tightened around the phone.
“What about it?””
“It was never officially registered.””
I looked at my father.
He immediately understood something was wrong.
“Why?””
The attorney lowered his voice.
“Because the paperwork submitted to the county contained inconsistencies.””
I swallowed.
“Inconsistencies?””
“The signatures don’t match the original documents.””
My eyes moved toward Patricia.
She looked away.
That tiny movement told me everything.
“Someone forged it,” I whispered.
The attorney didn’t answer directly.
But silence was enough.
I ended the call.
My father stepped closer.
“What happened?””
I looked at him.
“My marriage to Ethan may not exist.””
Linda covered her mouth.
Patricia suddenly stood.
“That’s ridiculous.””
Everyone looked at her.
She forced a laugh.
“You’re letting these people confuse you.””
My father stared at her.
“Then why do you look worried?””
For the first time, Patricia had no immediate answer.
She grabbed her purse.
“This conversation is over.””
“No,” I said.
My own voice surprised me.
She stopped.
“This conversation is the first honest one we’ve had.””
Patricia slowly turned.
“You should be careful, Emma.””
I smiled slightly.
“Is that another warning?””
Her eyes narrowed.
“You think because your father is protecting you, you’re untouchable.””
“No.””
I looked at the documents on the table.
“I think because you lied, you’re finally losing control.””
Her expression hardened.
“You don’t know what you’re dealing with.””
I stood.
“You’re right.””
I picked up the envelope.
“But I’m learning.””
Patricia left without another word.
On the drive to my father’s office, nobody spoke.
I watched Chicago pass through the window.
The same streets where Ethan and I used to walk together.
The same restaurants where he held my hand.
The same city where I believed I was building a future.
Now every memory felt different.
My father finally spoke.
“Emma.””
“Yes?””
“If the marriage was never legal, you don’t owe him anything.””
I looked down.
“I know.””
But deep inside, I wasn’t thinking about Ethan anymore.
I was thinking about how easily someone could pretend to love you while planning to destroy you.
At my father’s office, the legal team was already waiting.
A woman named Rachel placed a file in front of me.
“We verified everything.””
I opened it.
Inside were copies of the documents.
“The officiant who signed your certificate doesn’t exist.””
My heart dropped.
“What?””
Rachel nodded.
“The name belongs to a retired minister who died five years ago.””
I stared at the page.
“They forged everything.””
“Yes.””
My father leaned forward.
“Who helped them?””
Rachel hesitated.
“That’s what we’re investigating.””
I turned another page.
Then I saw something.
A small note attached to the paperwork.
A name.
*Daniel Whitmore.*
I looked up.
“Who is Daniel?””
My father’s expression changed.
“You don’t know?””
I shook my head.
Rachel answered.
“Ethan’s uncle.””
“Why would his name be here?””
Nobody answered immediately.
Then my father picked up another document.
“Because Daniel was involved in financial fraud years ago.””
I felt a chill.
“And?””
My father looked at me.
“He was the reason Ethan’s family nearly lost everything.””
I stared at him.
“So this wasn’t about money?””
Rachel shook her head.
“It was bigger.””
She opened another file.
“This wasn’t just a plan to gain access to your family.””
My heart raced.
“What was it?””
She placed a photograph on the table.
A photograph of Ethan.
Standing beside a man I had never seen before.
Daniel Whitmore.
Behind them was a building.
My father’s company building.
The date on the photograph was from two years ago.
Before Ethan and I got engaged.
Rachel looked at me.
“Emma, Ethan didn’t meet you by accident.””
The room became silent.
May you like
Then she said:
“He was introduced to you.””
